"An excellent meditation on faith and community."--Publishers Weekly
"[A] slim and graceful memoir."--Ms. Magazine
"Engaging and reflective, Plain is a complex memoir about moving beyond the Mennonite faith while maintaining an integral connection to its lessons."--Foreword Reviews
"An authentic and evocative story. . . . These moving, tenderly rendered essays straddle the line between Hostetter expressing a fervent desire to leave her upbringing and way of life, while also finding pride and nostalgia for where she came from."--Shelf Awareness
"Hostetter's writing is lovely and evocative of place and emotion. Readers will enjoy sinking into this quietly empowering story of coming into one's own."--Booklist
"A deeply honest, forthright, and forgiving account of finding one's way as a gay Mennonite. Plain shows how we the misplaced faithful take the truths of our upbringing to create beautiful stories, homes, and lives."--Joanna Brooks, author of The Book of Mormon Girl
"A wise and wonderful memoir about breaking away from tradition, then finally discovering its value. This clear-eyed yet affectionate coming-of-age story will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to separate from their family and find their true, authentic self."--Sharon Harrigan, author of Playing with Dynamite
"Filled with a familiar equanimity, grace, and droll humor. This book is as simple and nourishing as fresh vegetable soup and as complex as a Tibetan mandala. It will leave you pondering the depth of a single word: plain."--Shirley Showalter, author of Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World "While Plain is a quiet memoir, it's not a slow read. Mary Alice uses humor, yearnings, and curiosity to build dramatic tension within the mundane experiences of farm life. . . . The care she uses to develop this world in early chapters gave me a deep appreciation for the culture in which she grew up and deep empathy for the longings she faced within this world that served her yet didn't fully see her. . . . Not all rebellions need to be loud and in your face. Sometimes the quieter ones have the greatest power."--Lisa Ellison, Hippocampus Magazine "[A] powerful memoir. . . . Very highly recommended."--Midwest Book Review