book review: Miller, A Shining Light
Judith Miller, A Shining Light (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2014).
I was provided with a copy of this book for review.
While I've read a number of Christian historical romance novels set in Amish communities, this is the first book I have read that's been set in the Amana Colonies, a communal German Pietist settlement that thrived in Iowa from the 1850s through the 1930s (see this link for more information). The structure of life in the Amana colonies was similar in many ways to that of Shaker settlements, but differences of theological opinion meant that, among other things, Amana colonists could marry. Like the Shakers, Amana colonists could welcome outsiders into their community through a structured process of commitment. Unlike the Shakers, this wasn't a necessary component of their continued existence -- Amana colonists could self-perpetuate their communities through marriage and birth.
Miller explores life in the Amana Colonies by telling us the story of Andrea Wilson, an "outsider" who grew up adjacent to the settlement of West Amana and returns to Iowa following a tragedy in her profoundly troubled marriage. We learn about the Amana Colonies through Andrea's experiences. Unable to return to her own home, she accepts the refuge offered by Amana colonists and begins to rebuild the lives of herself and her son. Complications and plot twists ensue.
Miller's story is an enjoyable one; as a historian, her attention to detail is what drew me into this book. She has exercised great care in presenting an accurate picture of life in the Amana Colonies circa 1890. I've long been fascinated by the history of Christian communal societies in the United States, and I learned some interesting new things from Miller's book. A Shining Light is the third in a series, and I look forward to going back and reading the others.
I was provided with a copy of this book for review.
While I've read a number of Christian historical romance novels set in Amish communities, this is the first book I have read that's been set in the Amana Colonies, a communal German Pietist settlement that thrived in Iowa from the 1850s through the 1930s (see this link for more information). The structure of life in the Amana colonies was similar in many ways to that of Shaker settlements, but differences of theological opinion meant that, among other things, Amana colonists could marry. Like the Shakers, Amana colonists could welcome outsiders into their community through a structured process of commitment. Unlike the Shakers, this wasn't a necessary component of their continued existence -- Amana colonists could self-perpetuate their communities through marriage and birth.
Miller explores life in the Amana Colonies by telling us the story of Andrea Wilson, an "outsider" who grew up adjacent to the settlement of West Amana and returns to Iowa following a tragedy in her profoundly troubled marriage. We learn about the Amana Colonies through Andrea's experiences. Unable to return to her own home, she accepts the refuge offered by Amana colonists and begins to rebuild the lives of herself and her son. Complications and plot twists ensue.
Miller's story is an enjoyable one; as a historian, her attention to detail is what drew me into this book. She has exercised great care in presenting an accurate picture of life in the Amana Colonies circa 1890. I've long been fascinated by the history of Christian communal societies in the United States, and I learned some interesting new things from Miller's book. A Shining Light is the third in a series, and I look forward to going back and reading the others.
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