The Outsider: A Novel

I just finished “The Outsider” and is was a very enlighting read.

I had never heard of the “Shaker” religion, so this was an eye opener to me. I assumed by the cover, this would be an “Amish” type book, but boy was I wrong. The story line was ok, but it was the shaker religion that kept me reading. The story line is fiction, but the religion was real.

It is hard for me to understand where all of these different “add on” religions come from, when we all read the same bible. I had never heard of “Mother Ann” let alone that she was supposed to be the second coming of Christ in female form. From what I read, in the early 1800’s, Mother Ann created her own religion.  She was apparently abused by her husband and had several children die at a very young age. Perhaps this is why she choose to view marriage and having children, a worldly, hell bound sin.  Her believers/followers, all lived in a commune, took children away from their mothers and followed strict work schedules, in order to receive blessings from Mother Ann. They all lived as brothers and sisters and everyone was celibate…….. No wonder the religion mostly fell to the wayside.

The book is about the struggle between religion and God’s Word. The struggle of a girl who finds love and has to choose between the blessings of Mother Ann and the man she loves.This would be a good read for the curious minded person, however some of the content can be disturbing and contains a lot of mental cruelty. This book is not for everyone, but I give it 4 stars.