Crossing Over: One Woman's Escape from Amish Life
by Ruth Irene Garrett, Rick Farrant
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Book Summary Information
Author: Rick Farrant, Ruth Irene GarrettEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2003-01
ISBN: 006052992X
Number of pages: 208
Publisher: HarperOne
Book Reviews of Crossing Over: One Woman's Escape from Amish Life
Book Review: Crossing Over
Summary: 2 Stars
The author "escaped" from the Amish after years of not being able to come to terms with the "flaws" she insists are inherent to the sect. Although she does not say it outright, but her main beef seems to be the fact that they are rigidly patriarchal. She spends much time criticizing her father, going so far as to accuse him of being physically abusive. Her brothers she discusses in a more moderate tone. In stark contrast, she portrays her mother and only sister in a very positive, almost saintly manner. When she does finally make her escape, it's with Ottie Garrett, a considerably over-weight, thrice-divorced guy on disability who makes extra money on the side by publishing books about the Amish and also by ferrying them around in his van. The guy also happens to be twice her age. And as if that isn't peculiar enough, this guy also has a profound contempt for the Amish take on Christianity, in particular their firm belief in non-violence. Once they make their getaway, they move back East and start their life together; but old habits die hard, and Ottie is soon back at exploiting the Amish by starting more book projects. Not surprisingly, though, the Amish who once supported his efforts no longer want to deal with him. But this doesn't deter them though, and soon the author is in the racket, too. Hence this book, and several more since. The fact that the author would go to great lengths to trash the Amish, and then turn around and exploit them in order to make money really left me feeling no sympathy for her. Moreover, the numerous things that she writes about Ottie, whom she eventually married, really made him out to be a crude, rude and although that clearly wasn't the author's intention. Overall, I found her reasoning to be quite naive and was really not all that impressed by many of the mundane things that she was on about. And some things she discusses were perhaps better left for a psychiatrist than printed in a book for all to know.
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