The Salvation of Yasch Siemens

Fay Lando was Projects Officer at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food in Toronto.

This novel, about the pains of growing to manhood, is a delight. Yasch Siemens, of the mythical Mennonite village of Gutenthal in Manitoba, is “only almost sixteen” and in love with Fleeda Shreeda. We meet Fleeda and others: Muttachi, Yasch’s mother; Hova Jake, an enterprising school friend; Ha Ha Nickel, a local farmer; and Oata Needarp, 200 pounds and determined to have Yasch as her own.

The names of the characters are unusual, and their language is even more so. It is Prairie Mennonite English, which includes many Flat German words; sentences are constructed according to the rules of German grammar. It takes a bit of getting used to but is well worth the effort.

The novel covers three phases in Yasch’s life — it begins when he is about 16, then shows him at age 23 and finally as a father of two about 12 years later. Highlights include Yasch’s reaction to Oata’s courtship, his moving account of an incident of childhood tyranny, and a description of a political meeting to choose a candidate for a Tory leadership convention. Except for this last item (a very humorous one which refers to well-known media and political personalities — in fractured English, of course), the novel has a timeless quality. The world and even Gutenthal may change, but not Yasch Siemens.

Readers would benefit from a glossary of Flat German expressions, but its omission should not deter anyone in search of a heartwarming read.