The Plain Choice Review

About the Book

Raised in a broken family and emotionally overlooked, Sherry Gore grew up without a solid foundation, a prisoner of her own poor choices, and at times without hope. A series of terrible mistakes left her feeling wrecked and alone and a sudden tragedy threw Sherry into an emotional tailspin too powerful to escape.

Sherry hangs by a thread, unable to see how she can go on living, until it happens: on a morning of no particular significance, she walks into a church and BAM the truth of Jesus forgiving love shatters her world and cleaves her life in two: She goes to bed stunned; she wakes up a Christian.

Unwilling to return to the darkness of her former life, Sherry attacks her faith head on. Soon the life Sherry Gore remakes for herself and her children as she seeks to follow the teachings of the Bible features head coverings, simple dress, and a focus on Jesus Christ. Only then does she realize, in a fit of excitement, that there are others like her. They are called Amish and Mennonite, and she realizes she has found her people.

The plain choice that Sherry makes is not easy and life still brings unexpected pain and heartache - but it changes everything for her, as she becomes one of the few people on earth to have successfully joined the Amish from the outside.

She has found her place. And her story proves that one can return from the darkest depths to the purest light with the power of God." (Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I have mixed feelings after having read this book. Of course I can't rate a person's life since this is essentially a biography. I can rate, in my opinion, how it was written and the point behind the book. The book at times doesn't flow very well. The authors' thoughts seem to just be random and as the ending of the book came closer I became confused. This book is promoted to be about a woman becoming Amish or Plain and that really doesn't happen. There is no mention of her becoming a part of the church or being Amish/Plain at all just that she lives somewhat in their world. Why advertise a book like this if that's not even the truth? Or if that is the truth it's not written in this book.

Lots of people can live this way, take things out of their lives that are destructive, wear plain clothing, and even live in such a community-but that is not becoming Amish.

 I totally think Sherry's life was turned around and that is worth celebrating. I just don't think this is a good book about "someone becoming Plain".  The majority of the book is about her life before she finds Christ, she struggles and there are tragedies and life is hard. I think the hardest thing for me was that Sherry just pieces together different parts of religion, some Amish, some not, and still lives the way she wants. After becoming a Christian and deciding she wants to change her life, which she does indeed change, she decides to divorce her husband. It's a mutual decision but then they continue to be good friends and share life moments. This part of the book is very vague and rather confusing for me. Sherry's children are obviously important and I enjoyed reading her daughters' story.
I think there could have been more added to this book, as it really rather abruptly ends.

For a book about someone who discovers Christ, this is a great testimony.

 For a book about Amish/Plain living, this is not the book to read.

Three stars.

"I received this book from BookLook Bloggers for free in exchange for an honest review."

Simply Delicious Amish Cookbook Review

Picture Credit

Simply Delicious: Amish Cooking by Sherry Gore has some unique recipes that make me excited about cooking again.

Unbeknownst to many folks outside the Amish Mennonite population in America, Pinecraft, Florida---a village tucked away in the heart of Sarasota---is the vacation paradise of the Plain People. Unlike any other Plain community in the world, this village is a virtual melting pot of Amish and Mennonites from around the world, intermingled with people, like author Sherry Gore's family, who live there year-round. Gore has put together a cookbook that represents the people who make Pinecraft unique. With hundreds of easy-to-prepare recipes, 16 full-color photographs and black-and-white photographs throughout, this cookbook includes traditional favorites such as Sweet Potato Sweet Mash and Mrs. Byler's Glazed Donuts, as well as Florida favorites including Fried Alligator Nuggets, Grilled Lime Fish Fillets, and Strawberry Mango Smoothies. Interspersed with the recipes are true-life stories about births, engagements, weddings, deaths, funerals, celebrations, wildlife encounters, and accidents told through years of Sherry's Letters from Home column published in The Budget, the Amish newspaper. This delightful cookbook offers readers a faith-based, family-focused perspective of the simple way of life of the Plain People. It is truly a breath of fresh air from Sarasota, Florida! (Goodreads)

I LOVED this cookbook! I thought it was going to be hardback, but it is more of a binder recipe book, which works fine for me. There are not as many pictures as the cover portrays, there are a couple groups of pictures in the middle of the book that include the page number for the recipe. I have a ton of cookbooks, but I like this one because many of the recipes I have never heard of or thought to cook. Since this book comes from Florida there is an entire seafood section-yum! The bread section is my favorite along with the Sweet Potato Sweet Mash. Many of the recipes are created for multiple servings, since it's just the two of us I will probably cut some of them in half. With almost every page there is a story that goes along with the recipes on that page.

 

This cookbook makes me want to visit Florida and gives a different perspective on what the Amish like to eat-even Fried Alligator!

 

Highly recommend if you need some new ideas for the kitchen!

 

 

Stop by Sherry's Website to see what else she has written.

 

"I received this book from Booksneeze for free in exchange for an honest review".