The 19th Wife: A Novel

by David Ebershoff (Goodreads author)

book data

2,073 ratings, 3.60 average rating, 727 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		15%
4		43%
3		29%
2		9%
1		2%

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published

August 5th 2008 by Random House

binding

Hardcover, 528 pages

isbn

1400063973 (isbn13: 9781400063970)

description

Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain.

Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, David Ebershoff’s T...more

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Historical Fiction

196 books | 154 voters

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05/23/08

Nancy rated it:

bookshelves: fiction----mormons, fiction----polygamy

Read in May, 2008

Talk about timing -- with the big raid a month ago at the Yearning For Zion ranch and all of the news from that event, this book is going to sell, big time. Personally, I'm fascinated with the whole issue of polygamy -- not that I'd want to do it, but I do wonder why others subject themselves and furthermore, I wonder why the government hasn't just come right out and reminded law enforcement that polygamy is illegal and that leads to my wondering why this is still going on. The whole brainwash...more Talk about timing -- with the big raid a month ago at the Yearning For Zion ranch and all of the news from that event, this book is going to sell, big time. Personally, I'm fascinated with the whole issue of polygamy -- not that I'd want to do it, but I do wonder why others subject themselves and furthermore, I wonder why the government hasn't just come right out and reminded law enforcement that polygamy is illegal and that leads to my wondering why this is still going on. The whole brainwashing thing eludes me as well, but then again, the issues brought up in this book are part of the reason I shy away from any sort of organized religion. Ebershoff may have written fiction, but the issue of brainwashing is very real. Take the Yearning For Zion thing in Texas -- the women there were scared to death of having to live on the outside because of all the things they are taught about the real world while they are under the sway of the FLDS leadership at the ranch. Or in the novel -- it's rife with examples of how the church leadership managed to convince some seemingly intelligent women that they needed to share their husbands with other women, sometimes under the same roof. It's all about salvation, you know? Fantasy camp for men; for women and especially for their children, well, what can I say? Sorry about the diatribe, but you know, the whole polygamy thing has a tendency to rankle me, and I appreciate Ebershoff's book -- it pointed out the many issues about this practice justified in the name of salvation.

So now that I've ranted, the book is structured so that there is a present-day mystery that focuses on a woman who has been arrested and imprisoned for killing her husband. It turns out that she is the 19th wife, and her estranged son reads about her arrest on the internet. Seems that when he was younger, he was tossed out of the local polygamist community, "The Firsts," where they believed they were carrying on the mission of the first and true LDS church, when polygamy was the norm. So off he trots to Utah to see his mother and then gets involved in trying to prove her innocence. At the same time, there is another thread running in this book, the story of another 19th wife, Ann Eliza Young, who married Brigham Young and then squared off against him and the whole polygamy issue publicly. The present-day story is minor compared to Ann Eliza's story, beginning with her mother's conversion to Mormonism and then her descent into the hell that was polygamy after the prophet had a revelation from God that men should take more than one wife. The two stories are interspersed, but Ann Eliza's story is (imho) the better of the two. More than the present-day story, her story had me glued to the book.

The characters were well drawn and Ebershoff did a fine job with the whole polygamy thing, especially describing the plight of the children from polygamous marriages. This is not something I probably would have picked up at a bookstore, but the topic intrigued me and the story got my dander up. I would say that Ebershoff's done his job as a writer -- getting the reader very involved. Personally, if he'd have left it with the story of Ann Eliza, I probably would have liked it better.

I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in the topic of polygamy, and if you liked this one, try Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven.

Thanks to Librarything for allowing me to read this before it's released. (less)

Like this review? yes (9 people liked it)

2 comments

06/05/08

Jackie rated it:

bookshelves: work-review-related-reading

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Jackie by: Roxie Holcomb
recommends it for: those who liked Under the Banner of Heaven and Escape

This book is rather unusual because it's actually two books in one. One of the books is a well researched historical fiction novel about Ann Eliza Young, Mormon leader Brigham Young's "19th wife" who fled polygamy in the late 1800s and made it her life's mission to abolish it (succeeding, at least legally). The second book is a murder mystery involving a present day polygamist group, with a gay "lost boy" (polygamy sects often abandon young boys to the world so that they a...more

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01/08/09

Marci rated 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. 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...more

Like this review? yes (5 people liked it)

1 comment

11/22/08

David rated it:

Read in November, 2008

This is a book about polygamy, in Brigham's time and today. It uses the divided time frame technique, trying to link two stories; and liberally mixes history with fiction (to the point that it's very hard to discern what is history - and there's not much history by the time he's done).

There are two 19th wives. One is the real historical figure Ann Eliza Webb Young, married to Brigham. She was his 19th wife (on some lists - depending on the criteria). When she became disaffected and l...more This is a book about polygamy, in Brigham's time and today. It uses the divided time frame technique, trying to link two stories; and liberally mixes history with fiction (to the point that it's very hard to discern what is history - and there's not much history by the time he's done).

