Mennonite Women in Canada

Female voices are rare in the historical record of the Mennonites. Nevertheless, Mennonite women were influential in shaping Mennonite and Canadian society. Mennonite Women in Canada, the first comprehensive history of Mennonite women, traces their role over the past two hundred years. Marlene Epp explores women's roles within the contexts of immigration, family, church life, work, education, and social life. Comparing how Mennonites dictate women's place within society with how women actually behave, Epp finds a contradiction between behavioral ideals and practicalities. Also, women's responses to dictates about their proper place vary widely, unsettling a clear delineation of their roles. Using diaries, oral histories, genealogies, and memoirs, Epp presents a fascinating story of Canadian Mennonite women that deserves to be read by women and men everywhere.