The 19th Wife - David Ebershoff

And now, an LDS perspective on a controversial novel.  My thanks to Clare James, a friend, fellow bibliophile, and well-read woman, for consenting to give this guest review.

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Summary:  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 19thWife 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 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. (Summary and Image from http://www.ebershoff.com/ )

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Hey fellow readers, my name is Clare James. I’m a reading addict, literally ripping my hands off books to take care of my family. I’m not a writing addict, so be kind. 

My Review:  Two stories over a century apart weave the horrifying tale of polygamy’s oppression. As one ostracized modern-day boy faces his past to absolve his accused mother from murder, he discovers Ann Eliza’s legacy. Ann Eliza, born into firm believers of polygamy, becomes the face of polygamy’s abolition. She chronicles the invisibility women feel, yet the brain-shaping way leaders keep them in place. Deeply insightful is the author’s description of Brigham Young’s hidden thoughts as he deals with Ann Eliza’s betrayal of faith. The standpoint that she unknowingly saved the LDS church’s existence is new to me, and worth the read to get context for that viewpoint.

For the LDS reader, myself included, this book proposes some challenges. Written as historical fiction, I am of the opinion that it is more history than fiction. I believe Ebershoff nails several truths concerning the fluidity of history and the inability to know people’s hearts. Obviously the LDS religion today does not tolerate polygamy. The LDS are actually the faction, the sect that broke off from the original church beliefs.

The brilliance of this book is the continuous whirlwind exploration of the power of faith. Faith is intangible yet more forceful than the threat of death, because it affects what we believe exists after this life. When polygamy is all one knows, and the promise of eternal happiness is given, people today still believe that’s enough and live it with faith.

My Rating:  3.5 stars. This book sucked me in, but I couldn’t quite bump it to 4 stars for several reasons. The author’s historical fiction creation was unique but he simply took facts and reworded them. I got bugged by thinking to myself, “Are these actual documents?” For a fictional book, it was written too much like fact.

For the sensitive reader: Also the sensitive reader may want to avoid this book based on repetitive offensive expletives and several vulgar scenes. Not a personal fan of such language, I will admit it portrays the anger and inability of abused children to express emotion.

Sum it up: The 19th Wife delves into this buried lifestyle, sharing polygamy’s history and current conditions in a readable, train-wreck fascination way.

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Also reviewed by Jeannette Katzir, an author and guest reviewer.  Since her review posted in November, I have received a few emails about why a blog made of primarily LDS reviewers would choose to review a book that may or may not be an accurate representation of church beliefs or church history.  The short answer is that I decided a long time ago not to dictate what books our reviewers or guest reviewers chose to read.  However, in an effort to give a more well-rounded perspective, I asked one of my well-read LDS friends to give her opinion of the book.