Categories: books
Date: 06 May 2009 09:30:24
I do my best to keep my blog pretty much translation related - but sometimes it's not possible because there are inevitably overlaps between areas of my life.
This book falls into the "overlap" category. It is not about translation nor has it been translated (or at least, if it is available in other languages, it was originally written in English) and so it would not normally be blogged about - but exceptions have been made before and shall continue to be so....
Plain Truth is the story of Katie Fisher, a girl who has grown up in the Amish community of Pennsylvania. She is accused of murdering her new-born child which was conceived out of wedlock. She maintains that she did not murder the baby but the evidence seems to be stacked up against her. Her lawyer, Ellie Hathaway, a distant relative, has to live with the Fisher family as part of the bail conditions and through her eyes the reader discovers the simplicity of the Amish life - and how different their culture is from "standard" Christian culture of America (or the Englishers...as the Amish call them).
It's an interesting story with a few twists - but not twisty enough that I didn't anticipate them but the one thing that struck me most forcefully was that even though the family spoke "Dietsch" as their first language no reference ever seemed to be made that they were having to speak a foreign language the whole time that Ellie lived with them (as she spoke only English). In the same vein, when the case came to court much was made of the difference in culture/attitude to telling the truth as seen by the Amish and Englishers. There was a speech made by one of the medical experts explaining the alleged asphyxiation - which I admit I skimmed because it was wall-to-wall medical language. A comment was made that Katie did not understand the medical language - but only once was there a fleeting reference made to the fact that the entire case was conducted in Katie's second language (and that was when an Amish witness took the stand). I just thought it was interesting that given the novel's central premise seemed to revolve on the point of different attitudes to defining truth as seen by different cultures, Katie was not offered an interpreter for her court appearance. She had to rely on her lawyer's interpretation of her culture - which appeared to be very thorough - but even so, even she (Ellie) seemed to be exasperated at times at what appeared to her to be a very simplistic approach to life and discipline within the Amish community.
The final twist in the tale left me with the feeling of there being unfinished business. After all the discussion of the differences between the cultures and how truth is perceived I just couldn't help feeling that the denouement should not be left as it was - and that perhaps the author had lost her way in interpreting the Amish culture. I can't say more without giving the plot away. I guess I'll have to persuade my bookclub to read it to discuss it in full!
It just goes to show that as Oscar Wilde said, "The truth is rarely pure and never simple."