Amish Circle Letters
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Authors: Sarah Price
Amish Circle Letters - the Complete Series
Amish Circle Letters [1]
Sarah Price
On Demand Publishing, LLC-Create Space (2014)
In Amish Circle Letters, follow the journey of a series of letters that pass through the Fisher family. Meet feisty Mary Ruth, the young woman who prefers her independence to conformity, Steve who gave up long ago on finding love, and little Katie who makes a new friend in Melvin, a friendship that has the potential to grow into something more. As Amish do not use computers or cell phones to communicate, Amish women will often write circle letters, letters that they send to a list of addresses of people that they would like to include in the correspondence. Since they do not have access to photocopiers, the first person on the list will receive the letter, read it, and respond. That person sends both the first letter and their response to the second name on the list. This continues until the entire package of letters goes full-circle, returning to the original sender. An Amish Christian Romance that will leave you breathless and wanting more. Sarah Price, bestselling author of Amish Christian Romances, brings her twenty-five years of experience living among the Amish and from growing up Mennonite to the pages of her novels and novellas, in order to present a truly authentic Amish experience just for her readers.
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Amish Circle Letters
By Sarah Price
New and Expanded for 2014
With Recipes, Hymns,
and an Excerpt from
Amish Circle Letters II
Price Publishing LLC.
2014
The Pennsylvania Dutch used in this manuscript is taken from the Pennsylvania Dutch Revised Dictionary (1991) by C. Richard Beam, Brookshire Publications, Inc. in Lancaster, PA.
Copyright © 2014 by Price Publishing, LLC.
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
Other Books by Sarah Price
The Amish of Lancaster Series
#3:
Pastures of Faith
#4:
Valley of Hope
The Amish of Ephrata Series
#3:
The Hope Chest
#4:
The Clothes Line
The Plain Fame Trilogy
Plain Fame
Plain Change
Plain Again
Other Amish Christian Romances
Amish Circle Letters
Amish Circle Letters II
A Gift of Faith: An Amish Christmas Story
An Amish Christmas Carol: Amish Christian Classic Series
A Christmas Gift for Rebecca: An Amish Christian Romance
Gettysburg’s Chosen Sons
The Adventures of a Family Dog Series
#1: A Small Dog Named Peek-a-boo
#2: Peek-a-boo Runs Away
#3: Peek-a-boo’s New Friends
#4: Peek-a-boo and Daisy Doodle (2013)
Other Books, Novellas and Short Stories
Gypsy in Black
Postcards from Abby
(with Ella Stewart)
Meet Me in Heaven
(with Ella Stewart)
The Prayer Chain Series
(with Ella Stewart)
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Foreword
A Note About Vocabulary
Chapter One: Miriam’s Letter
Chapter Two: Rachel’s Letter
Chapter Three: Leah’s Letter
Chapter 4: Anna’s Letter
Chapter 5: Lizzie’s Letter
Chapter 6: Sylvia’s Letter
Chapter 7: Lovina’s Letter
Chapter 8: Ella’s Letter
Chapter 9: Mary Ruth’s Letter
Chapter 10: Miriam’s Package
The Sequel
Recipes
Amish Meadow Tea
Amish Corn Flake Sugar Cookies
Shoofly Pie
Apple Crunch
Cinnamon Minis
Lima Bean and Corn Salad
Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Filling
Amish Chow-Chow
Amish Wedding Cake
One More Thing…
Hymn from the Ausbund
Glossary of Pennsylvania Dutch
Excerpt from Plain Fame
About Sarah Price
Foreword
Writing about the wonderful culture and religion of the Amish people is something that I have been doing for over twenty-five years. As many of my readers may have noticed, my novels, novellas and short stories present an authentic glimpse into the lives of the Amish, a glimpse that comes from my growing up Mennonite and having lived among the Amish since I was nineteen years old.
Most of my stories are love stories. Whether you are reading about Shana and Emanuel’s struggle to balance the differences of their upbringing with their love for each other (Fields of Corn) or Amanda and Alejandro trying to find a way to survive the clash of their individual and very different cultures (The Plain Fame Trilogy), there is a degree of love written in the stories.
