This week on Amish Wisdom: Ira Wagler

I'm thrilled to welcome Ira back to Amish Wisdom. 

Ira Wagler was born in a small Old Order Amish community. At 17, frustrated by the rules and restrictions of Amish life, Ira left. Over the course of the next 5 years, Ira would leave and return home numerous times, torn between the ingrained message that abandoning one's Amish heritage results in eternal damnation, and the freedom and possibilities offered by the "English" world. Upon becoming a Christian at age 26, Ira left the Amish for good. He is currently general manager of Graber Supply, LLC and Pole Building Co. in Lancaster County, PA.

Ira's book Growing Up Amish has just released and we'll be hearing all about it as well as finding out what Ira's been up to since his last Amish Wisdom appearance.

For more info about Ira or to read his blog, visit www.irawagler.com

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of Ira's book. Winner will be notified next week via email.

About Growing Up Amish: 

One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 AM, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life—from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26. Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man’s quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today—the Old Order Amish.

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Comments
  1. NameLinda says: Love first-hand accounts of Amish Living. desertrose5173 at gmail dot com

    Posted on: 06-29-2011 @ 11:05 am EST
  2. Becky says: I've read fiction about the Amish, but don't think I have read a memoir.

    Posted on: 06-29-2011 @ 5:09 pm EST
  3. Patsy says: I love reading anything Amish. This book sounds great. Would love to read it. plhouston(at)bellsouth(dot)net

    Posted on: 06-30-2011 @ 8:50 am EST
  4. Nancy says: I keep reading about Ira and his book. Now I would like to be able to read his book and review it for my blog. My readers really appreciate Amish literature. njones127 at tampabay dot rr dot com

    Posted on: 06-30-2011 @ 8:54 am EST
  5. Donna says: Just reading about this book gave me chill bumps. It is definitely on my list to get. Would love to win a copy though and I will give the one I purchase to a friend! donnaeharmon@yahoo.com

    Posted on: 06-30-2011 @ 11:16 am EST
  6. Name Janice says: How do other Amish People react to you writing a book, I would love to win copy of your book

    Posted on: 06-30-2011 @ 12:38 pm EST
  7. maretta says: There are so many ideas about who the Amish are and are not. I'd love to hear what life was like for him.

    Posted on: 06-30-2011 @ 4:50 pm EST
  8. maretta says: Okay, I assumed I'd click "submit" and then be asked for my email. Oops. mhgotmilk at gmail dot com

    Posted on: 06-30-2011 @ 4:51 pm EST
  9. Debra Bearden says: I would love to win a copy of Ira's book. So interesting.

    Posted on: 06-30-2011 @ 7:34 pm EST
  10. Kristie D says: I would love to read his book. I would miss some of my family members. Not all, just some. He seems very brave. kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.

    Posted on: 07-01-2011 @ 10:12 am EST
  11. Snowflakes2Hotcakes says: I've been wanting to read this book! :) Would love to win it. snowflakes2hotcakes {at} gmail {dot} com

    Posted on: 07-01-2011 @ 11:52 am EST
  12. Naomi says: Looking forward to reading this book. Would love to win a copy. Thanks for the chance. nehomiah (at) juno (dot) com

    Posted on: 07-01-2011 @ 4:24 pm EST
  13. apple blossom says: enjoyed the interview thanks ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

    Posted on: 07-01-2011 @ 6:09 pm EST
  14. lora says: Would love to dig deeper into your book

    Posted on: 07-01-2011 @ 10:01 pm EST
  15. Carol says: Comment I loved the interview. I will look for the book. I like the shadow of independence that lurks behind the writter. barlenbay@comcast.net

    Posted on: 07-01-2011 @ 11:02 pm EST
  16. Anne E. Freeman says: I have never read a non fiction about the Amish. i would love to win and read Ira's book. thank you

    Posted on: 07-03-2011 @ 6:06 pm EST
  17. Janice Aitkens says: Who did win the book do we know yet

    Posted on: 07-06-2011 @ 11:28 am EST
  18. Name Mardi Moye says: Comment would love to add this book to my everygrowing collection of Amish books that I treasure, we are coming to Lancaster the end of August, I will come an look you up.. mardisgators@verizon.net

    Posted on: 07-14-2011 @ 5:15 pm EST


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February

23: Dale Cramer

March

1: Jen Hatmaker (An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess) / Nancy Sleeth (Almost Amish)

8: Amish Wisdom Anniversary Show with Erik Wesner

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22: Ex-Amish show with Ira Wagler and guest

April

5: Murray Pura

12: TBD

19: Mary Ellis / Kelly Irvin

26: TBD

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3: Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

10: Jennifer Beckstrand / Amy Wallace

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Suzanne's Latest Releases

The Keeper -- Avaialble NOW!

