Reviews for My Hutterite Life

The average rating for My Hutterite Life based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-07-16 00:00:00 Jack Storey As a child visiting my grandparents in Montana I would occasionally visit the Glacier Hutterite colony. The Hutteries are a religious sect who live and work communally eschewing individual possessions. Unlike the Amish they don't forbide modern technology. I loved the trip to the colony as it was always fascinating to see these people who dressed like they stepped out of the late 1800's, spoke in strangely accented voice, and were eternally busy. True to Hutterite culture my grandfather would disappear with the men to see the latest farming equipment while my grandmother and I were taken on tours of the kitchen and gardens. The Hutterite ladies would gently chastise my for my belly baring top and offer us fresh baked buns or cookies. We always left with fresh produce, jars of cream, and, for me anyway, a sense that maybe the modern world wasn't all it was cracked up to be. This summer I began watching the National Geographic channel's "Meet the Colony" about the Hutterite King Colony north of Lewiston, Montana. There has been much criticism about the series, especially from the Hutterite Elders regarding this series but I love it! It renewed my interest in the Hutterites which lead me to read this book. It is a compilation of columns written by a young Hutterite girl and published in the Great Falls Tribune. My fourteen year old self who thought this lifestyle might be appealing is gone and I now marvel that any woman can want to spend her life cleaning, cooking, and being totally submissive (this is a completely patriarchal culture)but it is interesting. This issue is addressed in the TV show as one of the main character, Claudia, is struggling with balancing her Hutterite faith with her desire to dress, act, and behave like a "normal 19 year old girl". The traditional young lady who wrote this book quite writing at 21 to marry and start a family with her husband in Canada. It's a shame, she has a natural writer and this was a enjoyable book...if you are obsessed with Hutterites as I currently seem to be.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-06-28 00:00:00 William Ohara An excellent "starter" book that offers a clear vision of WHAT goes on in Hutterite colony and HOW daily life is lived. It was a little short, though, on WHY this sect lives the way it does, explaining their customs and traditions without giving background or origins.