MennoFolk3

Ervin Beck's latest collection of folklore from Mennonite sources takes us into the world of oral storytelling, lifting material from informal exchanges between Mennonite speakers, giving us a "behind the scenes" and "off the record" glimpse of what Mennonites say about themselves and their cultural rivals, such as the Old Order Amish. These snippets of humor were collected mainly from middle-aged and older speakers. Beck notes that younger Mennonites rarely tell such stories, perhaps because their acculturation is more complete. Thus Beck's entertaining and insightful collection offers verbal snapshots of traditional Mennonites responding to cultural adaptation and change in the late 20th century.