Called to Be Amish: My Journey from Head Majorette to the Old Order by Marlene C. Miller

Fewer than one hundred outsiders have joined the Old–Order Amish—and stayed—since 1950. Marlene C. Miller is one of them.
In this rare memoir, Marlene recounts her unhappy and abusive childhood, how she throws herself into cheerleading and marching band, and how she falls in love with Johnny, the gentle young Amish man who helps her lace her ice skates.
Against the wishes of both sets of parents, Marlene and Johnny get married and begin a family. Follow the author on this unusual journey to find out how God’s love called her out of bitterness and depression and into the warm embrace of her new Amish community.
Accompany her as she dons an Amish dress and prayer covering and gets baptized. Learn how she endures the strain of ten children, a hundred-acre farm, and accidents and tragedy, and find out how she comes close to walking away from it all. Turning Amish has proven to be anything but plain and simple for this former majorette. But nearly fifty years later, Marlene is still living out God’s call as an Old Order Amish woman.

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About The Author

Marlene C. Miller joined the Amish as an adult and has been a member of the Old Order Amish for almost 50 years. She and her husband of 48 years live on a farm in Ohio surrounded by their nine children, more than 40 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Find out more about Marlene at http://www.mennomedia.org.


My Review

I have read many Amish books and have often thought their way of life would be ideal, I may not have thought of joining, but wondered how it would be. This book is a real story of someone who really did join Old Order, and it is noted that since 1950 fewer than 100 people have actually committed and joined.
The story features a young woman, Marlene Bailey, receiving a dreaded call on her wedding day that her future husband was having cold feet and their wasn’t going to be a wedding. Johnny Miller not only jilted her, but she was in a family way.
As you can tell by looking at the book, there is a marriage, later on, but Johnny is Amish, and Marlene has not gone very often to church. I loved how Marlene did find God and she found love and peace in knowing him. We follow this couple and their trials and the revelation God makes to Marlene about joining the Amish Church.
Don’t know how this woman did all that she did with ten children, a husband who worked and worked and gabbed a few hours sleep on weekends, and she did the farm chores. She had babies to take care of. You are going to marvel at both of these people.
I loved this biography of Marlene, and her life is shared with us from 1962 to the present day. You are really going to love being completely absorbed in Amish life, we are with them through both the highs and the very lows. A must read from those who love to read Amish fiction.

I received this book through Litfuse Publicity Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review.