Hutterite Diaries by Linda Maendel

What would it be like to share all your possessions and live in Christian community? In Hutterite Diaries, Linda Maendel offers a rare glimpse into the daily routines and communal faith of her people, the Hutterian Brethren. From stories of working together to bring in the fall potato harvest to laugh-out-loud tales of sisterly love laced with revenge, Maendel invites readers into her Bruderhof, or colony, nestled on the prairie of western Canada. Here children and adults work, play, eat, and worship together, crafting a community of goods and living out an alternative to the individualism and consumerism of mainstream society. Because few outsiders know anything about the Hutterites, a Plain Christian group related to the Amish and Mennonites, this book offer a rare-glimpse into Hutterite life.

Few outsiders know anything about the Hutterites, a Plain Christian group related to the Amish and Mennonites. Maendel’s story, Hutterite Diaries, invites readers into deeper understanding of this community of faith, calling us to take seriously the example of Jesus and the early church in our daily living. Hear straight from plain Christians as they write about their daily lives and deeply rooted faith in the Plainspoken series.

About The Author 

Linda Maendel is a Hutterite author, blogger, and educator who lives in Elm River Colony outside of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Find out more about Linda at http://www.hutt-writevoice.blogspot.com.

My Review



This book is an enlightening in-depth look at the Hutterites, while there is a lot of books about the Amish, and some about the Mennonites not much is known about the Hutterites. These churches all come the Anabaptists and evolved in different directions. We also touch on where their faith was practiced and evolved out of. How they were persecuted for their beliefs and how they came to the US and Canada
The way the villages are set up made me think of the Amana Colonies, where they were separate, but together. The author told about their weddings, where the couple is married at the groom’s village, and how a parade comes out to meet the guest coming from the bride’s home.
The story the author presents is very enlightening and gives you a real look at this communal living, each family has their own home and some personal possessions, but the meals are taken together with men on one side of the room and woman on the other. There are lots of other interesting facts, including their clothing.
The author shares a lot of her own personal experiences, along with her family. Come along for a memorable read of a little know sect of Christians, the book is a fast page-turner.

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