Resources-Books
Gingerich, E (2011). Runaway Amish girl: The great escape. Rising Phoenix Press.
ISBN for Print Book: 9781940834078
Emma Gingerich was a member of the Swartzentruber Amish community, and this is her memoir. Gingerich's story is different because she often returned to visit family despite no longer being Amish. Most ex-Amish members never return to their former homes and never see their families again.
Hershberger, L. & Eagan, M. (2021). Behind blue curtains: A true crime memoir of an Amish woman's survival, escape, and pursuit of justice. Nauset Press.
ISBN for Print Book: 9780990715498 Available on Kindle: Behind Blue Curtains-Kindle Ebook
This book is for mature audiences as there are some graphic scenes that the memoir author, Lizzy, details. Lizzy's story is powerful because she details the darker side of Amish life and her life after leaving the Amish. The specific Amish group Lizzy was a part of was Swartzentruber Amish.
Huntington, G.E. (2001). Amish in Michigan. Michigan State University Press.
ISBN for Print Book: 9780870135972
Not all Amish groups live in New York State and therefore Huntington's book focuses on the Amish population in Michigan. Within the book, some topics that are discussed are Amish history, immigration to Michigan, marriage patterns, medical practices, and more. Note that this book was published in 2001 and some of the information may be outdated, but is still a good insight into Amish life for a different part of the United States.
Jellison, K. & Reschly, S. (2023). Amish women and the Great Depression. Johns Hopkins University Press.
ISBN for Print Book: 9781421447971
The Great Depression is often taught in school history classes, but what is not taught is the Amish perspective and what they endured. Jellison and Reschly focus on the Amish population in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania due to their amazing agricultural stability coming out of the Great Depression. The pair of authors utilized Old Order Amish memoirs, diaries, newspapers, and oral accounts by the women.
Johnson-Weiner, K.M., (2017). New York Amish: Life in the plain communities of the empire state (2nd edition). Cornell University Press.
Print Book ISBN: 9781501707605 Ebook through EBSCO Host: UAlbany Permalink for Ebook
This book is a great resource for an introduction to the Amish culture and religion as a whole. Johnson-Weiner takes the time to trace the history of the Amish and record major group splits. This book is also good for learning about the Amish who live in New York State. The second edition includes updates to the New York Amish communities that have changed from the first edition.
Schrock, D. (2018). Behind closed doors: The life of a Swartzentruber Amish girl. Total Fusion Press.
ISBN for Print Book: 9780692082041
Dena Schrock's story is a good introduction to the life of Swartzentruber Amish. Schrock had a positive experience with her Amish group despite leaving the group by the end of her memoir. This memoir can also be seen as a coming-of-age story of a girl within the Swartzentruber Amish community.
Stevick, R.A. (2014). Growing up Amish: the rumspringa years. Johns Hopkins University Press.
ISBN for Print Book: 9781421413716 Ebook through EBSCO Host: UAlbany Permalink for Ebook
Most Amish communities have a Rumspringa period for teenagers. It is a time when Amish teens can learn about life outside of their Amish community to aid in their decision to one day join their church group as a full member or leave. Stevick spent years studying Amish teens during Rumspringa and transferred that knowledge into this book.
Resources-Journal
Journal of Plain Amish and Anabaptist Studies. https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/54888
The journal can also be found here through the University at Albany.
Volumes 1-6 of this journal are open access with published dates from 2013 to 2018. Top topics for this journal are New Order Amish, Old Order Amish, and technology. One article of note within this journal is More than Forty Amish Affiliations? Charting the Fault Lines by Christoper Petrovich because he argues against the idea that there are about 40 Amish groups.
Resources-Kids
Britannica Kids (2024). Amish. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Amish/384638
This encyclopedia entry is concise and easy to understand for young children looking for an introduction to the Amish. This does not go into detail on the various types of Amish groups and is simply an overview. If you need an entry that is a bit more in-depth, but not too advanced in understanding, click the 'students' tab at the top of the page!
Good, P. (2002). Amish cooking for kids: For 6 to 12-year-old cooks. Good Books.
ISBN for Print Book: 9781561482498 Link to book on Amazon: Book Link
This book is for kids and adults! Together, learn about the Amish culture by making different Amish dishes. These dishes will correlate to specific events in Amish life.
The Young Center (2024). Frequently Asked Questions. Amish Studies. https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/frequently-asked-questions/
This website was developed by The Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College. The frequently asked questions page is an appropriate in-depth resource for grades 6 and up. Some topics the page addresses are Rumspringa, are the Amish considered a cult, genetic disorders from inbreeding (the answer has no graphic details), etc.
Resources-Websites
PBS (2024). The Amish. WGBH Educational Foundation. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/the-amish/#film_description
DVD Available at UAlbany's University Library: Call Number: BX 8129 A5 A44V 2012A
Available for Purchase through Amazon: Listed as Season 24 Episode 3 of the series American Experience
Looking for an alternative to reading? In 2012, PBS released a documentary on the Amish that revealed that "the truth isn't plain or simple, " a phrase commonly associated with the Amish. This documentary is for mature audiences as it reveals some of the darker aspects of the Amish lifestyle. If you would like to read a review of the documentary, check out David Crumm's review on the Read the Spirit website.
The Young Center (2024). Amish Studies. https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/
This website was developed by The Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College. The Young Center covers many Amish topics including the Ordnung, Amish education, statistics, and more. Most topic pages offer additional sources to further one's interest and understanding of a particular topic.
Wesner, E. (2024). Amish America. https://amishamerica.com/
This website is a good tool for an introduction to the Amish and the various groups, or for a quick, concise refresher on the topic. One can also look at where different Amish groups are located in the United States and their population. One thing to note is the website creator, Erik Wesner, is not Amish himself, but a person who became interested in the Amish, began researching the Amish, and has been visiting various Amish communities since 2004.