Simple Pleasures

Title: Simple Pleasures
Author: Marianne Jantzi
Major Themes: Amish, Motherhood
Synopsis: A young Amish woman shares stories from her own life to encourage other mothers.

The subtitle of Simple Pleasures describes the book fairly well: Stories From My Life as an Amish Mother. As a mother, I love to read stories from other mother’s lives. I don’t necessarily enjoy reading “Amish” books; most Amish fiction that is available today is sensationalized and exaggerated. I knew many Amish people while growing up, my husband worked for a few years with some Amish men, and we went to church for a number of years with former Amish. This one, however, is good. The author is actually an Amish woman, and her stories ring true. She simply talks about her family’s life.

Marianne Jantzi lives in Ontario, Canada, where she cares for her four young children and writes when she can. She writes a monthly column for an Amish magazine. Each of the 43 short chapters in Simple Pleasures is made up of several even shorter stories from her daily life. This is a great book for a busy mother to pick up and read from just a minute or two at a time! You will be amused by the mishaps she and her children find themselves experiencing, and encouraged by the similarities to your own life.

No warnings!