Here’s What I’m Giving Away Today:
$ 10.00 Target Gift Card
Post a comment to go into the draw – Good Luck!
(One winner only)
Dear readers: Thank you for visiting my blog Plain and Fancy today.
Amazon Blurb for my Memoir, Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl
What if the Mennonite life young Marian Longenecker chafed against offered the chance for a new beginning? What if her two Lancaster County homes with three generations of family were the perfect launch pad for a brighter future? Readers who long for a simpler life can smell the aroma of saffron-infused potpie in Grandma’s kitchen, hear the strains of four-part a capella music at church, and see the miracle of a divine healing.
Follow the author in pigtails as a child and later with a prayer cap, bucking a heavy-handed father and challenging church rules. Feel the terror of being locked behind a dark cellar door. Observe the horror of feeling defenseless before a conclave of bishops, an event propelling her into a different world.
Fans of coming-of-age stories will delight in one woman’s surprising path toward self-discovery, a self that lets her revel in shiny red shoes.
Book Trailer
Excerpts from Recent Reviews:
The further I read, the more I fell in love with Mennonite Daughter. I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more, and I came away feeling like I have found a friend.
~ Lady Quixote, November 2019
As I read the book, I came to admire Marian so very much; she was strong enough to stand up for herself in her home, in the Mennonite culture, and, eventually, in the outside world. The photographs and illustrations are lovely, and I will be using the recipes for special occasions.
~ Victoria, January 2020
Absolutely charming memoir! I can go back again and again and even skip around just for a lovely escape to a different world. So well crafted and readable. I love when you can fly through the chapters because the writing is so fluid.
~ Mee Mee Feb. 2020
Loved the book. Will re-read this many times as it has certainly taught me to face forgiveness.
~ Joyce, July 2020
Buy the Book Here!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marian.beaman/
Twitter: @martabeaman
Blog: https://marianbeaman.com
Once again, thank you for stopping by and don’t forget to share your thoughts in comments below. Good luck on winning my giveaway. I’ll see you at the next stop of this awesome BLOCK PARTY!
Good morning again, Marian! Congratulations on your lovely book trailer, and (continued) good luck with your book!
Thank you, Merril!
Some great reviews! Congratulations and I love that trailer.
I appreciate your stopping by, Darlene!
I loved this, especially your photo! Thanks for sharing, Marian! Enjoy your day!
I surely will. Even with a squinty eye, it will be grand. Thanks, Nonnie, for featuring me here!
Congrats on some hard work paying off. Caps off to you, Marian!
Thank you, Elfrieda!
Just watched the video and it’s AWESOME! Lucky you to have an artist husband!
Don’t I know it!
Marian, What an interesting story! Congrats and best wishes for a successful blog tour.
Thanks so much, Sam!
Hi Marian. I’m so glad to meet and learn about you. I’ve never heard of the Mennonites so looking forward to your book.
Congratulations!
Thank you, Shirley. Because many readers have no idea who Mennonites are, I included a one-page summary of the history before the story begins.Lots of universal takeaways though, which I think you can relate to. Let me know what you think when you’re finished. Once again, thanks for your interest in Mennonite Daughter 🙂
This sounds wonderful, Marian. I have to add your book to my ever-growing list. (I have no internet and no TV due to a bad storm, so I can’t buy for a couple of days…I don’t buy on my phone. ) Your story sounds amazing!
Welcome, Wanda! First of all, I’m sorry that the storm disrupted your connection. Thanks for your interest in reading my memoir. Maybe you can move it to the top of your list – ha!
P.S. I don’t buy on my phone either, and even when I buy on my laptop, I go to a browser that has a private viewing screen. Again, thanks and welcome, Wanda! 🙂
Great reviews, a wonderful book trailer and a poignant and powerful a coming–of-age story I highly recommend. If you haven’t read Mennonite Daughter yet, go grab a copy today! <3 Congrats on a story well told, Marian! xo
Bette, it’s great to have you in my cheering section. I believe you discovered me on my blog. Then, when I saw that you are a member of RRBC, I joined too. Huge thanks, my friend! 🙂
Hi Marian! Your photo on top is lovely. I was impressed with the book trailer and went and added your book to my list. Your story voice will resonate with many people interested in learning about people and communities. Thank you for writing this.
