Posts by Saloma Furlong

Anonymous wrote:  What are some of the “secrets” the Amish keep from outsiders? Does the “Pow Wow” type of healing really work? How did it get started? Has it ever been done on/to you? What are some of the confessions you heard made by other Amish in church? Were any of them strange?Who confessed more…

Karen wrote: When you were in the Amish, were you aware of the fascination the English had with the Amish? When you were around the English in a public setting, did you ever feel like you were a bit of a living museum (for lack of a better description)?It seems as though amish women, although given…

Deanna wrote: How do they deal with the issue of practically everyone being related? Deanna, this question deserves a longer answer, because it is quite complicated. In my opinion, the Amish are going to need to address this issue, because the gene pool is so very concentrated and becomes more so with each generation. It is…

Deanna wrote: I have so many questions. But I’ll ask two. I didn’t read the other questions (I’m in a bit of a hurry here) so I hope I don’t duplicate. How often do the Amish bathe? I would think that with no electricity, it would be difficult to have enough hot water to make it very…

I thought I would get a chance to do another blog posting before now, but life is full for us at the moment. On Saturday, I spoke at the Greenfield Public Library, which was a fun group. People asked very good questions, which is fast becoming my favorite part of my talks. People are curious…

Joan wrote: How do the Amish deal with infertility and how does this change their lifestyle by not having helping hands.I do not honestly know how Amish deal with infertility. I would guess that it varies from one couple to another, and from one community to another. This is something that they would not necessarily talk…

Monica wrote: Oh, I love reading your reader's questions, and can't wait to see how you will answer them. Also, would like to add that a buggy ride is also no fun if the horse is shedding on a windy day.   Monica, about horses shedding… my father and brothers would alway make sure they curried…

Anon wrote: I would like to know what the Amish think of their non-Amish neighbors in general. My next door neighbors are Amish but we’ve only lived here for about 9 months. They seem to work SO HARD that I wonder if they think we are wimps? (I’ve seen the husband spreading manure in SEVERE winter…

The most popular genre in inspirational fiction right now is Amish fiction. In these romantic novels, the Amish community is often idealized as a more communal, slower-paced alternative to the hectic rush of twenty-first century America. I have no doubt that the Amish community has its virtues. But if we are going to read about…