After getting "Dirty" a couple months ago, my mommy's group decided that it was time for something a bit more engaging and intellectual. So one of our friends (a historian) mentioned she was reading a great fictional book that was a mystery but intertwined pieces of the LDS history.
I wasn't sure about it at first. I find the the LDS church fascinating but it was a big, long read and I just didn't know if I could commit to that. Until I picked it up.
I didn't expect it, but I was enthralled with Ann Eliza Young's story and the beginning of polygamy in the LDS foundations. While I took everything with a grain of salt, remembering that not everything that I was reading was entirely accurate, a lot of it (as I've been told and semi-researched) was accurate (i.e., the LDS pilgramage to Zion, the early day massacres of the LDS church, etc) and I really enjoyed the story. Especially the historical part. And the more modern parts got me interested in today's FLDS church and their modern day practices in polygamy. The book also made me think about my duties as a wife and the marriage that M and share. How would polygamy play into that? Could and would I accept it like these women did all because of faith?
Another thing that peaked my interest and constantly made me wonder while reading "The 19th Wife" was what active LDS members thought of the book. Were they disgusted or disappointed by the portrayal of their earliest prophets? Or did they accept it and early day polygamy as part of their past and as I did, take it all in with a grain of salt? When I researched reviews on the book, I seemed to find a close to even amount of active LDS critics and admirers of the book, but was hoping and wishing I could have a more indepth conversation with active members to gain their perspective.
It definitely ended up being one of my more enjoyable reads and in the end, motivated me to order a couple other polygamy memoirs from amazon.com that M and I will read and discuss. Will I like those? Only time will tell. But in the meantime, this book, I definitely recommend.
I wasn't sure about it at first. I find the the LDS church fascinating but it was a big, long read and I just didn't know if I could commit to that. Until I picked it up.
I didn't expect it, but I was enthralled with Ann Eliza Young's story and the beginning of polygamy in the LDS foundations. While I took everything with a grain of salt, remembering that not everything that I was reading was entirely accurate, a lot of it (as I've been told and semi-researched) was accurate (i.e., the LDS pilgramage to Zion, the early day massacres of the LDS church, etc) and I really enjoyed the story. Especially the historical part. And the more modern parts got me interested in today's FLDS church and their modern day practices in polygamy. The book also made me think about my duties as a wife and the marriage that M and share. How would polygamy play into that? Could and would I accept it like these women did all because of faith?
Another thing that peaked my interest and constantly made me wonder while reading "The 19th Wife" was what active LDS members thought of the book. Were they disgusted or disappointed by the portrayal of their earliest prophets? Or did they accept it and early day polygamy as part of their past and as I did, take it all in with a grain of salt? When I researched reviews on the book, I seemed to find a close to even amount of active LDS critics and admirers of the book, but was hoping and wishing I could have a more indepth conversation with active members to gain their perspective.
It definitely ended up being one of my more enjoyable reads and in the end, motivated me to order a couple other polygamy memoirs from amazon.com that M and I will read and discuss. Will I like those? Only time will tell. But in the meantime, this book, I definitely recommend.
No comments:
Post a Comment