The North American Mennonite history, the fifth and final volume in the Global Mennonite History Series, was released in late September 2012. Seeking Places of Peace by Royden Loewen and Steven M. Nolt, completes the Mennonite World Conference History Series, which has been overseen by historians John A. Lapp and C. Arnold Snyder.

The new 400-page book is organized into three sections: "Settling in North America, 1683-1950," "Integrating in North America, 1930-1980," and "Growing in North America, 1960-2010."

"Authors Loewen and Nolt are both masters of the North American story, and they have charted a fresh journey through remarkably diverse experiences," say Series editors Lapp and Snyder. "They both bring the insights of social history, which means that they focus on people in many geographical environments rather than on institutional development and theological controversy."Royden Loewen is Professor of History, with a Chair in Mennonite Studies, at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba. Steven M. Nolt is Professor of History at Goshen College, in Goshen, Indiana.

Together, they describe their task as writers of this inclusive and sweeping history as "seeking to answer a single question: How did Mennonite men and women live out their distinctive religious calling to follow Christ in North America?

"The answer is that they did so as ordinary people, in everyday life. In their lives they often aimed for holiness, neatness and orderliness, but the fact is that life is not always neat, it is never sin-less, and indeed it is often messy. There have been joys and tears, moments of achievement and times of failure."

John A. Lapp remarks about the book, "Readers will find fresh information and new insight on virtually every page. The tone is positive but quite honest. This is a significant contribution to North American church history. Seeking Places of Peace deserves wide reading and study in congregations and classes on Mennonite history and life."

Co-published by Good Books in the U.S. and Pandora Press in Canada, the book is available in the U.S. by calling Good Books at (1) 800-762-7171. The book is available in Canada by calling Pandora Press at (1) 866-696-1678.

The first four volumes in the Global History Series, available from the same publishers are: Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts (2003); Testing Faith and Tradition (2006, Europe); Migration and Mission (2010, Latin America); and Churches Engage Asian Traditions (2011).

- Phyllis Pellman Good