Book Review: by Ira L. Wagler

Crossing Over, One Woman’s Exodus from Amish Life
By Ruth Irene Garret with Rick Farrant

    The British have Romeo and Juliet, the South has Rhett and Scarlet, and now the ex-Amish community has Irene and Ottie. Crossing over is a shocking story of how a young Amish school teacher ran off with a 450 pound, English driver. 
    Irene Miller was a young and innocent Amish girl in central Iowa. She lived in an oppressed home. Her dad was mean to her family. Irene lived a sad life. No fun. But things were about to change in 1989. That’s when a van driver named Ottie Garret rolled into town. “Everything about him was big - from his 450 pound frame to his sleek, 15 passenger van, with snazzy running lights and loud mufflers…He loved to drive fast, with a diet coke in one hand and the wheel in the other” (Crossing Over Pg. 40). 
    For some unknown reason the young heroine immediately fell in love with Ottie. He was in his 40s, married, huge and English and she was 15, beautiful, and Amish but somehow the two fell in love. Although they didn’t see each other for 2 years, the love remained. Irene dreamed daily of riding in his van. 
    Finally the day came. Ottie hauled Irene’s family to Canada and the love grew. Irene was intensely impressed how Ottie argued with the Amish and made them look simple.     
    When Irene was 18 Ottie began visiting her house often. Her Mom gave Ottie foot massages to help with his gout and tendonitis. Oh how Irene loved when Ottie visited. Oh how she missed him when he was gone. Finally the idea started blossoming in her head that Ottie and she might be together. 
    Eventually the two lovebirds started talking to each other, holding hands,and playing footsies under Irene’s parents’ table. “Ottie would occasionally tweak my behind when he walked by, startling me enough to make me jump” (Crossing Over Pg. 66).
    The love could not be quenched and Irene ran away with Ottie. He divorced his 3^rd wife, they got married and she was immediately banned by the Amish church and ostracized by her family. Her Dad and brothers wrote many mean letters to her and she loves them all the same. The Garrets live in Kentucky where they continue to take shots at the Amish Community.

     Crossing Over is a good read. That is if you want to have a good laugh at a bitter ex-Amish woman. The writing style is awful. The book is filled with inaccuracies and generalizations about the Amish community. Mrs. Garret’s family was evidently very simple because she did some dumb things upon leaving the Amish. Once she went to a store and put clothes on over the clothes she was already wearing. 
    The book is depressing, dreary, and dumb. This woman evidently wanted to leave the Amish and she used a 450 pound van driver to do so. She blames everyone but herself for her simple ness. The saddest part is how she tries to justify running off with a married man using the Bible. Mr. Garret took advantage of a poor, simple Amish girl. He is using his ex-Amish wife to write and sell books. No one should read this book to find out how the Amish really operate. Although some things she writes are true, most of it is not worth reading. The parts about Hershey Kisses and rear tweaking are the highlight of the book.  

 Crossing Over is available at Amazon.com for $11.16.