The 19th Wife

---

What really happened to Ann Eliza? Did she really disappear? As far as I know, it remains a mystery. I would welcome this as much as anyone. Immediately I called her to ask what she knew. So whom can a writer—and a reader—trust? This is one of the reasons the novel is almost entirely in the first person. It is full of holes. I am a lover of history. It is a subjective art, no less so than poetry or music. The memoirist writes a truth.

But a truth, yes. Her book is a fact. This novel merges several voices and formats: As I mentioned earlier, I believe history is subjective. I do not say this as a criticism, merely as an observation. I love to read history; at its best, it is an art. And art is—has to be! I allude to this in certain parts of the novel. My experience researching twenty-first-century polygamy was similar. No one would say more than a few words.

But who among us can say what is really in their hearts? A guy tries to patch things up with his soon-to-be-married pal after botching things up at his bachelor party. When Amy has nowhere to go for winter break, her friend Christine insists she come stay with her family. What begins as a dream situation turns into a nightmare when Amy starts to obsess When Mira's April Fool's Day tricks materialize, she finds herself promoted to the perfect job, dating the perfect man and living in the perfect home. Mira's newly upgraded life even Fundamentalist sect member BeckyLyn is accused of killing her husband.

There was an error trying to load your rating for this title.

Queenie, another wife in the polygamist sect, doesn't believe BeckyLyn is capable of such violence and desperate to prove her innocence reaches out to her excommunicated son Jordan for help in freeing his mother. She's his 19th wife in a Mormon sect. He was exiled as a boy for touching Queenie's arm. The Prophet pushes her sheriff husband Hiram to get a confession to avoid a lengthy trial. The defense lawyer pushes her to accept a deal but she claims to be innocent. Jordan encounters Sarah 'Five' Alexia Fast daughter of the 23rd wife on the outside who is trying to get her mother out.

Meanwhile, Queenie is secretly reading a book about Brigham Young's 19th wife. I like the portrayal of the polygamist world. The murder mystery needs to be heightened. The style skews too much to a Lifetime TV movie. It needs to be done in an intense dramatic way. The acting is solid.

I thought it w Good book. I thought it was interesting to read about falling in love from his perspective and can see why someone who has strong moral objections to homosexuality would be uncomfortable, but, hey, isn't that one reason we read fiction? The book is not flawless, but it's ambitious and entertaining. There are two plot lines. I hesitated to begin the story because of the historical plot line involving members of the early Mormon church, but it did not bog down, though I can imagine readers skimming parts of it.

The author incorporated historical documents and other texts that enlivened the telling. The second plot line is a mystery taking place in modern times and its resolution took me by surprise. Both plot lines address polygamy. I plan to read another David Ebershoff book. May 16, Angie rated it it was ok. That was quite a read. I really don't know how to even discuss this book but this will probably be my longest review yet.

I'll be discussing it with my Book Club in June and I honestly don't even know where to start with it when we delve into discussions. Here are a few of my scattered thoughts about this book: It made me want to verify and Whew. It made me want to verify and research things because they were presented in such a legitimate way that's not necessarily a bad thing, to want to do further research I mean.

I had to constantly remind myself: Of course many of the events, circumstances and people described in the book were real, but the bulk of the story was created by the author and it was a little hard while reading the book to remind myself that the story and "documents" were author creations. When reading others before this I've let myself get swallowed up in the story and trust that details are accurate. This one helped me realize that historical fictions are still just made up stories within the parameters of a real historical time or event.

And as the author pointed out in his notes at the end of the book, even history is tainted by perspective and the same event or circumstance can be described by two different people in completely different ways. So ultimately, it seems to me that with historical fictions, the author gets to pick and choose which perspective to take so you can't read a historical fiction novel as if it's a more entertaining substitute for a historical document. It was a long book. Some of it felt like work because it was so long.

It was the worst in the first few chapters of the modern day story, but it was peppered throughout the entire book whenever the modern story was being told. I thought it was unnecessary. The relationship between Tom and Jordan was awkward and rushed and unrealistic. Johnny was almost just a caricature of a runaway boy. The resolution in the modern-day story was somewhat satisfying with a bit of a twist, but overall I didn't care for the modern-day story and didn't feel like it was nearly as well developed as the rest.

