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Amish Snow is the engaging tale of young Ezra Neuenschwander’s rocky journey from victim of an abusive Amish home life to successful businessman. Set in the heart of perilous Philadelphia in the 1960s, this universal story of one boy’s coming of age will keep you guessing as he must continue to reinvent himself. Filled with the unexpected, with intrigue, adventure and romance, Ezra’s courageous story will win you over as he feels his way in the “English” world.
Rheinheimer weaves a tale of loss, of redemption, of the triumph of the human spirit, coming of age in a dangerous time. And in the face of evil that divides us, he clings firmly to the common bonds of human experience to show the truth that unites us.
If you have someone that you’d like to send the novel to as a gift, just let us know. As long as supplies last, we can gift wrap, add a “To:” and “From:” on the wrapping, and ship your gift. Just let us know who it is going to and where to send it! This offer is available on our online store. You can also buy from Amazon or your local bookstore.
An ex-Amish man that I do not know contacted me after seeing the website and story line, and asked if I would be interested in his story. I told him I was interested, and he sent me a most poignant accounting of his tortuous decision to leave the Amish faith, mainly around health issues.
If you are ex-Amish, or Amish, or know someone that is, I would love to hear from you. Or, simply comment on this man’s story. Other than deleting their names, here is the unedited email. I can almost hear the clipped singsong accent so characteristic of the Amish manner of speaking:
Hello Roger;
I was born in Canada. Then we moved to new york state lived there for 10 years
Then in 1990 we moved to michigan.But threw those years i would get sick all he time.
I thought after i got married to my wife it would stop it got worse.Be cause the amish life stile of using either kerosene,white gas or like camp fuel,and propane.for lights
ect.it was the lights mostley. that i got poisend in the brain that i almost shot myself because of all the fumes from the propane to top it all of.We had a freezer fridge 2 lights in the house and then in my wood working shop i had 2 lights a unvented heater and 6 used propane tanks that i used to run my shop tools. it was the fumes that made me sick i got
letter from my doc to take to the elders that i need electricty for every thing that i use propane for the elders said no.i went to my nees and repented all my sins to God asked him to be my savior. soon after that i asked God if i should put our phone in the house he
said yes i got three yeses.got caught with the phone in the house from the elders so when they came and asked why i put phone in house i said God told me that i can they didn’t beleive me at all they wanted me to confess in front of the whole church i said no.they
harassed us so much that i didn’t know how to make them stop my brother said something about if you confess to them they’ll stop harassing you.i wrote them a letter stating that
i’ll confess but also kmew in my heart that it was wrong for me doing it so when i went on my knees to confess i have no idea what i said because i seen the deval sitting on the church bench laughing his head off after it was all done wife and i looked at each other i said were going home.after that happened i was doing wood working for this buiness so on
the way there there was this church God told me call that pastor i didn’t do it after awhile
evrey time i went past do it so i said okay lord i will it has been the best thing ever.this was
all before 2005 the elders were still coming over they didn’t stop comeing even after i confessed
for the phone in house they just found something else that we were doing wrong and still not belaeving a word that we said i started to go pastors church it was not a amish church
but i felt God love and still do in the church.in the spring of 2005 i told my wife i have to go
that church that is were God wants me there every sunday she was still going to the amish church after awhile i seen how much love was in the church i wanted her to join me she
didn’t do it. i thought thats allright she has a uncle that not amish but his wife is. so one night as i was sleeping God came to me in a dream and said she has to go with me i said three times well she has a uncle thats not amish i woke her up and told her what God said
she still did not go so i push and shoved her to go with me i was real mean about it i evend complaned to pastor about it the answer he gave i have no idea what he said but this what
i heard shut up an behave your self so i did iwent on my knees and said God i am no longer
going push my wife i will let him do it in three weeks she started going to church with me been there ever since. in the spring of 2005 we went to idaho to work and fix my health
but before i forget my dad also died thru this time to. but before we went my mother got married again so they came over and my wifes folkes came over telling us that we can not
go to idaho they puting all the blame on me so i said wife wants to go to they asked is that true
she said yes it is after we got back the elders came back to us they wanted to talk to my wife i said no while this was going on she said its your job to talked to the elders i do not want to talk them they did not beleave me i told them do you want to have this marriage
broken do you want it on conscious but they almost did before now they have left us alone
now. she’s driving now forabout a year. i still get sick but not as bad i got into house that was loaded with black mold that takes awhile to get it out of my lungs that happened this summer please don’t use our names
I haven’t read your novel Amish Snow, but I’m a 59 year old ex-amish from an Ashland, Ohio community. My parents moved there from Wayne County, Ohio when I was six years old. Wayne County is an older established Amish Community. Anyways Mr. Rheinheimer, I left that lifestyle in 1969. I’ve lived in Austin, Tx since 1978, your former home town. Hook’em Horns. lol I just wanted to say that not all Amish Communities allow what you call Rumspringa. It certainly wasn’t allowed in that community. Mr. Rheinheimer if you would care to contact me, that would be fine with me. I was sexually abused for a number of years by a couple of my older siblings, which still haunts me to this day. Merry Christmas.
Would you please let me read your article called “My Brother”…I have a weird brother too…am so curious…looking forward to reading your book…I have a friend in Ohio that introduced me to an Amish family of 16 children and I bought the eldest daughter’s hand braided rug…they are an amazing community. Thanks
MB
Hi, Marcella. I found the original article, written on onionskin paper in 1971 using a manual typewriter, still perfectly legible! I’m trying to find a copy of the published article, and will let you know when I do. I don’t mind sharing the article, but while my brother has always had non-conventional ideas, he is one of my heroes. The world is a better place because he is in it.
Hello Roger
Have you written any other Amish books other than an Amish Snow I love reading about the amish and have read many books by amish authors. Please let me know as i will be looking for this book to read thank you and have a great day. thank you
Hi, “S”, no, I haven’t written any other Amish novels to date, but I do have an outline roughed out. I’ll post info here when I get closer. Thanks for the inquiry, and let me know how you like Amish Snow.