The members of this conservative offshoot of the Brethren are often confused with the Amish because of their plain attire, but unlike the Amish, they have made some concessions to the modern world -- including the use of automobiles, computers, and home appliances. Noting these accommodations to modern American life, Reynolds examines the ceremonies and traditions that allow the Old Order River Brethren to remain "separate" from other plain groups and from contemporary mass culture. She describes, for example, the love feast communion, a service that involves footwashing and a breadmaking ritual (one unique to the Old Order River Brethren and solely performed by women). Reynolds focuses in particular on the gendered customs of dress, hair, and domesticity that shape women's lives and, in so doing, preserve the minority faith itself.

Plain Women is the first volume in the new Pennsylvania German History and Culture Series, published in cooperation with the Pennsylvania German Society. This series is a continuation of the Society's annual volumes on Pennsylvania German scholarship in disciplines such as history, religion, folklore, literature, and the arts.