NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM AND KINDLE
FROM NAUSET PRESS LLCBEHIND BLUE CURTAINS:
A TRUE CRIME MEMOIR OF
AN AMISH WOMAN’S SURVIVAL, ESCAPE, AND PURSUIT OF JUSTICE BY LIZZY HERSHBERGER
WITH MOLLY MAEVE EAGAN
Publisher: Nauset Press (March 9, 2021)
Language: English
Paperback: 154 pages
ISBN-10: 0990715493
ISBN-13: 978-0990715498
ABOUT BEHIND BLUE CURTAINS
When Lizzy Hershberger turns fourteen, her schooling ends at eighth grade, and she has no choice but to leave home to work as an unpaid maid for another family. To avoid being shunned by her ultra-conservative Swartzentruber Amish family and community, Lizzy is forced to abandon her dreams because they are “too worldly.” After being raped by an Amish deacon over two dozen times, Lizzy makes her first attempt at “jumping the fence” to pursue a non-Amish lifestyle. But without any modern life experience or education, Lizzy must decide whether the risks of this unpredictable and dangerous world are worth losing the ties to her Amish friends and family forever. Almost thirty years later, after she has created a new life for herself, her small community is rocked by disturbing sexual assault allegations. Lizzy must decide whether to keep silent for her newly-created family’s sake or come forward against the church to advocate for the Amish children she left behind. In 2019, Lizzy Hershberger successfully brought her abuser to justice in an extraordinarily rare case addressing sexual abuse in the Amish church. She faced death threats and intense pressure to stop telling her story. Lizzy refused to back down, and she forged ahead to spark a national movement bringing awareness to the prevalence of sexual assault in isolated communities protected by religious liberties. This gripping true crime memoir reveals the truth behind one of America’s most revered and secretive religious sects—hidden behind the blue curtains of the Amish lifestyle.
READER REACTIONS
“This is a POWERFUL book, well thought out and written.”
“I bought this book and read it cover to cover in a matter of hours. Rarely has a book so profoundly impacted me as this one.”Well written with emotion and accuracy that depicts a story that I’m afraid too many women can probably identify with.”
“I appreciated how well written this book is. Not only is it well written from an academic perspective, it is done in such a manner to be sensitive to other survivors who may be reading it. While honest about the abuse, Lizzie was careful to not be unduly graphic. This book needs to be widely disseminated.”
ABOUT LIZZY HERSHBERGER
Lizzy Hershberger was raised ultra-conservative Swartzentruber Amish in Minnesota. After coming forward about systemic abuse in her church, Lizzy became recognized as an expert on the Amish culture, as well as an advocate, panelist, speaker and Amish language interpreter, for victims of abuse. She is the co-founder of Voices of Hope Events, a national support network helping women find their own voice. She volunteers with Victim Services and other groups to improve the lives of women and children. Before escaping her Amish community, also known as “jumping the fence,” Lizzie was a hired maid for local families, Amish school teacher. After giving up everything she knew growing up with, she got married and became a mother to four children, served as president of her children’s 4-H Club, served as an Awana Leader at her church and she became a co-founder of a school-based support group and served as a School Board member. Additionally, in 2018 she testified as an expert witness on the Amish for a wastewater case that resulted in substantial environmental improvements. Lizzie’s story has made international news, been featured in Cosmopolitan, Rochester Woman Magazine and multimedia platforms and podcasts. For more information, visit lifebehindbluecurtains.com.
ABOUT MOLLY MAEVE EAGAN
Molly Maeve Eagan was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She began her writing career as a crime reporter, and her unique ability to connect with interview subjects turned her into an award-winning investigative journalist. As a sexual assault survivor, she spent years in recovery before dedicating herself to helping other survivors find their voices and tell their stories. Molly is a writer, editor and organizer, advocating for diverse groups of survivors from isolated religious communities to Hollywood casting couches. To learn more about Molly, visit mollymaeve.com.
