Grandpa’s Notebooks: The
Evolution of an Amish Soul
Orva Schrock
Reviewed by Sabrina Williams
Grandpa’s Notebooks is
a compilation of the journal entries of one man, Orva Schrock, in his
journey
of self-discovery over a period of 35 years.
Beginning with an initial entry on September 10, 1972 and ending on May 28, 2004, the reader is
privy to the intimate
thoughts and emotions of Schrock as he rebels against the hypocrisy of
religion
and struggles with the contradictions within his own life.
The log is a combination of literary quotes, poetry,
the author’s thoughts, and scripture from various holy texts.
Schrock left the Amish community at the age of eighteen and
spent a lifetime searching for the meaning of life and the truth behind
God,
even through the births of his own children and grandchildren. In his journal, he questions organized
religion and refuses to blindly accept dogmas set forth for him by his
ancestors. Schrock fights his own inner
turmoil over the push of society to adopt a lifestyle of conspicuous
consumption and his Amish roots reminding him of the spirituality of a
simple,
unadorned existence.
The publication of Grandpa’s
Notebooks in journal form is beneficial to the reader.
Short entries provide the reader with
adequate time for reflection and internalization of Schrock’s
revelations while
relating them to the individual.
Whether the reader agrees with Schrock’s views or not, the
value of the book lies in the centuries-old struggle of mankind. Grandpa’s
Notebooks is not a journal of one man; it is a journal of all men. Personal contradictions may vary, but the
eternal quest of man to find the meaning of existence is universal.