Crossing Over

Ruth Irene Garrett was the fifth of seven children raised in Kalona, Iowa, within a strict Old Order Amish community. Its members wore distinctive clothing, travelled by horse-drawn buggy, and followed a detailed code of conduct. Their customs differed even from those of Amish groups only about 100 miles away. The community kept itself apart from outsiders, whom its members called "the English," and guarded its affairs closely. For Ruth, this was the only life she knew, with its one accepted way of doing things.

This true account opens a door on a community most readers never see. Ruth's discontent grows until she leaves her family, her faith, and the cloistered life of her childhood. She steps into modern society, a world that feels unfamiliar and unsettling, hoping to understand her emotional and spiritual needs more clearly.

At its core, the memoir is one woman's search for purpose, and it traces the lessons she learns along the way.