John Silah

"Letting Go of the Reins" is a fascinating glimpse at life in an Amish community in Wisconsin. The book tells its true story from two different points of view, alternating between chapters. One POV is told by "Bill," a married man who decides to leave his Amish community. The other is by an "English" (non-Amish) woman called "Karrie." The devastating repercussions of Bill's decision are detailed in the two narratives, as well as in the letters sent by Bill's Amish friends and relatives. Although the letters are long and can sometimes become tedious to read, they do paint a detailed picture of how the Amish think and feel about their religious beliefs and their ultra-conservative lifestyle. The main thrust of the story is the outrageous lengths to which the Amish, at least in this particular community, will go to prevent one of their own from leaving their community. They believe they must act to "save the soul" of the person leaving, but their tactics are heavy-handed, even to the point of violence, which reveals their not-so-Christian hypocrisy. The book is definitely an eye-opener, especially for those who assume the Amish are models of good old-fashioned values and morality.