Coming Into Focus

I darted up the stairs and with a grim face declared, 'You are not taking a picture of me in these clothes!' I dashed into my bedroom; seized the straight pins from my apron, cape, and dress; and tossed them onto my dresser. Now I wish I could hold in my hand the photo that wasn't taken. I wonder what I looked like. I wonder what was whirling through my mind and heart other than my fervent desire to leave the Amish.Amongst the largest Amish settlement in the world and a family of eight, you'll find Mary, dreaming of leaving the culture she was born into. Now Dr. Schwartz, she's written an open, honest story about her childhood and adolescence, revealing what inspired her to leave the Amish lifestyle. Taking with her the lessons learned from her family and the support of her siblings, Mary tries to make a place for herself in a culture of which she knows so little. Experience the pain of prejudice and the triumph of new experiences through Mary's eyes in this bittersweet, colorful tale.