Life, and Death, and Giants is set in the fictional town of Lakota, Wisconsin, a community defined by its desire to remain apart from the modern world. The novel establishes this ethos early, presenting Lakota as a place where “the locals treasured anonymity, the rare luxury of being left alone” (3). This social landscape serves as a refuge for characters like Thomas Kennedy, who flees public scrutiny after his wife’s death. This desire for isolation is mirrored and amplified by the region’s significant Old Order Amish community. Many Amish families migrate to Midwestern states like Wisconsin in search of affordable farmland, establishing communities dedicated to separation from the “English” world. Wisconsin has the fourth-largest population of Amish people in the United States (“The Amish of Wisconsin.” Chippewa Valley Museum, 3 Feb. 2014).

The novel accurately portrays core Amish principles that are centered around plainness (simplicity of lifestyle), Ordnung (community rules), and what Hannah calls “instant forgiveness.” The novel addresses Ordnung through its depiction of the practice of shunning, or meidung. In the novel, when Rachel Fisher becomes pregnant outside of marriage and refuses to name the father, she is subjected to streng meidung, which requires “absolute social and spiritual isolation” from her family and community (31). This aligns with the theological function of shunning in real Amish life, which is used by the community as a last resort to maintain their purity. However, it also depicts the Amish support system through the women who care for Gabriel, illustrating the power of community. By embedding these authentic practices, the novel grounds its central tragedy in the unyielding cultural rules that govern its characters. Gabriel’s subsequent global fame creates narrative tension between his Amish roots and his “English” upbringing.