Grandpa’s Notebooks is a compilation of the journal entries of one man, Orva Schrock, in his journey of self-discovery over a period of 35 years. Beginning with an initial entry on September 10, 1972 and ending on May 28, 2004, the reader is privy to the intimate thoughts and emotions of Schrock as he rebels against the hypocrisy of religion and struggles with the contradictions within his own life. The log is a combination of literary quotes, poetry, the author’s thoughts, and scripture from various holy texts.

Schrock left the Amish community at the age of eighteen and spent a lifetime searching for the meaning of life and the truth behind God, even through the births of his own children and grandchildren. In his journal, he questions organized religion and refuses to blindly accept dogmas set forth for him by his ancestors. Schrock fights his own inner turmoil over the push of society to adopt a lifestyle of conspicuous consumption and his Amish roots reminding him of the spirituality of a simple, unadorned existence.

The publication of Grandpa’s Notebooks in journal form is beneficial to the reader. Short entries provide the reader with adequate time for reflection and internalization of Schrock’s revelations while relating them to the individual.

Whether the reader agrees with Schrock’s views or not, the value of the book lies in the centuries-old struggle of mankind. Grandpa’s Notebooks is not a journal of one man; it is a journal of all men. Personal contradictions may vary, but the eternal quest of man to find the meaning of existence is universal.

©2007 Sabrina Williams for Front Street Reviews ( )