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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enjoyed reading about another culture,living in the United States, that I could never imagined existed. I read this book about 10 years ago, before tv aired this sect.
His was a very informative story about polygamy in the Utah territories in the 1800’s and later
Bounced from past to present too frequently. Not sure if whole past is fiction.
Fascinating and frighttening view of early Mormonism
Subject matter informative, but book not well written; couldn’t tell who was speaking. Went back and forth too much. Would not recommend.
Equally informative and engaging telling of a fascinating and relatively unknown part of America’s history.
I really enjoyed this book.
This book was not for me. I did not finish it.
Well written perspective that brings a chapter in our history into vibrant relief. I was engrossed in the stories as well as the characters
The way the book was set up was confusing. The story was told by 3 people which kept going back and forth between each storyteller. For me I had to stop and think about who was telling their story now.
Such a window into the lives of the Mormon church!
Not an easy book to read due to the subject matter, but based on historical facts. What courage the 19th Wife had!!!
Two stories that tried to be woven together. Did not really work. Also, too long!
I liked that it was historical and taught me a lot about Mormonism. It also touch on present days “cults” who practice plural marriages, but in a novel form that seems to mirror the Warren Jeff story
Took a while to read, got kind of dry but was a good read overall
Very interesting. But, wish it was either “all true” or “all fiction.”
Tells all about true polygamy.
Informative, educational and sad. Not all things are as they seem!
Couldn’t get into it. Boring, slow. Finally asked myself ‘why am I continuing to try to read this??!’
I learned more about human nature as it applies to plural marriages and cult religions. Disturbing and informative.