Before We Were the Land's: Yarrow, British Columbia—Mennonite Promise

Jaroslaw Zurowsky is a translator and editor in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

This two-volume set covers the life of the German Mennonite community in
Yarrow, British Columbia, between 1928 and 1958. This period encompassed
the emigration of Mennonites from the former Russian empire to Canada in
the 1920s, their settling in the Yarrow district, and the later arrival
of the post–World War II refugees. It was a period of great social and
cultural change and one that provoked attempts by community forces to
maintain language, religion, and other traditions.

The contributors, many of whom were born and raised in the Yarrow
community, include professors of history, archivists, and
schoolteachers. The articles written by non-professionals give an
important voice to the views of community members. For students of
Mennonite life in Canada, these two books provide an interesting
perspective on the cultural and societal conflicts that the Mennonites
faced. Together, they present much material for other researchers to
study.