Sweeter Than All the World

Tatiana Nazarenko is an assistant professor of Slavic studies at the
University of Manitoba and program coordinator of Central and East
European Studies.

Set in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, Rudy Wiebe’s
new book fuses the spiritual search of a contemporary Canadian, Adam
Wiebe, with the long-lasting search of the Mennonites for a new home.
The history of the Mennonites is presented through dramatic and
emotionally charged personal pieces, narrated by various members of the
Wiebe and Loewen families, that take us from the bonfires of the
Inquisition, to Stalin’s purges, to the most recent immigration to
North and South America. Rich in historical and cultural detail, these
powerfully written pieces reconstruct the experience of Mennonites in
the Netherlands, England, Poland, Prussia, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, Canada, the United States, and Paraguay.

Sweeter Than All the World is a tribute to a people uncompromising in
their faith and proud of their heritage. Dispersed throughout the world,
they have preserved their values and traditions, as well as a strong
unity and kinship. These are the lessons Adam Wiebe learns. His search
for his roots takes him from Edmonton to places all over the globe, and
assists him in reuniting with his wife and children after years of
separation.

This original, intelligible, and thrilling novel is highly recommended
for general readers.