Book 1 in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series

"The Stoney Ridge Season starts off with characters who are trying to make the right choices, but sometimes with unexpected results. Fisher always brings freshness to her Amish novels. The Amish culture is interesting to read and learn about, but there is also a message: God has plans and those plans may vary greatly from the plans you have." -Romantic Times, 4 Stars

Julia Lapp has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. When Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she knows who is to blame. Perpetual bachelor and spreader of cold feet, Roman Troyer, the Bee Man.

Roamin' Roman travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. He relishes his nomadic life, which keeps him from thinking about all he has lost. He especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia on a mission to punish him for inspiring Paul's cold feet, the Lapp farm is looking decidedly less pleasant.

Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

Full of the plot twists and surprises her fans love, The Keeper is the first in a new series by bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher. Through touching family relationships and trials of the heart, Fisher's vivid characters grapple with yielding to God's will when it doesn't match their own.

A Lancaster County Christmas -- September 2011 (Revell)

Jaime and C. J. Fitzpatrick began their married life as most couples do--in love and looking forwardto abright future together. But four years later they've drifted apart and are almost ready to call it quits.

Mattie Riehl was hoping to give her husband Sol the Christmas gift they have both longed for--news that a baby was on the way. But as usual, she is disappointed. The holidays bring an acute awareness to Mattie that her dream of a big family isn't likely to become a reality.

Then a winter storm raging outside blows the Fitzpatricks into the Riehl home--and into a much slower pace of life. Can these two couples from different worlds help each other understand the true meaning of love this Christmas?

Amish Values for Your Family -- August 2011 (Revell)

For readers who long for strong families that know how to truly enjoy life together, there is much to learn from the Amish. Values like community, forgiveness, simple living, obedience, and more can be your family legacy--without selling your car, changing your wardrobe, or moving out to farm country.

In Amish Values for Your Family, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher shows how you can adopt the wisdom of the Amish when it comes to family matters. In this inspiring and practical book readers will find charming true stories interlaced with solid, biblical advice about parenting, marriage, and all aspects of family life. As readers get an intimate glimpse into the everyday lives of real Amish families, they will learn to prioritize what's truly important, simplify decision-making, slow down as a family, safeguard time together, and let go when the time comes.

The Search--Book 3 in The Lancaster County Secrets Collection -- January 2011 (Revell)

Fifteen years ago, Lainey O'Toole made a split-second decision. She couldn't have known that her choice would impact so many. Now in her mid-twenties, she is poised to go to culinary school when her car breaks down in Stoney Ridge, the very Amish town in which her long-reaching decision was made, forcing her to face the shadowed past.

Bess Reihl is less than thrilled to be spending the summer at Rose Hill Farm with her large and intimidating grandmother, Bertha. It quickly becomes clear that she is there to work the farm--and work hard. The labor is made slightly more tolerable by the time it affords Bess to spend with the handsome hired hand, Billy Lapp. But he only has eyes for a flirty and curvaceous older girl.

Lainey's and Bess's worlds are about to collide and the secrets that come to light will shock them both.

The Waiting--Book 2 in The Lancaster County Secrets Collection -- October 2010 (Revell)The Waiting

Jorie King’s life is on hold. She’s waiting for Ben Zook to return from serving in the war as a conscientious objector. Waiting for Ben to settle down and join the church. Waiting to marry him. When news arrives that Ben has been killed, Jorie finds unlikely comfort in the friendship of his brother Caleb. As friendship ripens into love, Jorie and Caleb plan for a life together filled with the promise of a fresh beginning, until the past intrudes.

A multifaceted story about complex people living the simple life, The Waiting is the second book in the Lancaster County Secrets series. Readers will find themselves transported into the world of the Amish and deeply invested in these wonderful characters.

AP

Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life -- August 2010 (Revell)

If you want to know a people, know their proverbs. These small, concentrated packages of insight allow outsiders to peek into a fascinating closed community. In Amish Proverbs, a collection of more than 200 proverbs uncover the rich heritage, folklore, faith, values, history, and essence of the Amish people. Ranging from the simple to the profound, from the serious to the humorous, these sayings will stick with readers through life's joys and sorrows.

The Choice--Book 1 in The Lancaster County Secrets Collection March 2010 (Revell)TC

"Fisher kicks off a refreshing new series, Lancaster County Secrets, with characters that are strong, both in body and spirit. They also have weaknesses that develop into strengths with the choices they make." 4 stars Romantic Times

One moment, Carrie Weaver is planning to elope with Lancaster Barnstormer Solomon Riehl, leaving their Amish community behind. The next, she is staring into a future as broken as her heart. Now Carrie faces a choice. An opportunity. But will this decision, this moment in time, change her life forever?

Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World (Revell) AP

You don't have to "go Amish" to make personal peace a reality. Organized around five central themes in Amish life, Amish Peace shows you how you can cultivate a simple life of love, gratitude, and faith in the midst of a very complicated world. It includes real-life stories and examples of Plain People, Amish proverbs, and fascinating facts about Amish communities. Each section also contains questions for reflection and action, outlining things you can do in your own life that "make for peace."