Book Review: I Am Hutterite by Mary-Ann Kirkby

I Am Hutterite: The Fascinating True Story of a Young Woman’s Journey to Reclaim Her Heritage is a memoir by a woman who was raised in the Hutterite faith until she was a young teen.  The book begins by relating her family history and how the Hutterites came to Cananda.  The Hutterites are an Anabaptist communal Christian sect originating in Germany.  Unlike their faith cousins, the Amish, the Hutterites do not eschew modern conveniences; however, they do practice separation from the world, dress in clothing most of us consider abnormal and maintain their German dialect.  After introducing us to life in the Hutterite colony, Mary-Ann Kirkby shows us why her parents decided to leave, and we follow them to their new life a few miles down the road.  While most of us would consider leaving the Hutterites to be an exercise in gaining freedom, originally Kirkby felt far less free outside the colony than in it.

We all want to belong and this book shows why Kirby's father never really felt like he belonged in the Hutterite colony, and shows how much trouble Kirby had fitting into the world outside the Hutterites.

I found the beginning of the book a little slow, but after it picked up speed I found it to be an interesting view of a way of life I found fascinating.

I'd like to thank Thomas Nelson Publishers, who provided a complimentary review copy via their BookSneeze program.  You can visit their product page to learn more about the book.