And a few modern-day LDS references were off and that pulled me out of the story a bit. I appreciated reading various peoples' perspectives of polygamy, including and particularly! I thought that was an interesting touch. I would have liked to have read a story or two from women who actually loved and valued the practice of polygamy as an alternate view point to Ann Eliza's story. I thought there were some really touching parts of the Ann Eliza time period story and I liked the inclusion of some important historical events in the early LDS church although they were somewhat glossed over because they weren't really the focus of the overall story.

Since the bulk of the story was from Ann Eliza's perspective it's no shock that it's very critical of Brigham Young and the early church practices. Again, I would have really liked to read a few more positive perspectives, but it's pretty clear that the author had no intention of singing any praises of polygamy in his book. The author tried to depict how closed the early records and journals and such were kept by the LDS church, how difficult they were to obtain when trying to do research, etc.

I thought it was interesting that even fictitiously, Gordon B Hinckley was the prophet used in the book to show a swing in a different direction as far as releasing information. He was known as a leader in our time who was very much an open book, very willing to talk to the media and very well-loved and respected for that. I liked that the author portrayed that: I just didn't enjoy it at all. I didn't feel like the modern day story and the Ann Eliza story paralleled well enough to go back and forth as companion stories, and in the end it just felt like two really long stories shoved together in one book cover.

I could have done without the modern-day story altogether, as I didn't feel like the author spent nearly as much time researching and digging into that culture and that story as he did the Ann Eliza one and it came across that way in the writing and story-telling.

View all 5 comments. Sep 13, Vanessa Druckman rated it it was amazing Recommended to Vanessa by: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I love historical fiction and have a strange fascination with polygamy and other cults. As soon as it arrived, I sat down to read it cover to cover.

It did not disappoint. This novel weaves the stories of two women, both the 19th wives of polygamists, and paints a thorough and captivating portrait of plural marriage from its inception in the s to its current existence with fringe gro. This novel weaves the stories of two women, both the 19th wives of polygamists, and paints a thorough and captivating portrait of plural marriage from its inception in the s to its current existence with fringe groups. The first 19th wife is Ann Eliza Young , Brigham Young 's wife who divorced him and campaigned tirelessly on the lecture circuit to educate America about polygamy.

She was instrumental in convincing Congress to outlaw the practice and forcing the Mormons to renounce it. Ebershoff fictionalizes her story but also references diverse original sources to bring to life Brigham Young, Ann Eliza Young, her parents and siblings. The details about life on the frontier as well as the dialogue are authentic and intriguing. The other 19th wife's story is radically different from Ann Eliza Young's, and reveals how far from grace plural marriage has fallen.

See a Problem?

It is really a murder mystery tale, told through the eyes of Jordan Scott, the wife's outcast gay son. He is researching the Mesadale Firsts community fictional but inspired on communities such as the one led by Warren Jeffs to free his mother from being unjustly convicted of killing his father. The contrast between the struggles of the Mormon pioneers with their hand-drawn cart journeys to Utah with the present-day Internet and IM technology used by the men of Mesadale to recruit new wives is striking.

Regardless of the advances of technology, however, the hardships of plural marriage to the wives and children remain unchanged. Ebershoff condemns the practice thoroughly, but he does a great job of showing the fears and beliefs that drive women to choose being a plural wife. The chapter when he describes Ann Eliza's parents' struggle with Joseph Smith's commandment to embrace polygamy is especially poignant.

It is her mother who tearfully ends up forcing her husband to take on a second wife, in fear of not being with him in heaven. Once convinced, the husband fully embraced it, taking on multiple wives, and the ensuing strife destroyed their marriage. Ann Eliza's character is a little murky, one of the hazards of using such a controversial historical figure.

It is hard to believe that she is much of a victim after three failed marriages under her belt in her life. She is a good illustration of how high and low you could be in early Mormon culture as well as how much women were forced to rely on their own means to provide for themselves. The modern sections of the novel do the best job of showing the true victims of "celestial marriage": Jordan's descriptions of their home life really illustrates their plight: Shirts and sweaters in plastic garbage bins labelled by size.

Tennis balls and kickballs handed down from one kid to the next. The only thing in that house that was all my own, that I never had to share with anyone, was a drawer in my dresser, twelve inches wide by fifteen inches deep If you're bad at math, that's 1. The novel ends on a mixed note. The s story concludes with the Latter Day Saints renouncing polygamy. The current day story concludes with Jordan's mother being freed after another killer confesses, but she elects to return to the compound. Her fear of hell is stronger than a desire to escape a harsh life as a cast-off widow.

