Growing Up Amish: A Memoir (2011)

by Ira Wagler

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Biography & Autobiography. Christian Nonfiction. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML:New York Times eBook bestseller! One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 AM, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life�from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26. Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man's quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today�the Old Order Amish.… (more)

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Showing 1-5 of 37 (next | show all)

I really enjoyed and appreciated Ira's story of his experience growing up in an Amish community, and then his journey to discover his own faith. (

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JennyPocknall | Oct 19, 2023 |

2.5 stars. There just wasn't much depth to this. (

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CarolHicksCase | Mar 12, 2023 |

I was actually looking for a story more of the Amish than of one disgruntled Amish member. However, I must say I enjoyed Ira Wagler’s story. Much of what he went through we all go through, maybe not in terms of religious ambiguity, but definitely in terms of life’s choices and the difficult job of choosing from among those choices. Ira’s yo yo life in and out of the Amish community was a big repetitious, but the overall message was valuable. His story was worth telling and worth my while reading. (

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FormerEnglishTeacher | Dec 28, 2021 |

Mildly interesting autobiography of a vacillating Amish member.
Born in that culture, he describes his large family, the farm work, the religion, the old fashioned ways demanded of them.... We feel the distance and resistance to the life from early on...but it takes a few attempts at breaking away (often to other Amish/ Mennonite settlements) - and returns to the life he feels he SHOULD want (but doescnt really) before he finally cuts the ties... (

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starbox | Jul 23, 2021 |

The author tells the story of his life. He grew up in an Amish household, but decided he had to leave. He left a note for his parents and slipped out in the middle of the night.
I can't remember too much about this book after reading it 6 months ago. I remember he had to come to terms with his beliefs and that it took him several tries to find peace and a place in society.
And it definitely paints a true picture, not a sugar coated or romanticized view of the Amish. (

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debs4jc | Aug 2, 2019 |

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thingScore 75

Fans of all things Amish, as well as those interested specifically in spirituality, will find this a good read. It serves as a nice addition to previous books written on the subject.

added by Christa_Josh | editLibrary Journal, Holly Hebert (Oct 1, 2011)

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Bloomfield, Iowa, USA

Daviess County, Indiana, USA

Aylmer, Ontario, Canada

Valentine, Nebraska, USA

Montgomery, Indiana, USA

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This book is dedicated to my mother, Ida Mae (Yoder) Wagler, whose quiet inner strength sustained her through the long and difficult journey that was her life. She never wavered in her deep love for all her children, even—and maybe especially—for her wayward sons, who broke her heart again and again. Her love was her sustaining strength.

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No one seems to remember exactly what was going on at the old farm that day.

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Biography & Autobiography. Christian Nonfiction. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML:New York Times eBook bestseller!
One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 AM, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life�from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26. Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man's quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today�the Old Order Amish.

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