Lisa Marie Stahl

This book is a collection of essays about life in a Hutterite colony in Montana written by one of the teenagers of the colony, Lisa Marie Stahl.

At first, I was very interested to read and found the first few essays interesting, however, the book got hard to read after the first few pages. The writing is very simple (knowing it was written by a teenager), with sentences that are short enough it breaks up the writing. Many times she will say that she is explaining something (like why men don't wear hats during meals) but explains something entirely different, or gives an explanation that makes no sense. I found many of the articles boring and difficult to read, and it seems that the writing did not improve in later essays, nor were they improved much by the editor. The book also would have been improved by some continuity between essays, add a new paragraph of explanation or some other transition.… (mehr)

Lisa Marie Stahl, a young Hutterite woman who grew up at the Gildford Colony near Havre, Montana, shares details about the Hutterite lifestyle in this collection of first-person articles. Originally appearing in the Great Falls Tribune, Lisa's "On the Colony" column gave readers a rare public glimpse of this communal Anabaptist group with colonies in the upper Midwest, Northwest, and Canada. Her articles, collected in this book, enable readers to discover what it's like to be a Hutterite. I found this to be a very interesting and enjoyable read. Although it revealed many aspects of Hutterite life that sets them apart from the mainstream society, it also revealed that they are in many ways just like those of us in that mainstream society. Lisa revealed the benefits of community support that colony life provides. She also revealed that Hutterites have wide-ranging interests that connect them to the larger society. They maintain neighborly and business relationships with the larger society and they vote in our elections. Although Hutterites embrace many long-standing traditions, they are very knowledgeable about, and utilize, modern technology and business practices, especially those related to agriculture-related enterprises. In addition, Hutterites are not boring, solemn, or unfriendly people. They are very social within the colony, between colonies, and with non-Hutterite neighbors. They also know the importance of having fun and pursue hobbies, play games, and read a wide variety of printed materials, including books, newspapers, and magazines. I came to like Lisa and her family while reading this book, and I wish she would publish additional essays from Canada under her new (married) byline, Lisa Marie Tschetter… (mehr)