The Nineteenth Wife is a thought-provoking expose of polygamy's evolution in America and its presence today. It's particularly relevant considering all the recent news coverage , but it's also a wonderfully written and captivating novel.

The 19th Wife

Sep 04, Chase rated it liked it. A fascinating book at times and at other times I had to force myself to read it. One story is set in the mid-late 19th century as historical fiction while another, a murder mystery, is a contemporary tale. The two stories have parallel themes of course and even slightly overlap. My main grief was in the long-winded style of the 19th century characters, but I had other problems with this part of the book.

Several "authors" were used to tell this antiquated story, a device I found distracting. I kn A fascinating book at times and at other times I had to force myself to read it. I know they probably wrote like that, but I felt like I had to plow through their overly verbose descriptions and exhaustive ruminations just to get to the plot!

Also, the history of the mormon church and it's eventual rejection of polygamy and the resulting outcast societies who refused to let it go is very interesting, but not in minutia. The modern-day story was a lot more relevant and proceeded at an exciting enough pace to keep me interested.

The characters seemed more real as well. Eventually this part of the book the two stories were told in interchanging chapters was the carrot that kept me plodding along. If the novel had been only set in the 19th century it would've been a snooze-fest even though I typically DO like historical fiction. But perhaps I've read one too many books on polygamy and was bored because I've simply exhausted the subject? Apr 03, Sharlene rated it did not like it. I felt it was crude and disrespectful to weave that plot along with descriptions of religious rites and rituals that are sacred to some.

I also felt it was misleading to weave in seemingly real letters and references to "sealed" "archived" documents that might lead the reader to believe they are in fact the real deal when they are not. It is fiction--based on fact, I will give you that--but, still fiction.

In an area where there is so much speculation and curiosity, why not write a non-fiction book and share the real journals, the real documents, the real facts. Each of the subplots failed me in the end.

I was disappointed in not knowing what happened to Eliza Ann Young, the contemporarary murder plot of the 19th wife from Mesadale was never developed enough to satisfy in any way, and the gay sexcapades of the son was pure trash. Don't waste your time -- find Wife No. Jan 22, Erin rated it liked it Shelves: The 19th Wife shocked me, but not because of its content.

I never felt completely immersed into the world in which David Ebershoff is trying to bring me into. A dual narrative that "volleys" back and forth between the 19th and 21st centuries, The 19th Wife focuses on the polygamous lifestyle of the Mormon church. I am giving this book a three star rating because what I found fascinating The 19th Wife shocked me, but not because of its content. I am giving this book a three star rating because what I found fascinating was the bibliographic information which is entwined with much of the narrative.

Especially when I read about the Latter Day Saints massacre. No matter how much history and historical fiction I read, it never fails to boggle my mind that we humans talk about "freedom and rights" out one side of our mouth and on the other hand participate fully in persecuting religious beliefs we don't understand. All in all, I'm not sure I would re-read this book, but I am curious as to what other reader's reactions to the book were. Apr 02, Judith added it. Jan 08, Marci rated it really liked it. This book is a novel based on historical people and events that intersects the stories of two people in different times growing up in a polygamous home.

Navigation menu

The first is the story of Ann Eliza Webb Young a real historical figure , who was Brigham Young's 19th wife technically his 19th, depending on how you count them. The second is the story of Jordan Scott, a young man in present times who is kicked out of his family's polygamous compound think Colorado City and Warren Jeffs , then is drawn b This book is a novel based on historical people and events that intersects the stories of two people in different times growing up in a polygamous home.

The second is the story of Jordan Scott, a young man in present times who is kicked out of his family's polygamous compound think Colorado City and Warren Jeffs , then is drawn back in when his mother is arrested for killing his father. To tie it together, his mother is also the 19th wife of his father. The book is very well written and I was immediately drawn in to the stories, but it did get a little tiresome switching back and forth. The author also switches between narrators and mixes historical documents with fictional stories, so it does get a little hard to separate actual fact from fiction.

Overall, it really was a great book, especially the Ann Eliza Young story, which was very compelling. I haven't heard much about her before, but it really made me want to read more about her and her story as the first woman to actually leave a marriage to Brigham Young and speak publicly against the practice of polygamy, based on first-hand experience. Jordan's story is also very interesting and is very timely with the YFZ Ranch raid just this year and the prosecution of Warren Jeffs.

