This past week I had the privilege of reading a non-fiction book by debut author Emily Sara Smucker. The book, The Highway and Me and My Earl Grey Tea, is an account of Emily’s year traveling across the country visiting a different Mennonite community each month. At every stop she experienced something unique, seeking what her Lord had in mind for her to learn about who she was, where she fit in her world, and challenging her to cling to her faith through it all.
I thought I was going to read a memoir travelogue, but it turned out to be an insightful look at how different people groups interact and include those new to their numbers. Emily’s thoughts are candid—she tells the story with the raw emotion of an individual experiencing the acceptance and rejection of the community in which she finds herself.
Even though the book is non-fiction, it contains both an external adventure as well as the internal journey of the author. There are tears—three funerals in the course of a year. There is laughter—turning down an invitation to dine out with some wealthy elders because of the expense only to discover they hit the local hot spot where food items were four for four dollars. There is romantic attraction as well as disappointment. Along the way are amazing little miracles that God provides her as his cherished daughter.
I recommend this read. It can be obtained on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3p49IEH or in book form at Muddy Creek Press, https://www.muddycreekbooks.com/