Takes us inside Fairholme Colony in southern Manitoba where Mary-Ann Kirkby spent her childhood. Her detailed portrait of Hutterian people opens a window on a closed community and reveals a way of life that seems extraordinary to the outside world. When Mary-Ann left Fairholme she had never tasted macaroni and cheese, never heard of Walt Disney or ridden a bike. Her language and clothing were ridiculed; her culture was treated with suspicion. No one understood that behind the black hats and polka dots lay a spirited people with a strong work ethic and an earthy sense of humor. No one understood her family's deep sense of community or their profound sense of loss.

English language arts 20 (2012).