By Rhoda Janzen
Grand Central Publishing, 2013. 263 pages. Nonfiction.
In her first memoir (Mennonite in a Little Black Dress), Janzen describes her return to her parent's Mennonite community after her long-term marriage to an east coast intellectual falls apart. In Little Black Dress, Janzen describes her gradual return to a spiritual life (although not necessarily a Mennonite life) that she had shunned for education. In her second volume, Janzen does what even she doesn't expect: she dates an exceptionally devout Christian. This book completes the journey, taking Janzen from a reason-based academic to become an intellectual and faith-based Christian.
Janzen's writing is exceptionally good, both poetic and witty. Even though she is delving into some intensely personal topics, she does it all with good humor and fervor. What I like most is that she never becomes evangelical in her writing; she is simply stating her experiences in a faith-based lifestyle and allowing the reader to choose what he or she wants to believe. Both humorous and heartfelt, this was a fascinating look into one woman's journey into faith. I consider this a mostly clean book: there may have been a few instances of language (certainly much less than in her first book - she's overcoming her swearing habit in this book) and she does talk pretty frankly but respectfully about issues such as abstinence.
JH
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