In many (if not most) cases, the men are simply incapable of providing sufficient material or monetary support for their plural wives and families, and the demands of these wives and families stretches the commitments of the men far past any reasonable breaking point. Susan ultimately becomes a Christian after leaving the church; in this case, Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times, a rouge Mormon cult. From what I can gather on her website, it appears she might be Christian but not LDS (I'm guessing though) and no longer believes in any of the fundamentalist LDS doctrine as well. Later years. Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? I had no idea the lifestyle entails poverty, loneliness, intense jealousies and rivalries. (Sorry, I hope no one considers that "spoilers." Cascading with rich, well-developed characters, this true story will capture your soul and imagination as the author reveals how a group of kind-hearted, sincere people are led to embrace this controversial lifestyle i. Hello, Sign in. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions. Susan came to her senses at age 24 and ran away to Utah with her 6 kids. Laced with surprising brush-strokes of humor, this heart-rending saga will take its readers on a journey that outsiders whisper of and shudder about. Having read this account, I know this gal couldn't have tolerated the experience. Their women are taught that obedience, unquestioning acceptance of polygamy, and giving birth to huge families of children to follow in their parent's footsteps will assure them a celestial crown. I have a friend that grew up in this cult. Susan Ray Schmidt's book was intriguing and definitely a fun read. a woman who grew up in a polygamist colony and married at a young age http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/favorite-wife-susan-ray-schmidt/1100373495 I want to know what it's like, how it feels. By the time she was 23 with 5 kids her husband was on Wife No. Favorite Wife: Escape from Polygamy, by Susan Ray Schmidt. Who knows where I would have ended up. Despite the small font and cramped text on the pages, this book was awesome - I read it night and day until the last page. The term polygamy covers both Polygyny and Polyandry. As an actor and director, she has worked in theaters throughout the country. Paperback, 416 pages. An interesting account that certainly makes me sympathetic to those who live within this kind of culture. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. Susan Ray Schmidt's account of her life as part of Colonia LeBaron, plural-wife to one of the infamous LeBaron brothers, has all the elements of a juicy memoir. The book did go on an on sometimes, but I looked everything up and all of it was true. I thought it was an interesting book about the polygamous sect without a lot of physical abuse that some of the other polygamous have had in it. The story takes you through her journey of sacrifice, abandonment, and religious conflict. It was the weekend after Warren Jeffs was found guilty of a myriad of charges and the journalists and press had finally left the area en masse. However, this is so badly written, that it took me a long time to finish reading it. I hope that as Susan states in the Epiloge, that she has truly found life after polygamy and that all of her 7 children have as well. 3.5 stars. It is a humbling book. She is right in the midst of the warring fundamentalist polygamist communities, and her time with the LeBarons spans some fascinating, dark, real-life stories. Ugh, it was really hard for me to read all of the stuff that led up to her "marriage" and if the way she described being treated by Verlan was even half true, I do not understand why he felt the need to marry her or any other "brides"? There are 0 reviews and 2 ratings from Australia, Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. As a Mormon I was intrigued by this group of people who have broken away from my faith, using the same scriptures, but who believe and interpret them very differently than I do (and by the way, spoiler alert - Mormon's are not polygamists, so if you think we are you need to educate yourselves. The book did go on an on sometimes, but I looked everything up and all of it was true. Sold by Emilia's Bookstore and ships from Amazon Fulfillment. It gives you a lot to think about and how she ever put it into words I can't even fathom. What I did know before reading this book is that it the lifestyle didn't interest me, however it did make me wonder. The story was so shocking in do many ways but amazing to know it's all true! He may not have ever dirtied his own hands with the a. Cascading with rich, well-developed characters, this true story will capture your soul and imagination as the author reveals how a group of kind-hearted, sincere people are led to embrace this controversial lifestyle in their pursuit of the highest degree of glory. Very interesting story of a young woman growing up in a Mexican fundamentalist Mormon community. