Young Amish homemaker Marianne Jantzi welcomes readers with wit and warmth in Simple Pleasures: Stories from my Life as an Amish Mother. Amid mothering four young children family and attending to the family’s sewing, cleaning, cooking, gardening, and Jantzi also works in the family’s shoe store—helping fellow Amish customers find everything from hardy Muck boots to Sketchers running shoes. Through her busy days, Jantzi finds strength in the simple pleasures of family, fellowship with her Amish community, and quiet time with God. The heart of a teacher shines through her memoir celebrating the innumerable ordinary and simple gifts of children, faith, and deep love. Hear straight from Amish people themselves as they write about their daily lives and deeply rooted faith in the Plainspoken series from Herald Press. Each book includes “A Day in the Life of the Author” and the author’s answers to FAQs about the Amish.   Plainspoken series —real-life stories of Amish and Mennonites includes:   Book 1 – Chasing the Amish Dream: My Life as a Young Amish Bachelor by Loren Beachy   Book 2 – Called to Be Amish: My Journey from Head Majorette to the Old Order by Marlene Miller   Book 3 – Hutterite Diaries: Wisdom from My Prairie Community by Linda Maendel   Book 4 – Simple Pleasures: Stories from My Life as an Amish Mother by Marianne Jantzi “ Simple Pleasures: Stories from My Life as an Amish Mother is a sweet and encouraging book of real life, love, and faith. Jantzi’s vignettes are like cherished letters of old from a dear friend who has a deliciously exhiliarting everyday life. -- Cindy Woodsmall ― Reviews “Reading Simple Pleasures feels like a heart-to-heart talk with a close friend. Marianne Jantzi’s gentle wisdom and love for family shines throughout. A lovely read for anyone, but an especially encouraging gift for a new mom or a young mother.” -- Serena B. Miller ― Reviews “Woven with insights, humor, and deeply-seated spiritual wisdom, mother and wife Marianne Jantzi opens her home and heart as she recounts her real-life experiences, offering fresh and honest perceptions of the Amish.” -- Kate Lloyd ― Reviews “This charming story of a mother and her family will have the reader alternately chuckling, reminiscing, and pondering with pleasure the small everyday events that make up the fullness of life in this Amish home. Jantzi is a natural storyteller, and her book is simply fun to read.” -- Karen M. Johnson-Weiner ― Reviews “ Simple Pleasures reminds me of a patchwork quilt. Each simple piece is stitched together with faith, family, and friendships, creating a beautiful whole. Jantzi offers a gentle reminder to savor the seemingly insignificant moments in time, for they fill us with love, warmth, and a feeling of wellbeing, just like a quilt.” -- Linda Maendel ― Reviews From the heart and home of a young Amish mother Amish homemaker Marianne Jantzi welcomes readers into her family's daily life and Amish community. The mother of four young children, Jantzi tells real stories about parenting with equal measures of wit and warmth in Simple Pleasures: Stories from My Life as an Amish Mother . Lend your sympathetic ear to stories of wrangling the children through wintertime adventures or learning to bake cinnamon buns. Throughout her busy days--sewing, cleaning, cooking, gardening, and helping to manage the family's shoe store--Jantzi discovers and celebrates the simple pleasures around us always waiting to be found. Jantzi is a seasoned columnist for The Connection , a favorite magazine among Amish and Mennonites. Drawing from her own deep faith, this young mother brings an encouraging word as she opens her heart to the joys and challenges in each God-given moment. Hear straight from Amish people themselves as they write about their daily lives and deeply rooted faith in the Plainspoken series from Herald Press. Each book includes "A Day in the Life of the Author" and the author's answers to FAQs about the Amish. "Woven with insights, humor, and deep-seated spiritual wisdom, mother and wife Marianne Jantzi opens her home and heart as she recounts her real-life experiences, offering fresh and honest perceptions of the Amish."--Kate Lloyd, author of The Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy (CBA bestsellers Leaving Lancaster , Pennsylvania Patchwork , and Forever Amish ) "Reading Simple Pleasures feels like a heart-to-heart talk with a close friend. Marianne Jantzi's gentle wisdom and love for family shines throughout. A lovely read for anyone, but an especially encouraging gift for a new mom or a young mother."--Serena B. Miller, coauthor of More than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting Marianne Jantzi is an Amish writer and homemaker in Ontario, Canada. Formerly a teacher in an Amish school, Jantzi now educates and inspires through her “Northern Reflections” column for The Connection , a magazine directed mainly to Amish and plain communities across the U.S. and Canada. She and