![]() ![]() Wagler, who now works at a building and supply company in Lancaster County, Pa., deserves praise for his honesty. The memoir is worthwhile as much for its Amish insights as for its exploration of one man's emotional turmoil, regret, and shame. Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man’s quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Over the course of the next 5 years, Ira would leave and return home numerous times, torn between the ingrained message that abandoning one's Amish heritage results in eternal Ira Wagler was born in. It was a "paradox that would haunt me for almost ten years: the tug-of-war between two worlds." His tale of restlessness looks acutely at the clash of family ties with love of freedom. At 17, frustrated by the rules and restrictions of Amish life, Ira got up at 2 am, left a note under his pillow, packed his duffel bag and left. ![]() Such unspoken displeasure sparked a cycle of coming and going for the author, who repeatedly crept away from his community only to return, if reluctantly, for its familiarity. Yet Wagler bravely goes on to expose pervasive dissatisfaction among both youth and adult Amish living in what he characterizes as a stifling, formulaic world. The simplicity of everyday life may seem quaint on the surface. Wagler recounts his Amish upbringing, from dating conventions and worship services to local gossip and schoolyard bullies. This memoir offers a nuanced account from a man who straddled both Amish and "English" (non-Amish) worlds. Filmmakers, academics, and novelists have offered depictions of Amish life. ![]()
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