A Day in the Life of the Amish

Bob Ottum, the editor of this book asked over 100 Amish to record a single day in their lives (Monday, October 4, 1993) and sent out cameras so that the willing volunteers could take photos to enhance their written diaries. The result is very appealing. I enjoyed my day with the Amish, astounded by the amount of work they achieved, and charmed by the gentle humor with which they accomplished their daily chores. The one-day diaries were recorded during the peak of the harvest and canning season, and Monday was also wash day in most of the Amish households. From Wyoming to New York, the wash went out onto clotheslines, cows were milked and fed while Orion and the Moon were still bright in the sky, one family--with plenty of help from friends and relatives--was preparing for 500 wedding guests, and of course, children all over the country were bundled off to one-room school-houses on foot, by buggy or school bus. One Amish lady who runs a bulk grocery store in Minnesota sold flour, yeast, oatmeal and a 60-pound pail of corn syrup to another woman who was having "church next Sunday and needs to do a lot of baking." This book lovingly details the breakfasts, dinners, and suppers eaten by the diarists on October 4, 1993 and by the end of the book I was extremely hungry. One family had 60 guests for a supper that included "scalloped potatoes with ham, dressing, ham and cheese sandwiches, vegetable pizza, Jell-O apple salad, cream cheese pudding, cherry and raspberry pie and ice cream." Plain food you might say, but abundant and home-cooked. Of all the books I've read about the Amish, 'A Day in the Life' is the most interesting and enjoyable. It is the only book, the editor is proud to announce, with a map that shows locations in America where the Amish have formed communities. The largest concentrations of Amish are found in the Great Lakes states, but there are also settlements in the far northwestern corner of Montana, and the southern plains of Texas. In all, 22 states and one Canadian province are home to these industrious, plain-dealing folks.