Inside the Ark: The Hutterites in Canada and the United States by Yossi Katz and John Lehr Published by Canadian Plains Research Center Review by Keith Foster $39.95 ISBN 978-0-88977-282-3 Ever wonder what goes on inside a Hutterite colony? Inside the Ark: The Hutterites in Canada and the United States tells the intimate story of a people little known and even less understood. The impact of the Hutterites is significant. Authors Yossi Katz and John Lehr point out that the 40,000 Hutterites living in 474 colonies throughout Canada and the United States form the largest communal society in the world. The authors show the inner workings of a hardworking society, industrious as a colony of ants, toiling quietly in seclusion. One rural municipality in Manitoba, for instance, is home to three Hutterite colonies that “constitute the three largest operations in the area.” Yet according to the RM’s economic development officer, “we never hear from them, they just go about their business.” Like a protective ark, the commune provides shelter and safety against meddling and corrupting outside influences. But the authors believe that “today, the Ark is leaking.” Technology – especially computers and the Internet – is forcing Hutterites to emerge…
Fascinating, sincere and moving are only a few of the words to describe “I Am Hutterite.” Throughout this insightful memoir, Mary-Ann Kirkby transports the reader into the complex lifestyle of her heritage, which is one that is normally hidden to the outside world. She does it in a way that is intriguing, perceptive and sometimes humorous.