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snoopin's review
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
From a Mennonite background I wanted more about reflecting on community/religion BUT I think Funk did a great job of the sort of slow reflection of a memoir. I had issues with some of the pacing of different sections towards the end of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexism, and Eating disorder
molly_dettmann's review
3.0
This memoir was okay. I felt this was more of a rural, conservative coming of age telling than even really specifically about growing up Mennonite. Each chapter was really a separate essay without an overall theme or tie together to make it feel more like you were reading someone’s life story vs being told some stories from someone’s childhood. It was pretty short, which was nice, but kind of forgettable.
emhunsber's review
funny
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Body shaming, Car accident, Addiction, Drug use, and Sexism
cupcakes_and_coffee's review
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Interesting memoir of a teen/young adult growing up in the 80’s while on the fringe of her Mennonite community. She grew up in a small town trying to navigate a more modern world with a family and religion still ingrained with “the old country”. She’s full of conflict, questions, hormones and contradictions. I loved the 80’s references! So much of that time is completely lost now, as it didn’t hold up to the progress of today. It makes me nostalgic to remember some of the details. Phone party-lines, stickers books, shellac hairspray do’s, Teen Beat, the Bill Cosby we thought we knew, Benetton, and the music!
nessaf's review
3.0
Coming from a Mennonite background, I enjoyed the Mennonite cultural details as it reminded me of things from my own childhood (e.g., rollkuchen and salted watermelon). I just found she was quite detailed in her descriptions which I often skimmed over and nothing particularly monumental happened. She would start talking about something more interesting (like how she seemed to think she was adopted) but then wouldn't delve more into it. And I wanted some kind of epilogue to find out what she ended up doing after high school to get out of the small town life. If you're Mennonite and want a bit of a nostalgia kick, then I think this book is for you.
acouplereadss's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
In this funny memoir by a young woman’s quest for independence in an isolated Mennonite community. Carla Funk toes the line between following her parents footsteps and forging her own path. Coming of age in a forested remote valley, Funk knows she is to marry, have babies and join the church ladies sewing circle. But the urge for more, for different, pushes her elsewhere.
I’ve been on a memoir kick this year it seems! Give me all the stories and experiences. I love reading about others experiences different from mine. At first it was celebrity memoirs but now I’m branching. Mennonite Valley Girl was a coming of age story of a different kind. Reading about an isolated community in a small town in BC was not only different in setting but in society, religion, culture, etc.
The pop culture references and adolescent experiences brought back my own coming of age memories. Funk made me chuckle and although we come from different backgrounds she was quite relatable. I found there wasn’t anything that quite made me latch onto the book and did crave for something a bit more intense. That just may be a product of our need for shock value in books these days though, I blame social media.
If you’re looking for a wholesome account of a woman’s upbringing and her path to break free from what is expected of her, you’ll find this is the perfect read. Thank you @greystonebooks for sending a finished copy my way, 3✨.