A review by emscji
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home by Rhoda Janzen

5.0

1/22/10: I had low expectations for a book with this title--but Janzen is such a wonderful and funny writer, and her story is so poignant, and she processes her experiences so thoughtfully and generously, that all I want now is to meet her and hear more! Hilarious depictions of herself growing up in a strict Mennonite family; loving yet funny depictions of her mother and siblings; and wry, regretful, and yet amazingly open depiction of her 15-year marriage to a bipolar and emotionally abusive husband. No, it doesn't sound all that inviting, does it? But I seriously didn't want this book to end. I laughed out loud, mostly; but there are quiet, reflective sections that are worth a reread. As she learned from her feng shui book--"And that's okay!"