Dee Yoder

Even though she is in her Rumspringen, Leah Raber has tried to be a good member of the Old Order Amish. While her friend Martha has been running around dating English boys, drinking, and partying, Leah’s one rebellious act has been to read the Bible in order to understand her relationship with God. Unfortunately, that one act has gotten her into the serious trouble and Leah needs to decide whether to remain Amish or embrace her growing relationship with God. Will Leah have to decide show more between being born again and her family? And what about her growing relationship with Jacob Yoder?

“The Miting” by Dee Yoder is a wonderfully written, moving, heartbreaking, at times disturbing, and yet uplifting novel about the Old Order Amish. I've read many books about the Amish, but this is the first one I've read that reveals the dark side of the Amish (this book, in fact, would make an excellent choice for a book club read). While some people may think that the Amish, with their Plain way of living, have seemingly perfect lives, “The Miting” shows that they are human after all with some dark secrets that they prefer to remain hidden. While there is a nice romance in the book, this book is heavy on the religious themes as Leah begins to read the Bible and question some of the beliefs she's grown up with. Leah is a strong character – perhaps a bit too headstrong at times. Her dealings with authority in the Old Order Amish, along with her friend Martha’s story, are some of the scariest and heartbreaking moments in the book. Her struggles, especially with her questions about religion and dealing with her family, are achingly real and a bit tough to take at times. In the end, just like Leah, you may wonder why a simple decision to read the Bible could cause so much anguish and trouble.

The Miting” is a book that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it and you may never look at the Amish people the same way when you are done reading it. show less

I am familiar with a lot of Amish fiction. You know the kind, all romance and sometimes mystery. There is almost always a happy ending. I am also familiar with books that talk about people leaving the Amish lifestyle for various reasons. My former daughter-in-laws grandmother was Amish until she was shunned. Living in Sarasota, Florida I see everything from Mennonite to all levels of Amish. Knowing all of this made this novel seem so dark. Unfortunately from people I know, I understand that show more there are Old Order Amish that go through situations like this all the time.
A lot of young Amish kids go through a Rumspringa, where they try out the Englisher world. This is done before they decide whether they want to join the church or not. Leah wasn’t that type of kid. At age 17 she loved God so much she wanted to know more about him. In her order she was only allowed to read the German Bible, which she had difficulty understanding. She also didn’t understand why her order had certain rules that were extremely strict compared to other orders. She learned very quickly that you didn’t voice those questions aloud. She also learned that you didn’t read an English Bible and you didn’t question what more God had for you. To do so in her order was considered being disobedient to her family and her bishop. The consequence of this was to be counseled. Unfortunately this wasn’t the type of counseling we might go through. The counselor could put her in a hospital and treat her with drugs and other things against her wishes. It didn’t matter if she was 18 or older. They would take it so far as to keep her prisoner until the counselor would arrive. Anyone trying to rescue her would be kept away. In Leah’s case her boyfriend Jacob stood by her side. Other members of the order stood guard in the barn and around the property to make sure there was no rescue attempt.

I could identify with Leah. Their belief system reminded me of a time in Catholic history when Bibles were chained to the pulpit and people were kept illiterate so they couldn’t read the Bible for themselves. They could only believe what they were told. When my mom became a Christian I was five years old. She had no one to guide her in her walk so she decided to err on the side of right. She got rid of all board games because they contained dice and since people used to shoot craps with dice then games with dice might be a sin. Dancing became a sin. The worst spanking I ever received was because my cousin and I were pretending to be ballerinas. Most TV shows were a sin. I had to wear dresses most of the time because to wear pants to church was a sin. You see where I am going with this. Sometimes rules and regulations can become more important than God’s word. I applauded Leah for wanting to have a personal relationship with God. This is a book I would recommend to everyone whether they like Amish fiction or not. show less

The Miting was a great look into the beliefs and way of life in the Old Order Amish. Based on the experiences of former Amish who left the group, it is an eye opener to anyone who has the romanticized view that the Amish are all a godly and devout people. You will find yourself understanding why some call the Amish a 'cult'. And you may even be shocked that sexual abuse is as big a problem in the Amish world as it is outside it. The fact that the story is based on the experiences of former show more Amish, and the work of MAP (Mission to the Amish People), lends credibility to the story line.
We see Amish life through the eyes of a young Old Order Amish girl Leah, who is struggling to understand why her Bible study is wrong, and finds it impossible reconcile Amish rules & beliefs with what the Bible says about salvation and how a Christian is to live. The treatment she receives at the hands of the Amish leaders, her community, and even her own family is heartbreaking and confusing.
The dilemma of this young girl, and what will become of her and her newfound faith, keeps you reading to find out. You alternately cheer her on, and groan at some of her decisions as she struggles to find where she belongs.
You will also learn that there are differences in the Amish culture, as some have evolved to including Bible study, and striving to follow Biblical teachings, while others have clung to the old ways of following the rules of the Ordnung and Bishops who rule with an iron fist. You will understand why some choose to leave the Amish way of life, and why some choose to stay.
All in all, a good read, with believable characters and interesting story line. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys inspirational fiction, and wants some insight into the Amish way of life. show less

The Miting by Dee Yoder is the most enlightening Amish novel that I have ever read. Leah Raber is torn between her Amish beliefs and her desire to read the Bible which is forbidden by the Old Order Amish Church. She has no desire to go through rumspringen as many of the Amish teenagers do, she only wants to be free to read her Bible, to understand her relationship with God, and to attend a Bible study conducted by an ex-Amish couple. She does not understand how so many of the Amish show more “rules” are not in the Bible so she asks questions and this causes her family and the bishop to call her rebellious. Leah’s best friend Martha is also Amish but her family and the church do not prevent her from being abused by a family member. This and all the other unanswered questions cause Leah to finally leave the Amish life. She adapts well to the Englisher world but she is suffering greatly from homesickness. She finally goes back to her family but the miting/shunning is extremely severe and very painful but if she will give up reading the Bible, the miting will be lifted. Leah also wonders if everything that is happening to her will prevent her from having a lasting relationship with Jacob Yoder.

I have read many Amish novels but none has ever explained shunning so well. I knew what shunning was but it had never really registered with me how devastating it could be to the individual being shunned. I was surprised at the large number of things that the Amish are not allowed to do, many in my opinion seem ridiculous. Dee Yoder did an outstanding job in the development of this story. Every character in the story came to life and I felt as if I knew them. Many I loved and several I could barely tolerate. All the scenes were so realistic that many times I was in tears as I was reading, and if not in tears then sometimes fighting mad. There were a few twists and turns in the story but they added to the suspense of the story. Would Leah stay Amish or become English and will Jacob become part of her life? After reading this story, I have great respect for those who want to leave the Amish life for the freedom to read and study the Bible and to accept Christ as their Savior. I never realized how very hard that could be. I definitely hope that there will be a sequel for I want to know more about Leah and Jacob and would also like to know if Martha ever found happiness.

I very highly recommend this book to all who would like to know more about the Amish while reading a very enjoyable story that will touch the heart.

Kregel Publications provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. show less