Book cover of Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home

Book description

"It is rare that I literally laugh out loud while I'm reading, but Janzen's voice―singular, deadpan, sharp-witted and honest―slayed me." ―Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

Not long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad enough that her husband of fifteen years left


When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked Mennonite in a Little Black Dress as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

A fun, insightful, humorous revelation about a celebrated poet who returns to her conservative home and examines the people and ideas that shaped her. I identify with this book because I, too, was raised Mennonite. In addition. The protagonist of my book is a Mennonite.

From Alvin's list on women artists and activists.

This is a long way from Peace Shall Destroy Many and is a bit dangerous to even recommend. When I read it, I laughed out loud and shook my head at the familiar denominational references. I also shook my head because Janzen had grown up Mennonite, did all the Mennonite rites of passage, and even had a father who was a Mennonite minister, but ultimately, she didn’t really get the theology. Oddly enough, that’s why I’m including the book on my list. Her lack of “getting it” is reflective of a lot of people I know in the denomination—every denomination


From Janelle's list on those quirky Mennonites.

If you love Mennonite in a Little Black Dress...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda


Want books like Mennonite in a Little Black Dress?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Mennonite in a Little Black Dress.

Browse books like Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

Book cover of Where the Crawdads Sing
Book cover of Menno-Nightcaps: Cocktails Inspired by That Odd Ethno-Religious Group You Keep Mistaking for the Amish, Quakers or Mormons
Book cover of Peace Shall Destroy Many

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,366

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, you might also like...

Book cover of Pioneer Paddles of the Colonial South

Pioneer Paddles of the Colonial South by William D. Auman,

Award-winning novelist William Auman, author of If Trees Could Testify..., takes the reader on a time-traveling odyssey featuring 345 bodies of water in six states within the historical context through which they unfold.

Journey into remaining Colonial-era wilderness with stories of pirate treasure, epic frontiersmen, Indigenous Peoples, and Revolutionary


Book cover of A Winter's Disgrace

A Winter's Disgrace by Kathleen Buckley,

Cyprian, a marquess’s heir, will not let his mother choose his next bride. Leaving a house party in a blizzard to avoid her stratagems, he finds a woman trudging half frozen toward the London road. Rosamund fled disgrace, hoping to reach the one person who might shelter her, but even


5 book lists we think you will like!