There are two 19th wives. One is the real historical figure Ann Eliza Webb Young, married to Brigham. She was his 19th wife (on some lists - depending on the criteria). When she became disaffected and left the marriage (and the Church), she wrote a best-selling expose called "Wife No. 19, or the story of a life in bondage." She became a public crusader against polygamy's "abuses." That part is true; however, excerpts which are supposedly from her book, and extensive conversations and descriptions and explanations of motivations, are all from the author's vivid imagination.

The other 19th wife is a fictional woman named BeckyLyn Scott, living in a modern fictional southern Utah town with the rest of the fundamentalist "Firsts." Early in the book, her polygamous husband, one of the community/church leaders, is murdered; because of circumstantial evidence, BeckyLyn is accused of the crime and imprisoned.

Meanwhile, we meet Jordan Scott, son of BeckyLyn and the polygamist patriarch. He was cast out from the church as a 14-year-old and became one of the "lost boys." Six years later, he is living a gay lifestyle in California. Reading about his mother's situation, he is drawn back to Utah to try to unravel the mystery. He meets a new "boyfriend" once he gets to Utah, and is unfaithful to his supposed partner. (Was it really necessary to introduce homosexuality into this novel? Wasn't the analysis of the complexities of plural marriage enough for one book?)

The author gives some insight into the practice and challenge of polygamy in both eras; but I felt he presented a mostly limited, one-sided interpretation. Fortunately, he does attempt to distinguish between modern fundamentalist churches and the main LDS body.

Whatever value the book might have provided for me was dramatically lowered by frequent obscene language and too much sexual description. There are much better sources for learning about the challenges of polygamy in a "safer" way.(less)

Like this review? yes (6 people liked it)

3 comments

10/10/08

Rtb rated 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 i...more

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09/13/08

Vanessa rated it:

Read in August, 2008

recommended to Vanessa by: People Magazine

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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03/13/09

Candi rated it:

Read in March, 2009

I was asked to answer questions at a Library Book Club about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that sparked because of this book. On doing research to know how to respond to some of the questions many have on why our faith practiced polygamy over 100 years ago, I came across an article that I felt answered a lot of questions that I agree with.
http://www.fairlds.org/Misc/Polygamy_Pro...

The book club was very excited to ask difficult questions in a setting that was ...more

Like this review? yes (6 people liked it)

2 comments

11/01/08

Heidi Babcock added it

One of the best books I've read in a long time. I also enjoyed "Pasadena" which was written some time ago but Ebershoff's talents have expanded since then.
This is a combination history of/multiple story line about the Mormon church and the split between the regular church and the minority within the church which became the "Saints" who wholly believe in the right/commandment of polygamy, otherwise known as "celestial marriage". It is a fascinating read that co...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

1 comment

09/09/08

Dave rated it:

bookshelves: fiction-read

Read in December, 2008

recommended to Dave by: NPR
recommends it for: Mormon history buffs, mystery fans

This is a provocative work. It deals with difficult issues in areas of community, doubt, faith, family and marriage. The authors loosely interweaves two fictional stories; one of the effects of Mormon polygamy on a few people in the 19th century and another focusing on a fictional contemporary polygamous group in southern Utah that strongly resembles the FLDS group led by Warren Jeffs and his predecessors. Blending a contemporary murder mystery set in a fundamentalist/polygynous enclave, with a...more This is a provocative work. It deals with difficult issues in areas of community, doubt, faith, family and marriage. The authors loosely interweaves two fictional stories; one of the effects of Mormon polygamy on a few people in the 19th century and another focusing on a fictional contemporary polygamous group in southern Utah that strongly resembles the FLDS group led by Warren Jeffs and his predecessors. Blending a contemporary murder mystery set in a fundamentalist/polygynous enclave, with a fictionalized account of the life of Brigham Young's infamous 19th wife, Ann Eliza (Webb) Young was an interesting, and for me successful, device. I found both story lines engaging. The book makes me want to read more of Mormon history and the psychology of mass movements, though I had those interests before reading Ebershoff's story.

I found the main characters were sufficiently well developed to be credible and complex. Apologists for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Mormons) could feel the book's approach polemical though I feel the author was more interested in illuminating some historical problems with the system officially abandoned and proscribed by the LDS church, and the continuing lack of candor about the practice along with questions of individual faith and the tension between coercion and support in human communities, especially authoritarian religious communities that stifle dissent and questioning.

In some ways, the book was hard to finish because of the painful situations of characters in both the 19th century practice and the contemporary polygamous community. Though it was difficult reading at times I feel the story was sufficiently thought provoking to be worth the effort. I found resonance with my own personal concerns about the relationship between faith and doubt, the importance of belonging/community and the perils of unquestioning obedience and fanaticism.

