Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain. Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, David Ebershoff’s The 19th Wife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a brilliant novel of literary suspense. It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of … powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. A rich account of a family’s polygamous history is revealed, including how a young woman became a plural wife.
Soon after Ann Eliza’s story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds–a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah. Jordan Scott, a young man who was thrown out of his fundamentalist sect years earlier, must reenter the world that cast him aside in order to discover the truth behind his father’s death.
And as Ann Eliza’s narrative intertwines with that of Jordan’ s search, readers are pulled deeper into the mysteries of love and faith.
Praise for The 19th Wife
“This exquisite tour de force explores the dark roots of polygamy and its modern-day fruit in a renegade cult . . . Ebershoff brilliantly blends a haunting fictional narrative by Ann Eliza Young, the real-life 19th “rebel” wife of Mormon leader Brigham Young, with the equally compelling contemporary narrative of fictional Jordan Scott, a 20-year-old gay man. . . . With the topic of plural marriage and its shattering impact on women and powerless children in today’s headlines, this novel is essential reading for anyone seeking understanding of the subject.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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Poorly written, difficult to follow. I didn’t even finish it because it was so bad.
Interesting, a different view of TCLS
informative and a page turner. I enjoyed the background as well as the storyline
Thought-provoking, informative, interesting, revealing, and challenging. An excellent read that may offend some depending upon your religious views.
Interesting book bounced from modern day Arizona to 1880’s Utah and life in a poligamous. Household.
A must read for anyone who thinks polygamy is not a destructive force to women and families
History I did t know. Excellent book.
This was a very interesting book. The subject matter was certainly about Mormon ism. It was also about life under duress and how we survive in a system that is about repression and yet people, nonetheless create love, safety and true connection. Life and humanity, in the best sense of the word, survive.
Historical – good read
I couldn’t put this down, a very hard read but didn’t want it to finish.
This book reminded me of Under the Banner of Heaven, so I didn’t read all of the book. Boring
A rare look into the shame of polygamy in US history and present practices
If you want the origins of Mormanism, this is a good read.
Do feel like I have a deeper understanding and realist view of the Mormon religion.
I enjoyed hearing the history of the Mormon religion, and Brigham young and his wives in particular. Great historical novel. I had read about the 19th wife of Brigham young, I knew she went on the circuit giving interviews and received money giving lectures. I think the book was very factual, and quite interesting.
Interesting read. This is a fictionalized account of a historical record plus a modern day mystery. While it is fiction, the characters are real and many of the events are real. Very unsettling to know that the modern day goings on are, in fact, going on in real life. I knew this but had never given much thought to the day to day lives of the people experiencing it.
Almost didn’t read this book as the beginnings were confusing to me. There were two different 19th wives plus the modern-day 19th wife’s child who had a non-gender name and told the modern-day version of instead of the actual wife’s account. About to close the book when it began the historical 19th wife’s story (which is why I bought the book in the first place). That hooked me and all became clearer as I read. I would not recommend this book as I have read clearer and more informative books on this book’s subject content without the language nor the homosexual agenda.
Well written, fascinating insight into another time and historicly-based alternative life
Listed in Sunday’s Book Bub email deals at $1.99; however, right after receiving the email, I went to purchase it, but the Amazon price is $10.48.