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An Outsider's Look Inside Amish Community

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Writer Joe Mackall gained unprecedented access to one of the most conservative Amish communities through his neighbor Samuel. In his new book, Plain Secrets, Mackall chronicles the tightly knit society of Ohio's Swartzentruber Amish.

Mackall talks to Andrea Seabrook about how he gained the trust of his Amish neighbor, how the community takes care of its own members even as it subverts their individuality, the plight of Amish women, and what it's really like to ride in a buggy.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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