In part contemporary fiction and part historical "faction", the multi-leveled story looks back at the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and one of its cultish offsprings called "The Firsts." However, the most disturbing part for me, was the carelessness with which the author wrote about the Mormon religion; detailing (with inaccuracy) sacred covenants that any faithful Latter Day Saint would be offended to hear is written about frivolously in a novel. Synopsis and cover image from the Goodreads book page. In an area where there is so much speculation and curiosity, why not write a non-fiction book and share the real journals, the real documents, the real facts. Ebershoff condemns the practice thoroughly, but he does a great job of showing the fears and beliefs that drive women to choose being a plural wife. The chapter when he describes Ann Eliza's parents' struggle with Joseph Smith's commandment to embrace polygamy is especially poignant. The second book is a murder mystery involving a present day polygamist group, with a gay "lost boy" (polygamy sects often abandon young boys to the world so that they are not competition for. A television movie adaptation aired on Lifetime on September 13, 2010, starring Matt Czuchry, Patricia Wettig, and Chyler Leigh. I felt it was crude and disrespectful to weave that plot along with descriptions of religious rites and rituals that are sacred to some. In terms of thought provoking issues, learning quite a few things that I didn’t know before about some interesting American historical figures and sparking a lot questions and discussions, the book is a 4. He juxtaposes the world of modern polygamous families down on the remote Utah-Arizona line with the life of a junior wife of 19th-century … For me, that's love.”, “I trust you have seen the ocean. Article from the-exponent.com. FICTION! ISBN-13: 9780812974157 Summary Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain. The challenges to spirituality and faith that both sides of the polygamy issue present are very nicely handled in both time periods. There are no chapter notes of any kind to give the reader an idea of what is true and what he made up. Jordan's descriptions of their home life really illustrates their plight: "We slept in triple-decker bunks; or five to a bed, head to foot; or on the couch, four boys elbowing over three cushions; or on the living room floor, on blankets and pillows, twenty kids laid down like tiles. It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Buy this book at: Book Depository / Amazon / B&N Synopsis: It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. It is fiction--based on fact, I will give you that--but, still ficti, I was thoroughly put off by the gay characterizations/sex/language in the contemporary story. It’s two stories: a contemporary murder mystery that takes place near a polygamist compound, following a young man, Jordan, as he tries to clear his mom from murder charges and a historical biography of Ann Eliza … Shirts and sweaters in plastic garbage bins labelled by size. One of these women — officially his 19th wife (though the number was probably much higher) — rebelled. Didn't I review 'any' books when I first joined Goodreads? https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/books/review/Thomas-t.html. It's long and dense and so worth it. by David Ebershoff . The present-day story is minor compared to Ann Eliza's story, beginning with her mother's conversion to Mormonism and then her descent into the hell that was polygamy after the … I spent a great deal of time reminding myself that this was a work of fiction. And as Ann Eliza’s narrative intertwines with that of Jordan’s search, readers are pulled deeper into the mysteries of love and faith. On doing research to know how to respond to some of the questions many have on why our faith practiced polygamy over 100 years ago, I came across an article that I felt answered a lot of questions that I agree with. The well researched historical storyline was compelling and thought provoking with insightful, fascinating details on polygamy. If you have, then you have witnessed the divine. The 19th Wife offered a look at some Mormon teachings that are both confusing and fascinating, such as the “sealing” of marriages, the Endowment ceremony, and…sacred underwear. We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. The author loosely interweaves two fictional stories; one of the effects of Mormon polygamy on a few people in the 19th century and another focusing on a fictional contemporary polygamous group in southern Utah that strongly resembles the FLDS group led by Warren Jeffs and his predecessors. In a prison diary — one of the many fictional documents in David Ebershoff’s third novel, “The 19th Wife” — the Mormon leader Brigham Young states one such problem plainly: “I know my faith to be the true faith of God . In part contemporary fiction and part historical "faction", the multi-leveled story looks back at the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and one of its cultish offsprings called "The Firsts." When it comes to reading pleasure though it’s a 2 because it’s written in an extremely dense prose that sometimes has too many perspectives and makes the story a bit confusing to follow. I listened to it on audio, and the four readers were phenomenal. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff sucks you in like a vacuum cleaner. An uneducated reader may be left believing things about the Mormon religion that are simply not true. Yes, it is. Faith can make troubling claims on believers.