Caveat: This book may be unsettling to devout Latter-day Saints who have not read much about 19th century or contemporary polygamy. I recommend reading Mormon Enigma or Mormon Polygamy before reading this book for those with no previous background outside of official LDS lesson manuals.(less)

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

5 comments

08/17/08

Kim rated it:

bookshelves: 2008

Read in August, 2008

recommended to Kim by: NPR

This book made it into the realm of the I-can't-put-this-down! I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Mormon history or religion in general (both topics which interest me). The major theme of this book is truth - who decides what is truth, does everyone have their own truth based on their desires?

I first heard about this book on NPR. Serendipitously the author was visiting Pasadena (where he is from) when I was on an extended trip there. I was fortunate to be able to at...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

1 comment

11/02/08

Susan rated it:

Read in November, 2008

I never would have thought I'd be interested in a book on the Mormons and plural marriage, even though I do enjoy Big Love. But this book was highly recommended to me by a librarian whose opinion I respect; she's the one who convinced me to give Diana Gabaldon a try.
It's a great story, really two, one historical, about a gutsy and smart woman who was Brigham Young's 19th wife and the other story contemporary, about a young man who has returned to the compound of the Firsts where he was r...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

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10/22/08

Shannon rated it:

I was really looking forward to reading this book; it has great reviews and mixes historical fiction with a modern mystery. About polygamy, history, and mystery - I expected to love this novel. I was deeply disappointed. First, the reader can't tell when the author is writing a fiction part of the historical fiction and what is indeed part of history. There are no chapter notes of any kind to give the reader an idea of what is true and what he made up. An uneducated reader may be left belie...more

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

1 comment

09/04/08

Chase rated 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 ...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

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04/24/09

Mappi rated it:

Read in April, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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04/03/09

Sharlene rated it:

Read in January, 2009

I was thoroughly put off by the gay characterizations/sex/language in the contemporary story. 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...more

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03/03/09

Bookczuk rated it:

bookshelves: borrowed, made-me-look-something-up, read-on-recommendation

Read in March, 2009

recommended to Bookczuk by: Elizabeth

This was highly recommended by my friend Liz and she was definitely right. The novel is structured in a way that weaves history with a good story, and a murder mystery to boot. The historical aspect recounts the life of Ann Eliza Young, the 19th (more or less) wife of Brigham Young. It was Ann Eliza who spoke out about polygamy, against Brigham Young. Her testimony to Congress probably helped get polygamy outlawed. While the telling of her story is fascinating, the author has added another ...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

16 comments

03/01/09

Djrmel rated it:

bookshelves: contemporary, fiction, gay, glbt, historical-fiction, mystery, queer

Read in March, 2009

I wanted to like the mystery/contemporary half of this story as much as I enjoyed the historical fiction, but as the pages turned, I found myself more and more annoyed that they were interrupting a really good read. It's not that the mystery and details of who killed the modern day poligamist wasn't a good story, it was that it lacked the depth of the original 19th wife's tale. I found it easier to suspend disbelief of the fake memoire than to beleive that a former "First" would jump...more

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03/15/09

Melissa rated it:

(review of isbn 0552774987)

I have to admit that Big Love has made me a bit of a sucker for books about out of the ordinary morman sects. That said, I found this book strange. There were two plots interwoven in the book One was a fast-paced modern-day plot that involved the murder of a polygamous man allegedly by his 19th wife. The second plot is takes place over a century before and involves Brigham Young's 19th wife. The two intermixed plots are written in two completely different ways--the modern one reads quickly...more

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11/06/08

Carey rated it:

Read in October, 2008

In his new novel, David Ebershoff paints the history of the Mormon religion through the eyes of Ann Eliza Young, the so-called nineteenth wife of Brigham Young. Ann Eliza's parents were there when Joseph Smith was forming what would become the Mormon church and she grew up within it. When she was grown she was pursued by Brigham Young and eventually married him against her better judgement.

Several years later she was basically abandoned by her husband. Though she was called wife num...more

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1 comment

10/22/08

Anne rated it:

(review of isbn 0385614756)

Read in December, 2008

At over 500 pages, this is a heavy tome, but once I started reading, I was immersed and could hardly put this one down.

Jordan has been estranged from his parents for many years, but he still knows deep inside that despite her arrest, his mother didnt kill his father. He returns to his home town to try and uncover the truth about the murder - returning to a community that deserted him and left him on the side of the road whilst still a young boy.

Alongside the modern murde...more

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"Last year when my grandma fell and broke her hip she couldn't paint her toenails anymore. So my grandpa started doing it for her, even after he fell and broke his hip, too. For me, that's love." More quotes...