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. In a way thi. I found Susan Ray to be a fantastic narrator; not the best writer but not awful either. She entered a monogamous marriage around 1988 to Hector Spencer, another former resident of Colonia LeBaron. Susan's book deals with this head-in-the-sand ignorance. Verified Purchase. I don't know HOW this woman was able to recall do much, but she did s helluva job bringing it all together and actually really making it feel like it was all happening to you! "Susan Ray Schmidt, author of Favorite Wife: Escape from Polygamy" Powerful, moving and painstakingly researched, Cameron Stauth's "In the Name of God" illuminates the little-known culture of faith healing in America, and shows us why it is so important for all Americans to stand together and demand action and intervention to save the lives of its youngest victims. Amazon Kindle Amazon Paperback. ©2006 Susan Ray Schmidt (P)2018 Tantor My sister in law recommended this book to me and I am glad that I read it. Most of these books are pretty fascinating and this one did not disappoint. Susan Ray Schmidt's book was intriguing and definitely a fun read. Barbara, his favorite wife, ruled her sister wives and their 30-odd children by tantrum, fiat and even physical abuse. She too, was one of these women. He may not have ever dirtied his own hands with the actual killings but he most certainly was guilty of leading those good people astray for his own personal desires and greed. Anyway, great book, I really understood where she was coming from having grown up LDS myself and the feelings like I gotta do this or that to inherit eternal life and Exhaltation. But it IS a book about escaping polygamy, so a lot of that shouldn't have surprised you.) She slowly unwinds the history of the LeBaron clan's attempts to convert the masses and the eventual inner turmoil/philosophical differences that grew from them. Once as a traveller, I stopped into a small town on the border near Nevada with my daughter and two best friends. This item: Favorite Wife: Escape from Polygamy by Susan Ray Schmidt Paperback $14.44. Ervil LeBaron was a terrorist and a murderer. I actually came across this book sitting on a table - picked it up to kill some time and couldn't put it down until I was done. And seriously, how can you name a kid Ervil and not expect him to turn out Evil? Very long read and written in a very historic/textbook style, but it's a fascinating history. However, this is not a story about escaping from polygamy so much as it is about growing up in polygamy, coming of age in polygamy, marrying an older guy, being one of many wives, having a bunch of kids, living in poor conditions and then escaping from polygamy. I wanted to educate myself to the world of Polygamy. Susan Ray Schmidt, author of Favorite Wife: Escape from Polygamy, on LibraryThing LibraryThing is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers Home Groups Talk More Zeitgeist What makes this even more interesting is that the polygamous group Susan is involved with is run by these brothers who, I'm just going to come out and say it, have some very terrible names. The main characters of this non fiction, autobiography story are , . To create our... To see what your friends thought of this book, Sadly, while this story is remarkable, the writing is not. Ervil LeBaron was a terrorist and a murderer. © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Thought the story was very interesting. Read it at your own risk. But I digress.) Favorite Wife by Susanne K. Schmidt, 9781599214948, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide. It was the weekend after Warren Jeffs was found guilty of a myriad of charges and the journalists and press had finally left the area en masse. It's the story of one of Verlan LeBaron's wives who eventually broke away from the horrid LeBaron family. Do I like him?" Very interesting. You're just asking for it. I don't know what it is about polygamy that makes me want to read every book that's ever been written about it. I found it sad that the husband really did not want anything to do with his children. I wanted to educate myself to the world of Polygamy. The story is so well written that it is hard for me to believe that Susan is a first time author who had very little formal education as a child. It explains a lot of polygamy from the eyes of a wife. I am grateful I was never put into a position like that and I was free to make my own decisions and establish my own opinions in regards to family and religion. Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife, A Life Lost: The shocking true story: Jackson Is Haunted by a Secret from His Past, My Life as a Sister Wife: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You, The Girl with the Saddest Secret: The True Story of a Troubled Little Girl and the Foster Carer who Gives her Hope, A RIVETING MEMOIR OF LIFE INSIDE ONE OF NORTH AMERICA'S. The book was published in multiple languages including , consists of 416 pages and is available in ebook format. Delving more deeply into this mysterious underworld than any previous work, Favorite Wife is a powerful account of the affairs of the heart, coming of age under exceptional circumstances, and the tough choices that are sometimes painfully necessary to preserve human dignity." The lives of Joel LeBaron's followers, specifically the authors really puts into perspective how low religious fanaticism can go. I cannot even imagine the constant sacrifice and heartbreak that she and her sister-wives went through in an effort to reach eternal glory, only for her to find she had lost her faith in the Church itself. Really interesting story. This was a very good book. Spencer became a born-again Christian at the urging of one of her sons and became an outspoken critic of polygamy. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. He did really seem to just be interested in the intimate relationship from his wives. Susan Ray Schmidt was once a member of the Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times and the child-bride of polygamist Verlan LeBaron in Colonia LeBaron in Mexico. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. This book offers a detailed and intimate portrayal of her personal life in a polygamous marriage, the cult’s inner workings, and the entire drama surrounding Ervil Lebaron’s murder spree. 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