I’m glad the photo and book trailer piqued your interest, Rox. Authors are always happy when their story touches other lives, as the sample reviews suggest. Thanks so much; I look forward to hearing what you think of the first 24 years of my life with its charms and challenges! 🙂
This post is a great tribute to your book (which I must read soon). Loved the trailer. Well done Marian 🙂
Robert, as my review of your father’s experience in Exclusive Pedigree reveals, your family and mine shared a similar story. Yes, I hope too, you can read my memoir soon. Thanks for chiming in here! 🙂
What an intriguing story, Marian! Love your book trailer. You got me with the shiny red shoes, but your thought provoking questions are what make me eager to read your memoir. I loved this stop on the blog tour! Have a blessed day!
Thank you, Patty! Like Dorothy, my shiny red shoes propelled me from one world into the next. I hope you will find my story as intriguing as the questions and book trailer suggest. 🙂
P.S. Thanks too for subscribing to my blog today, much appreciated.
Sounds very interesting. Great trailer! Have a wonderful day.
Charles, thanks for checking in today. I’ll pass the compliment on to my husband who created the trailer. 🙂
Thank you for the interesting post, Marian. I understand how I feels growing up in a strict environment. My family are Orthodox Jews, and we have endless rules to follow. Now that I’m grown up, past grown up, I choose the customs and rules that work best for me. I follow the ones that help me become a better human being. I hope it’s working.
Listening to your last interview on RRBC, I intuited from the name that you have Jewish origins. My memoir shows how I walked away from the restrictions and kept the traditions that suit my values now. Charms and challenges both. I think you could relate to it, Susanne.
By the way, Book 1 of your series is now on my Kindle, ready to read. Yay!
Great story and trailer, Marian. I wish you well on this tour and hope you sell tons of books.
I couldn’t ask for more, John. Thanks for the good wishes!
Thank you, Marian, for your exquisite blog post. I followed you on twitter and put your book on my TBR list, as I’m drawn to know more about the culture and that little girl who emerged from it. Your Grandma looks and sounds a bit like mine, with her cooking, enduring faith, and love of home and family. The book trailer is outstanding. Thanks again for a delightful time today. We are from the same state, by the way. Enjoy the Block Party!
Now I want to know more about you, Flossie – from the same state now, and with a Grandma similar to mine. I hope my book will satisfy your curiosity about my personal story.
Thanks for checking in here, following me on Twitter and all that good stuff! 🙂
Hi, Marian! I’ll be honest. I had no idea what a Mennonite was until today. I look forward to learning more about them and your life. 🙂
Yvette, Mennonites share similar struggles to others. My stories, though unique, reflect trials and triumphs we all experience. Come along and share my journey. I hope you will read my book with the fairy-tale (well, sort of!) ending.
By the way, a one-pager defines the origins of Mennonites before it sails into my personal story. Again, thanks for checking in here, Yvette.
Hi, Marian. Your book trailer is excellent and I absolutely love those red shoes. I’m looking forward to reading your story. Best wishes!
Thanks, Karen, for your vote of confidence. I look forward to hearing what you think of my true story. Thanks too for the good wishes! 🙂
Your book sounds like a fascinating story, Marian!
I appreciate the compliment, John. Thank you!
A lovely post, Marian. I have purchased your book as I am very interested in reading about your story and history. I don’t know much about the Mennonite faith.
Thank you SO very much, Robbie. Before the story begins, you can read a one-page mini-history of Mennonites migrating from Europe to the US, where they found fertile land to farm. I believe we have “touched” on other blogs before. Now we have a new connection here. I am looking forward to hearing what you think of my memoir.
Again, huge thanks for your purchasing my book! 🙂
What a spectacular trailer!!!!
