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Quirky Amish tales draw laughs

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By JANINE DORSEY

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 11, 2009

"Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home," by Rhoda Janzen (Henry Holt & Co., $22)

When I first spotted this book I thought I had hit a literary trifecta! Ask anyone who knows me, some of my favorite things are: memoirs, fashion and the Amish.

And "Mennonite in a Little Black Dress" started off strong. Chapter One had me contemplating, along with the author, the appropriateness of nicknaming withered limbs and the amusement factor of urinary incontinence bags. Just for the record, I'm going to put a tick in the "no" column for naming less-than-attractive body parts.

The reminiscence of Janzen's early years are told in a delightful voice. She weaves tales of her curious Mennonite upbringing with tales of her parents' experiences with the culture. Dialogue between Janzen's mother and herself is particularly amusing and reminded me of my relationship with my mother, whom I affectionately call "The Riddler."

But the story gets bogged down as the author dwells too much on her disastrous marriage and subsequent breakup. There's nothing fun about domestic violence and mental illness.

Also, there's heavy focus on the religious aspects of being a Mennonite and not as much on the lifestyle elements that intrigue me. In fact, the most enjoyable part of the book was the appendix, "A Mennonite History Primer."

Told in Janzen's quirky voice, but providing the details of the culture that I sought, it was a nice finish to the story.

With many laugh-out-loud moments and fascinating descriptions of the "Menno" diet and their love affair with raisins, overall the book was a good read, but perhaps more for an audience of those seeking enlightenment on religious issues or failed relationships and not those who just want a peek inside an antediluvian lifestyle.

Janine Dorsey is a TBO.com producer.

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