A sobering memoir about a family that endured numerous tragedies and separations. I have read numerous memoirs about Mennonites, but never ones who lived in Bolivia. I was aghast at the horrible tragedy that preceded the author and her siblings frantic move to Canada. I appreciated the author including many family photos.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I've read a couple of books about the Mennonite church and their followers but from this book, I learned more about them and that there are a lot of Mennonite people who have Colonies in Bolivia. That part of the culture makes this book interesting. Having these huge families split up and some move to Canada was new to me too.
As the author is the youngest child in this large family, and the only one to be born in Bolivia makes her displaced and it's easy to see how she is very close with her family she knows best but then when they move to Canada, she's thrown in a different culture plus she meets family she's never met before and others who left when she was too young to remember.
There are also several tragedies that befall this family that are absolutely heartbreaking.
Overall, this book was interesting but at times, it did drag a little. But most of it was enjoyable.

It was a very unique story about a girl who grew up in a Mennonite Colony in Bolivia before moving to Canada as a young teenager. I had no idea there was a Mennonite community in Bolivia, so it was interesting to learn about how so many Mennonites found themselves in Bolivia and how their separatist life worked. However, I was bored in some parts by all the mundane details of daily life. It would have been more interesting to discuss with the author for an hour or two rather than reading a whole book.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher.
I enjoyed reading this book and learned so much about the origins and practices of the Mennonite religion. It is a very interesting culture. I had no idea before this book exactly what their beliefs and rituals were like.
Many of them seem to live in near poverty.
They are very hard workers.
I thought the book was well written but I do think it dragged in the middle. Overall though an enjoyable read.

I didn't know much about Mennonites, much less about Mennonites in Bolivia. So I picked up this book to learn more. What I learned was interesting and shocking.
I'm amazed that Esther after all these tragedies did not loose her faith in God.

Esther Wiebe was the youngest child of a large Mennonite family living in a conservative community in Bolivia, where we first meet her. A series of tragedies sees the children orphaned and displaced, and each has to forge his or her own way in the world, sometimes rejecting and sometimes accepting their faith. I found it an interesting read, although as a non-Christian myself the constant references to God’s goodness became a bit wearing. It’s an excellent insight into the Mennonite faith in all its manifestations – from liberal to strict – and confirmed in me once again how faith so often doesn’t result in love and charity. I was relieved to discover that Esther managed to overcome the difficulties and sadnesses of her childhood to make a good life for herself and her own family.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to review this book. I read this book because it sounded interesting concerning the Mennonite faith in the 70s. It was a good book that made you appreciate the life we have now and modern medicine. It is impressive to see what the author has overcame to live the life she has. 4 stars and I wish the ending was not as rushed. Still a good read.

A good read and a very interesting story that keeps you gripped throughout. A very real life event that is hard to believe sometimes.