Wendy, thanks for viewing my blog today, including my trailer. I’ll let my husband, the creator, read this! Again, thanks! 🙂
Good Morning Marian,
As I looked at your trailer, it threw me back into my own childhood. I too grew up in a church in a small country village in the Deep South. We sang our songs a capella because we didn’t have a piano. When I look back on those days now I realized they gave me so much and helped me become the person I am today. I love your trailer. I sit here wondering if you and your dad ever found piece with each other. I guess that I will have to find that out in the book.
All the best.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia
(Marian, I had problems trying to connect to your blog from the site of the Block Party. It wouldn’t let me leave a comment. So I copied your link and closed out the block party and went with the link into Google Chrome and it worked. It would also not let me like your blog. It could be because I use Safari as a primary explorer and not Google Chrome. I just thought i would mention it ´just in case someone else had problems.)
First of all, Pat, thanks for your persistence. I have to approve comments before WP allows me to post, and because your comment came in early and I didn’t moderate it right away, it looked as though I didn’t receive it. But there you are! I have seen you in other forums on RRBC, and I’m happy to know we have so much in common. Sorry you had to struggle!
I grew up in Pennsylvania in a very strict culture, and I had many family members and other relatives to love me, but not my dad. Later on after I left home, my parents hosted Latina women with children from Chicago, who needed friendship when they were in a program to re-build their lives. He seemed to “bloom” then. But the book shows that I have found a path to forgiveness. I think you could relate to many scenes in my book, both the charms and the challenges.
Again, thanks Pat for connecting with me here. Shalom! 🙂
Marian — Congratulations on the continued success of your book. I love the stellar reviews you’ve received—Woohoo!
Laurie I’m in good company here, Laurie, and along with you receive great reviews. Woohoo, back to you! Thanks for noticing. Have a refreshing weekend!
I enjoyed the trailer, Marian and picked up a copy of your book. I look forward to reading it.
Dear D. L. Finn, you indeed are a dear for picking up a copy of Mennonite Daughter. Your name sounded familiar to me, and when I visited your website I discovered that who are both familiar with another poet/author, Colleen Chesebro. Here’s where I get cheese-y and say, “Small world,” but indeed it is with the wee internet pixels that connect is all.
Thanks again for reading my memoir. I look forward to hearing what you think of it! ((( )))
No need to enter me in the drawing, Marian! I’m just happy to comment! Love your book trailer. The music is so peaceful!
So nice to see your great reviews! 😄😄😄
Dear L. Marie: The post was specifically for the members of RRBClub, but there was no way to publish this without including all my dear blog subscribers. Thanks for the sweet nod here. 🙂
Love the trailer. Love the pun ‘writing habit’ and congrats on your Rave Review blog party! <3
Good morning, Debby. As I mentioned to L. Marie above, the post was specifically for the members of RRBClub, but there was no way to publish this without including all my dear blog subscribers.
What a loyal woman you are – always. Thanks, my dear, and have a wonderful weekend. 🙂
Aw shucks, thanks Marian 🙂 x Happy Sunday to you.
You did it–true self and faith! I love the trailer.
You’ve observed how it is with indie authors, Elaine. Thanks for noticing! 🙂
Red shoes and hats…that was so me in my younger days…Loved the video you are so lucky to have such a talented hubby, Marian…Good luck with the block party and your book sales 🙂
Thanks, Carol. Somehow your comment got by me . . . my apologies for being tardy to the party here.
The block party continues through October, but my day in the spotlight was Thursday, October 8. Again, thanks!
No worries, Marian… It happens to us all sometimes… I hope your day in the spotlight went well… Have a lovely weekend x
You, too, Carol!
Hi, Marian, when are you going to have a promo for your book? I think you should. I went to buy a copy but I think I will wait until the promo. 😃
Hi, Joy, I think you are the “Joy” of Pregnant Future, a memoir I thoroughly enjoyed and reviewed.
My book launch happened September 2019 in my hometown. However, if you are referring to RRBC, I think Nonnie Jules is in charge of that. Yes, I would appreciate a promo. Thanks for checking in here with me. 🙂