This book and its sequel, Amish Circle Letters II, are a bit unusual. Many of us admire the Amish, viewing their culture and religion as idyllic, a step back in time to a place where stress and technology are foreign words.
That image is actually quite far from the truth.
The Amish are people, just like you and I. They, too, struggle with relationships, disappointments, questions of faith, and even temptations, a fact that some Christians might not want to know, but nevertheless, does exist among the Plain people as well.
When I first heard the term “circle letters”, I was immediately enthralled. As a woman of the 21
st
century, I grew up with technology and social media, both of which have become engrained in my life. It’s how I communicate with my children, my family, my friends, and my readers.
Unlike the Englischers, Amish do not use technology. Typically, several families will share a telephone that is always located outside of the home. A message left on a communal voice message system might take a few days to be retrieved and even longer to be returned.
So how do the Amish communicate?
Letters.
Often, groups of Amish will write letters and send them with a list of addresses of people that they would like to include in the correspondence. Since they do not have access to photocopiers, the first person on the list will receive the letter, read it, and respond. That person sends both the first letter and their response to the second name on the list. This continues until the entire package of letters goes full-circle, returning to the original sender.
At this point, the original begins a second circle and start the process of over again. It’s a wonderful way to stay in touch and something that the families look forward to receiving.
This series of books follows one family, Miriam Fisher and her seven children. You will read their letters as they travel throughout the circle. I hope you enjoy the series as much as I have enjoyed researching and writing it.
Finally, you should know that all of the stories that you are going to read are based on true stories, stories that happened within the very Amish community where I share a home with an Amish woman. However, names and locations have been changed and I have taken the liberty of greatly embellishing them, something all good stories need.
Blessings,
Sarah Price
http://www.sarahpriceauthor.com
http://www.facebook.com/fansofsarahprice
Twitter: @SarahPriceAmish
A Note About Vocabulary
The Amish speak Pennsylvania Dutch (also called Amish German or Amish Dutch). This is a verbal language with variations in spelling among communities throughout the USA. For example, in some regions, a grandfather is “
grossdaadi
” while in other regions he is known as “
grossdawdi
”.
In addition, there are words such a “mayhaps” or the use of the word “then” at the end of sentences and, my favorite, “for sure and certain” which are not necessarily from the Pennsylvania Dutch language/dialect, but are unique to the Amish.
The use of these words comes from my own experience living among the Amish in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
For your convenience, a glossary of terms is provided at the end of the book.
Chapter One: Miriam’s Letter
Dear Children,
It seems that a quiet has fallen upon our lives. Daed and I are finally settling into the grossdaadihaus with brother Steve, John David, and sister Mary Ruth. While smaller, it is just as cozy as the main house, which suits Isaac and his growing family nicely.
Your daed, Steve, and John David are keeping busy helping Isaac with the farm, although Steve is still working his own farm across the lane. I’m sure he’d like to move in there one day, but being alone, the farm is better tended by his tenants.
Your sister Mary Ruth has been helping John and sister Sylvia with their new market-stand in Maryland on Thursdays and Fridays. Those are long days for your sister but she seems to enjoy it. She comes home with the most unbelievable stories about the crazy things those Englischers say to her.
Isaac’s Anna is keeping me busy. I’ve been helping with her kinner while she’s working the dairy with Isaac. It’s a blessing to have the young children living in our old house, that’s for sure and certain…although I sure do find myself making more cookies than I remember in days past. Anna’s young Katie keeps us all busy with her questions.
Speaking of Englischers, we had a visit from Eleanor Haile again. She has been stopping by more regular-like…about once a month, I reckon. I missed seeing her, being that I was at my sister’s. But she visited with Anna last week for a while. She even brought the kinner some whoopie pies. Benjamin and Katie made certain to tell me all about their sweet treat.
Let us not let time and distance keep us apart. I have wanted to send this letter to all of you, to ask that you contribute your own letter to the package and send it along to the next family on the list. In that way, as we pass along the circle letters, we can all stay connected, despite the fact that we all lead such very busy lives and barely ever see each other.
I look forward to receiving all of your letters when the circle returns to me. In the meantime, I will pray for each and every one of you. May God keep and protect you and your families.
Love,