I would recommend this book to anyone, I liked it a lot. Where I got the book: Part of my challenge to read some books I already own. The 19th Wife is a dual-narrative novel with interruptions. One of the main narratives proceeds from the viewpoint of Eliza Ann Young, who was the nineteenth or twenty-seventh or possibly fifty-second wife of Mormon leader Brigham Young.

What is fact is that Eliza Ann divorced Brigham Young in , that she wrote a book about her life among the polygamous Mormons entitled Wife No. The other main narrative is the tale of a purely fictitious character, Jordan, who was expelled from his fictitious modern-day polygamous community as a teenager. But not a real one. The rest of this densely-packed novel is based on, inspired by, modeled after. The best thing that Ebershoff does in this novel is to pull any attraction that idea might have from under our feet—subsequent wives lord it over the older ones, are intensely jealous of the younger ones, and all generally have a miserable time.

For the student of nineteenth-century America, this novel could be a good place to start thinking about the religious experimentation and failed utopias that characterized so many communal attempts to colonize the country, but it can only ever be a place to start. What I do care about is the whole business of positioning fiction to sound like truth, easy to do in an age where popular histories abound, talking heads spout drivel on TV shows that are more entertainment than history, and successful historical novelists start seeing themselves as historians rather than what they are, storytellers.

The voices of his nineteenth-century characters all sounded too similar, and the rhythms of their speech were too modern ever to bring me to the point where I started looking up the characters on the internet. It gave me the impression of a story outline rather than a fully fleshed-out novel. The test of a book like this is: If you only read one of the narratives, would it stand up by itself as a great story? Jun 26, Meg rated it it was amazing.

This book was fascinating. It tells two different stories at the same time. The story of Ana Eliza Dee Young, the 19th wife of Brigham Young and a modern day mystery regarding the death of a husband by his 19th wife. The story is interesting and told in two different perspectives. Some have complained that it was confusing, I thought it was EASY to follow along and figure out who's voice was speakingeither from chapter title or topic of concern.

Others complained because one of the characters This book was fascinating. Others complained because one of the characters is a homosexual If you can't handle homosexuals, don't read books where they play a role. Oct 10, Rtb rated it liked it. Intertwining stories of Brigham Young's actual wife, Ann Eliza Young, who was instrumental in getting the Mormon church to renounce polygamy, and Jordan Scott, a fictional contemporary teen boy who returns to the polygamist sect he was thrown out of years ago when his mother is accused of killing her husband.

This is not young adult fiction but to me, since I've recently read a few young adult books and they seem to be getting more ambitious and since Jordan's first person narrative is sooooo t Intertwining stories of Brigham Young's actual wife, Ann Eliza Young, who was instrumental in getting the Mormon church to renounce polygamy, and Jordan Scott, a fictional contemporary teen boy who returns to the polygamist sect he was thrown out of years ago when his mother is accused of killing her husband.

This is not young adult fiction but to me, since I've recently read a few young adult books and they seem to be getting more ambitious and since Jordan's first person narrative is sooooo teenagery I really felt like I was reading a YA book. That wasn't entirely a bad thing, but it wasn't a plus.

Author Editor Teacher

While in general I found this a fast, engaging read, I had multiple quibbles with the various narrative voices. Each was more annoying than it needed to be, I thought, and occasional shorter pieces by incidental characters were mind-bogglingly annoying. Voices aside, the plot and the structure and the flow are all very good, the solution to the mystery aspect is satisfying and believable, and for anyone who is a part of the current cultural fascination with polygamist sects there's plenty of juicy insider info.

Apr 08, Linda Hart rated it did not like it. It poses as documented historical fiction with its footnotes and lengthy "bibliography. At the end of the book the author states that it is "a work of fiction," which was "inspired" by his research and interviews. Too bad he doesn't state that at the beginning. I was offended by: I was so glad when it was over. Don't waste your time! Sep 25, Diane Chamberlain rated it it was amazing. I'd give it more than five stars if I could. It's long and dense and so worth it.

In part contemporary fiction and part historical "faction", the multi-leveled story looks back at the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and one of its cultish offsprings called "The Firsts. It's always difficult to know how different a book would be if you're reading it vs listening to it, so I can only spe I LOVED this book!

• Canal House Cooking Volume N° 1: Summer
• Savannah by the Sea (Savanah Series)
• The Book of Six (The Hexagon Trilogy 1)
• Die Bienenhüterin: Roman (German Edition)
• Gargoylz Get Up to Mischief