Life with Lily (23 page)
Authors: Mary Ann Kinsinger,Suzanne Woods Fisher
Tags: #JUV033010, #Amish—Fiction, #Family life—New York (State)—Fiction, #Schools—Fiction, #Friendship—Fiction, #New York (State)—Fiction
Who are the Amish?
The Amish are a Christian church that traces its roots to the Protestant Reformation in sixteenth-century Europe. They give special emphasis to values such as simplicity, community, separation from the world, and pacifism (which they call nonresistance). They are often referred to as the Plain People because they dress in very distinctive dark clothing (women wear bonnets and men wear horseshoe beards), they use a horse and buggy rather than a car, and their homes aren't connected to the public utility grid for electricity.
Where do they live? How many Amish are there?
The Amish migrated from Europe to North America in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Today, no Amish remain in Europe. They live in twenty-eight states and in Canada. Their population totals approximately 261,150âover half are under the age of eighteen. A typical Amish family has five children.
What language do the Amish speak?
The Amish speak a dialect of German known as Pennsylvania Dutch. English, typically learned in school, is their second language. Amish
people often refer to non-Amish as “English,” because they speak the English language.
Do the Amish attend school?
Amish children end their formal schooling at the end of eighth grade. Most Amish children attend one- or two-room private Amish schools. An Amish teacher teaches all eight grades. Amish schools play an important role in passing on values, developing friendships, limiting exposure to the outside world, and preserving Amish culture.
How could Lily not have known that her mother was having a baby?
The Amish have a very modest culture. In almost all Amish communities, pregnancy is a carefully guarded secret. It is never talked about in front of children. Any preparations for the baby would take place after children are in bed. Even cribs are not set up until after the baby arrives.
Would you like to learn more about Lily?
Go to her website, www.adventuresoflilylapp.com, and find out more about her family and her friends. You can play games, download coloring pages from Lily's books, and send Lily an email.
From Mary Ann Kinsinger
I would like to thank everyone who had a part in my getting to write this book.
To my parents and brothers for all the happy memories you helped provide.
To my husband and children for all the patience and support you showed and for never complaining of the simple meals I served while my focus was on meeting my word goals.
To the readers of my blog, A Joyful Chaos. Your encouragement to write a book meant so much to me. Together, we are seeing this dream come true.
To my coauthor, Suzanne, I really enjoyed working with you and will always be grateful for everything you did.
A warm thank-you to all the wonderful people at Revell Books.
And finally, a thank-you to God, who makes all things possible.
From Suzanne Woods Fisher
It is with a grateful heart that I acknowledge . . .
My special coauthor and friend, Mary Ann. Thank you for sharing your stories with me, for working so diligently, for being such a pleasure to work with. It's been a joy to get to know you and work with you.
Everyone at Revell. You're simply the best. It's an honor to be a Revell author and see what loving care you give your books. The attention you gave this cover is a fine example of how much you care about each book!
My readers, whose emails make my day. Thank you for giving up hours of your life to read my books, blog, FB updates, and tweets.
My family, especially my two daughters (and first draft readers!) for being such enthusiastic cheerleaders for the Lily series.
Finally, a huge thank-you to our great and faithful God, for giving me the chance to write.
Mary Ann Kinsinger
was raised Old Order Amish in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. She met and married her husband, whom she knew from school days, and started a family. After they chose to leave the Amish church, Mary Ann began a blog,
A Joyful Chaos
, as a way to capture her warm memories of her childhood for her own children. From the start, this blog found a ready audience and even captured the attention of
key media players, such as the influential blog
AmishAmerica
and the
New York Times
. She lives in Pennsylvania.
Suzanne Woods Fisher's
grandfather was one of eleven children, raised Old Order German Baptist, in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne has many, many,
many
wonderful Plain relatives. She has written bestselling fiction and nonfiction books about the Amish and couldn't be happier to share Mary Ann's stories with children. When Suzanne isn't writing, she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. She lives in California with her husband and children and Tess, her big white dog.
Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World
Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life
Amish Values for Your Family: What We Can Learn from the Simple Life
L
ANCASTER
C
OUNTY
S
ECRETS
The Choice
The Waiting
The Search
S
EASONS OF
S
TONEY
R
IDGE
The Keeper
The Haven
The Lesson
A Lancaster County Christmas
