More than 19 million tourists flock to Amish Country each year, drawn by the opportunity to glimpse "a better time" and the quaint beauty of picturesque farmland and handcrafted quilts. What they may find, however, are elaborately themed town centers, outlet malls, or even a water park. Susan L. Trollinger explores this puzzling incongruity, showing that Amish tourism is anything but plain and simple. Selling the Amish takes readers on a virtual tour of three such tourist destinations in Ohio’s Amish Country, the world’s largest Amish settlement. Trollinger examines the visual rhetoric of these uniquely themed places—their architecture, interior decor, even their merchandise and souvenirs—and explains how these features create a setting and a story that brings tourists back year after year. This compelling story is, Trollinger argues, in part legitimized by the Amish themselves. To Americans faced with anxieties about modern life, being near the Amish way of life is comforting. The Amish seem to have escaped the rush of contemporary life, the confusion of gender relations, and the loss of ethnic heritage. While the Amish way supports the idealized experience of these tourist destinations, it also raises powerful questions. Tourists may want a life uncomplicated by technology, but would they be willing to drive around in horse-drawn buggies in order to achieve it? Trollinger's answers to important questions in her fascinating study of Amish Country tourism are sure to challenge readers’ understanding of this surprising cultural phenomenon.

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has been known for two centuries as the Garden Spot of America, a quintessentially rural place. Walbert considers what it means to be the Garden Spot in a culture that associates rurality with the past and asks whether or not a truly rural future is possible for such communities.

Presents the history and culture of Amish communities in the United States.

Each year, tourists are drawn to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to experience pastoral life. David Walbert examines how 20th century American culture has come to define and appreciate rurality, and how growth and economic expansion can co-exist with preservation of the traditional ways of life.

By thoroughly examining all of these aspects, Amish Quilts is an essential resource for anyone interested in the history of these beautiful works.--Roderick Kiracofe, author of The American Quilt: A History of Cloth and Comfort, 1750-1950 "Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies"

Three heartwarming tales of old friends and new beginnings that span one year in an Amish community. A Change of Heart by Beth Wiseman Leah is no good at cooking, cleaning, sewing, gardening—the skills that young women need to make a proper Amish wife. All she wants to do is write stories, but she's sincerely tired of being a disappointment. Will she ever find someone who accepts her just as she is? And can an almost-Amish angel in red polka dots help her find her way? A Place of His Own by Kathleen Fuller When Josiah left Paradise the first time, he didn't even say good-bye. Now he's back, ten years later, and he's changed. Why is he so distant and bitter? Where is the boy who used to be Amanda's best friend? Amanda is learning that there are things even a capable Amish girl can't fix. But can she stand there and watch him walk away . . . again? When Winter Comes by Barbara Cameron It's been too long since Rebecca has done what she loves—put on her skates and fly across the ice. Five years have passed since a winter accident took her twin Lizzie and left Rebecca heartbroken. And Ben has waited for her all that time. At last she's starting to heal. But has too much time passed for their hearts to reconnect?

Join New York Times Bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter along with Jean Brunstetter in Holmes County for a dramatic new 6-part serial novel. In Part 2, The Stubborn Father, widower Eustace Byler stands out in his Amish community for his eccentricity and his wealth. He mourns the loss of his son to the world like he mourns the physical loss of his wife. In the past, Eustace has freely loaned Joel money, perhaps hoping to entice him back home, but now Eustace is done and moving on to fulfill some of his own dreams. The Amish Millionaire -- A 6-Part Serial Novel #1: The English Son #2: The Stubborn Father #3: The Betrayed Fiancee #4: The Missing Will #5: The Divided Family #6: The Selfless Act