What Happens When an Amish Woman Is Caught Reading the Wrong Book, Mine Was Found Under My Mattress

When my mother found the small notebook hidden under my mattress, she didn't yell. She went quiet with fear, because she recognized exactly what it was. It wasn't a novel — it was a handwritten diary passed between women, full of things I was never supposed to know. What frightened them most wasn't the whole book. It was one folded page. This is my story of growing up Old Order Amish. I'm Anna, twenty-nine now, sharing what I was punished for learning. Subscribe for more.

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What Amish Wives Are Taught to Do When Their Husband Is Angry, Mine Taught Me to Disappear Into Room
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What Amish Wives Are Taught to Do When Their Husband Is Angry, Mine Taught Me to Disappear Into Room

I Was 27, The Night My Amish Father Returned From Three Months Away And Refused To Say Where He Had
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I Was 27, The Night My Amish Father Returned From Three Months Away And Refused To Say Where He Had

Cool Your Bedroom for $8 FOREVER... No Electricity, No AC
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Cool Your Bedroom for $8 FOREVER... No Electricity, No AC

I Sang a Hymn the Amish Bishop Had Forbidden, My Father Stopped Speaking to Me
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I Sang a Hymn the Amish Bishop Had Forbidden, My Father Stopped Speaking to Me

The Amish Have No Word for Burnout — The 5 Daily Rhythms That Eliminate Anxiety Without Medication
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The Amish Have No Word for Burnout — The 5 Daily Rhythms That Eliminate Anxiety Without Medication

What Amish Husbands Do to Wives Who Fast on the Wrong Day, I Was Made to Start Over at Midnight
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What Amish Husbands Do to Wives Who Fast on the Wrong Day, I Was Made to Start Over at Midnight

My Amish Husband Gave Me One Rule Before Our First Night — I Broke It Before Sunrise
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My Amish Husband Gave Me One Rule Before Our First Night — I Broke It Before Sunrise

I Baked a Pie for My Widowed Neighbor… and He Joked "If I Were Twenty Years Younger… I'd Marry You"
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I Baked a Pie for My Widowed Neighbor… and He Joked "If I Were Twenty Years Younger… I'd Marry You"

My Amish Husband Had One Anniversary Rule — I Broke It in Our Seventh Year
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My Amish Husband Had One Anniversary Rule — I Broke It in Our Seventh Year

I Thought My Amish Wife Was Weak During Pregnancy — Then the Midwife Took Me Aside
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I Thought My Amish Wife Was Weak During Pregnancy — Then the Midwife Took Me Aside

My Baby Died, But My Body Didn’t Know… Until a Widow Saved Twin Babies Alone
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My Baby Died, But My Body Didn’t Know… Until a Widow Saved Twin Babies Alone

My Body Was Collapsing: The Raw Reality of an Amish Newlywed
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My Body Was Collapsing: The Raw Reality of an Amish Newlywed

15 Cheap Meals Amish Eat To Stay Alive
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15 Cheap Meals Amish Eat To Stay Alive

Native Elder Woman Shares 9 Tips to Live Affordably in Retirement
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Native Elder Woman Shares 9 Tips to Live Affordably in Retirement

I Could Barely Stand During My First Week as an Amish Wife — Everyone Told Me to Stay Silent
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I Could Barely Stand During My First Week as an Amish Wife — Everyone Told Me to Stay Silent

The Amish Bishop Changed Our Family Name in the Church Record, I Learned Why at 30
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The Amish Bishop Changed Our Family Name in the Church Record, I Learned Why at 30

What Amish Husbands Can Demand During Pregnancy, Mine Didn’t Stop Until Month Eight
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What Amish Husbands Can Demand During Pregnancy, Mine Didn’t Stop Until Month Eight

I Was 20 on My Amish Wedding Day — Nobody Told Me Any of This
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I Was 20 on My Amish Wedding Day — Nobody Told Me Any of This

“Please Pretend You're My DAD,” Little Girl Said — What This Hells Angel Did Next LEFT Everyone
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“Please Pretend You're My DAD,” Little Girl Said — What This Hells Angel Did Next LEFT Everyone

My Amish Husband Locked Our Bedroom Door From the Outside on Our Wedding Night
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My Amish Husband Locked Our Bedroom Door From the Outside on Our Wedding Night