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Book Review of Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home
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Helpful Score: 13


Rhoda Janzen, raised as a Mennonite, left the culture in her adulthood and lived among the regular folks. She had a pretty normal and happy life until a set of health mishaps--and her husband leaving her for a man he met on Gay.com.

The book is about her reconnecting to her family and recovering pieces of herself that she allowed to be swallowed up by an unhappy marriage. Weirdly, she does not really admit to the true character of her husband until pages and pages into the book. Then you discover that the whole dissolving of her marriage should not have come as any surprise at all.

For me, I never really connected with Rhoda or with her family and friends. There was just something missing. I'm not sure that I can put my finger on what it was, but I think it was just a lack of depth in the telling of who they were. I enjoyed reading about her mother and her sister and brother-in-law, but some of the other people were just not interesting.

I found the middle of the book to be entertaining, but my interest was not sustained through the end. I did learn about Mennonite culture (no, they are not the same as the Amish!). And if I never hear the phrase "Bob from Gay.com", I will be most delighted.