The 19th Wife: A Novel
by David Ebershoff
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Book Reviews of The 19th Wife: A Novel
Book Review: Loved it, but....
Summary: 4 Stars
I am fascinated by Mormon history. Ebershoff does a great job dealing with the question: Why do people believe what they do? How do they fall for such crazy belief systems and practices? I enjoyed both the modern day story of Jordan, as well as the historical parts of the whole Brigham Young ordeal.
However, I hated the dozens of gratuitous "F" bombs throughout Jordan's story and the sordid sexual details of his gay lifestyle. Neither promoted the story and actually detracted from the plot. Even the fundamentalists in Mesadale cursed heavily....and no matter how warped they might be, this is not a part of their culture. I haven't heard my Mormon friends say more than "darn it to heck". I can't really recommend this book to my Mormon friends or Christian friends who may be interested in the subject matter, because Jordan's whole story is beyond "R" rated. My 13 year old would have loved to read it. (maybe later)......but Ebershoff created a book that will offend the sensitivities of many who would be most interested in the subject matter. Despite that, I read it in a couple of days on vacation, and really enjoyed it.
Book Review: Had a hard time putting it down
Summary: 4 Stars
Once again i found myself on vacation with a book i was getting nowhere with. My mother-in-law said her book club was reading this book next month but she had already picked it up, since i was bookless she suggested i take it on.
The story is very engaging and easy to read. Right from the start i felt a need to know what happens to the characters. The book stars a fantastic cast of cast of smart relatable people who i actually cared about.
The book jumps between created "historical documents" and pretend "journal entries" these jumps at times take you out of the story and can be very disruptive but mostly i found them an interesting change of pace.
The negative things are minor but bear mentioning: 1. it really could have been 100 pages shorter, some things are a tad drawn out. 2. The author jumps between loving the LDS church and hating it so much that you are never sure what is happening or if there is a cohesive theme 3. At times there was a "God is hope" sunny-ess that seemed a tad contrived and forced.
All and i would recomend this book.
Book Review: I Liked It, Didnt Love it.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the first work of fiction I have read about polygamy. All others have been memoirs and non-fiction. I enjoyed this book and read it quickly but I didn't love it. There are two stories being told here. One set in the present day about a plural wife who is accused of murdering her husband and another set in the past about Ann Eliza Young, the 19th wife of Bringham Young. I sometimes found the chapters about Ann Eliza to be a struggle to get through because they were somewhat dry and slower-moving than the present-day tale. However, both were intertwined together gracefully.
I also became frustrated because some of the book is presented as actual newspaper articles from the late 1800s and exceprts from Ann Eliza's real memoirs which I found to answer many questions I had about the history of Mormon polygamy but then the author makes a note at the end that its all fiction and should not be read as fact - I found this confusing.
If you are looking for a good book about life in polygamous culture, I highly recommend Escape, by Carolyn Jessop.
Book Review: The 19th Wife
Summary: 4 Stars
This book held my interest and I read it in a few days; if I did not have responsibilities, I would not have put the book down. This book enlightened me on the history of the Mormon religion, gave me insight into polygamy, and was quite entertaining. The 'who-did-it' mystery was captivating and suspenseful for me. With out a doubt, I would highly recommend this book as a good read for the majority. I am uncertain whether someone of the Mormon faith would appreciate the early history of the church, or feel uncomfortable with the implication that many of the church's leaders succumbed to sexual infidelity under the guise of God's will. I felt compassion for the early pioneers and the sufferings they encountered on faith alone. I felt humbled by the strength and courage the pioneers exhibited in their plight for a home to be free to worship according to their belief. Struggle to follow ones faith while trying to overcome human emotions such as jealousy, betrayal, fear, right vs wrong, helped me understand the difficulties these people endured.
Book Review: The 19th Wife
Summary: 4 Stars
The 19th Wife: A Novel
Just finished reading this book. First novel I have finished in a long time. I enjoyed the intertwining of the two stories when I was reading one of the stories, I found I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in the other. Although once in awhile, I found the language used by some of of the contemporary characters a little on the strong side, it did not hinder me from enjoying the book. As a Mormon, I found the story of Ann Eliza intriguing and I will be honest, it was hard to tell the fact from the fiction. Several times, I had to tell myself "it's only a novel." I assume the actual truth to be somewhere between what David has written in his novel and what I have been told about the actual story. Mr. Ebershoff has crafted a great story and, for me, has given me a glimpse into the early history of polygamy and the LDS church. It's up to me to distinguish the truth from the fiction!