Inside an Amish home: Library and reading room
From a Lancaster friend’s home:
Sharpening minds and no. 2’s:
Sigh. I remember spending a bit more time with these, once:
Here’s the full list of Amish home interior photos.
Here comes Bishop Yoder…call me back later!
photo from Wired magazine In Amish Country, Lancaster County, a quiet behind-the-scenes battle is happening–it’s business vs. the bishops, in a discrete tussle over modern America’s favorite portable gadget, the cellphone. Tensions have risen over the now common device. “Sometimes I wonder if we’re not getting to a point where some of our people don’t respect church authority the way they should,” says a frustrated…
Ohio’s “Nebraska” Amish (Andover, OH)
Many people have seen photos of the fairly well-known ‘white-top buggy’ Amish. This group is based mainly in Pennsylvania’s diverse Big Valley region. They are most commonly known as the Nebraska Amish, named after a Nebraska-based bishop who helped the group get started in the late 1800s. Traditionally considered one of the most conservative Amish groups, they have also been called the “Old School Amish”….
An Amish Funeral: A Firsthand Account
What happens at an Amish funeral? In today’s post, Rebecca Miller shares an account of a funeral which took place in her community. Rebecca is a member of an Old Order Amish church in Holmes County, Ohio. She is a schoolteacher, and also works at the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center (Berlin, OH). Over the past couple of months, Rebecca has kindly offered her knowledge of her…
Do we romanticize the Amish?
When I first began spending time with the Amish, I felt like I was entering another world. I would drive my car from gritty Decatur, Illinois, where I was living for the summer while selling books, 45 minutes southeast to the farms, fields and fresh air of Moultrie County. Crossing into “Amish territory”, it seemed like I passed through an invisible border. Much of what…
Ice Cutting in Amish Iowa (9 Photos)
Photographer David Marvitz has captured some striking images of Amish doing an important winter chore in Iowa. While many Amish use propane or natural gas-powered refrigerators to keep food cold (see point #4 here), the more traditional Amish use ice houses. This is prime time to collect frozen fuel for these structures, which keep food chilled well into the warmer months. Here’s what those ice blocks…
Greetings!!
I love the pictures. Would love to have a book case or two like that. Its beautiful!! What a cozy room to study and learn in. I had a pencil sharpening like that years ago too. You must have sold some of those books Erik. Thanks for sharing the pictures, they are awesome!
Blessings, Alice
Nice pictures! I always enjoy seeing someones library!!We still have one of those sharpeners too, but it doesnt get used all that often anymore. Once ina while though….
Thank you for presenting to us such a lovely and cozy library. I so enjoy peeking into the different Amish rooms. I do believe that well loved books will not only give a room personality, that same room will always feel “good” to anyone occupying it or even seeing it on a computer screen.
Enjoy your weekend.
Oh, one more thing, I bet those titles would be very interesting….
"Witness" farm tour Contest on my blog ending june 11
I think reading is becoming a lost art in the traditional way im afraid. And i may be guilty of that a little myself because i have a stack of magazines that are sent to my home acuminating without being read. Richard from the Amish settlement of Lebanon,Pa
I wish I could get a better look of some of the titles…I always thought you can tell what kind of person someone is by the books they have in their home.
What a wonderful room! I can just imagine the family gathering there on a cold, snowy winter afternoon. Wondering what books are on the shelf? Do Amish women love the various Christian love-romance books that some of us crave?
I agree that titles would be nice too!!
I would also love to know what is read. I still have a manual pencil sharpner and still use it, lol. Mine you can sharpen many different sizes.
Sounds like titles are in demand! Let me see if I can rustle up a few…
The Amish and Fiction
Hi, Robin, you asked <> The answer is a definite YES, many Amish women love to read all sorts of Christian fiction, not just romance but also suspense, historical, literary, and more. They even read Amish fiction, though they can be very opinionated about who gets it “right” and who doesn’t.
I once had a hilarious conversation with a young sales clerk in an Amish gift shop who stood next to the book rack and gave commentary on almost every novel there, saying things like, “That one put me on the floor!” and “When I finished that one, I threw it across the room!” and “That one was a keeper!” In the end, she sounded just like any other young woman who loves to read and express her opinions on what she has read. It was a delightful encounter, one that has stayed vivid in my mind ever since. 🙂
Hi Mind,
Thank you for commenting on my entry. That is great to know that they do read a varity of things. One day I would love to meet some women of the Plain Communities and chat. I think they are so interesting, straight forward, and would love to get to know them.
an amish friend
Like robin Wyatt’s comment, I would also enjoy meeting an amish woman. I would love to watch them sew their clothes and make a quilt. I am a quilter and wonder how long it takes them to make a quilt using a treadle machine and how they iron.
