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Title: Wiebe's beautiful first novel
Review: There is a tendency to tokenize traditional Mennonite communities. Their separated lifestyle demonstrates, for many, an attractive way of being; the oddity of their appearance both mystifies and intrigues us. Yet, many cannot see beyond these romanticized notions. Rudy Wiebe explores the more hidden cultural and social aspects of traditional Russian Mennonite life in his book Peace Shall Destroy Many. Wiebe paints a picture of a tense, complex and changing community, struggling to stay true to the faith, but prone to prejudice, corruption and divisiveness.
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