Oops
Looks like I should’ve used quotation marks in the above comment rather than brackets. I meant to put: Hi, Robin, you asked, “Do Amish women love the various Christian love-romance books that some of us crave?” The answer…
Sorry about that!
Library Reading Room
What a beautiful room. I hope in my next house that I can have a library like this one. What a peaceful place to be.
I would love to have a nice, cozy looking library like that, and often find, despite their simplicity, that alot of Amish homes are way bigger, nicer, and cleaner than the average Englischer’s home.
Sorry for the repeated post folks, and no I’m not going crazy, well that’s open for debate. my comments were going into Erik’s spam box every time i was trying to post something the last few days. Erik if you have not looked at your e-mails yet, could you please erase the last 2 of the same comments that i tried to post this morning. Thank you Erik. Richard from the Amish settlement of Lebanon,Pa
Books on the shelf
Okay folks, I have a shot of one of the shelves in this room–this actually was already on the blog on a different post a few months ago, but I’ve just cut out the books.
This is just a sample of a library with a wide variety of books in it. In fact I think I need to get myself a library card to this place 😉 And thanks to my friend for sharing with us:
The post this shelf appeared on originally is:
https://amishamerica.com/calendars-zip-code-charts-amish-wall-decor/
I enjoyed the pictures.
Do you know if many Amish use public libraries much?
I recognize a english translation of the Martyr’s Mirror book on the lowest shelf 2nd from the right edge (in the 3rd picture). Erik, do you have a explanation of this book and its importance to Anabaptists?
Back to Mindy Starns Clark
Love your books Mindy!!! And thanks for your reply … I am currently reading “Secrets of Harmony Grove” … you are one of my favorite authors. I do hope that your books are on the shelves in Amish home libraries!! I consume Amish fiction, have a bookshelf full and can just imagine the research that needs to be done to “get it right” …
There is a collection of “The Great Books” in one shot. I know them only because I grew up with a set in the house. Wonderful collection.
Lance there are of course places that do much greater justice to the Martyrs Mirror but I have touched on it in a number of posts, here are a few:
https://amishamerica.com/mirror_of_the_m/
https://amishamerica.com/which-bible-do-the-amish-use/
https://amishamerica.com/why-do-we-treasure-old-books/
Al, Amish do use public libraries and rural bookmobiles, such as that in Holmes County, Ohio, are also heavily used by Amish.
By the way, Iain, Lance, you have good eyes!
I like the title “How To Beat Burnout.” I imagine with farmwork and tons of kids you would need a book like that!
I know where I live in Ohio, the Amish does use the same Library I do……
Amish read books
I stopped in an Amish owned store in Intercourse, PA years ago and they had a lot of Amish fiction for sale. I noticed the Beverly Lewis titles and asked the young Amish clerk if she and her friends liked to read them and she replied “Oh yes we love Beverly Lewis”. I do too 🙂
I have been reading novels by Wanda E. Brunstetter. Anyone else like her books? On my bucket list this year is to visit an Amish community, (I have visited Sugarcreek) but want to visit others. Any suggestions? How can one befriend the Amish?
Reply to Robin
Just saw your comment re: Wanda E Brunstetter. I’m a big fan even though I’m not involved in the Amish world at all except for here. I think the world of the lady.
Over a year ago when I first got my computer I sent her a fan email and it culminated in her sending me not one but two novels with disabled protagonists (sp?). I use a wheelchair.
We’ll have to do more gabbing since we like the same books/author.
reply to Carolyn
Wow! That was nice of her to do that. I also sent an email to her letting her know how much I enjoy her books. Right now I am reading “The sisters…” I went to Wanda’s website and found a biscuit recipe…. REALLY good.I have learned even more about the Amish through this website.
I want to give books to Amish kids /I like your site
I have some old books from my childhood: Heidi Bllack Beauty Little Women and so forth.
Do you think I can gift them to some Amish library, in some way ?
I am a simple, artist, gardener, conservative person with religious and music background and I don’t know who would appreciate such things.
Maybe an Amish person ?
BTW I live ibn NYC though accident of birth but I do not belong here in my thinking I am independent and feel I might be close to Amish philosophy of life so I did a search and found your site where I learned a lot.
I was thinking to look for a house near Amish because I have to get away from the crazies here who are persecuting people who don’t agre with them, and have a garden, etc. Ava
Thanks and God Bless