Sister Wife

Jan 06, 2013 Oksana *Bookaholic* rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: barf, oh-hell-no, psycho, shocking, white-cover-challenge, fail

First off, I'd like to say that I'm thirteen. So since the characters and I were so close in age, I felt strongly about this.

1. This is not a young adult book. I was DISGUSTED when I read this. A thirteen year old girl DESIRED to have sex/do wifely things with an old guy with cracked lips and like no hair? If you are like me and imagine yourself as the characters, this is a terrible book to read. I hated reading about how the old guy had sex with Celeste. I was uncomfortable reading about how t...more First off, I'd like to say that I'm thirteen. So since the characters and I were so close in age, I felt strongly about this.

1. This is not a young adult book. I was DISGUSTED when I read this. A thirteen year old girl DESIRED to have sex/do wifely things with an old guy with cracked lips and like no hair? If you are like me and imagine yourself as the characters, this is a terrible book to read. I hated reading about how the old guy had sex with Celeste. I was uncomfortable reading about how the dad mistreated her mom right after a c-section and didn't let her take pills to ease the unbearable pain after having surgery. I read on the back of the book that this is for 12+. WHAT??? The issues in this book were something that I had no experience with. When 15-year old married Celeste talked about "loving her baby", I couldn't connect because I haven't had experience or know much about that. It's not fun reading about something you have no BK (background knowledge) on. Speaking of which...

2. I have never even heard of polygamy. I actually sometimes love reading books centered on a learning/life topic I don't know, because I get to learn about it. The reason I picked this up was because of the back talking about "Unity" and "individuality is punished" - something I didn't know much 'bout. Unfortunately, it looks like the author decided to wing it. If your audience is 12+, and the topic is not widely spread, you CANNOT wing something. Half of the time, I didn't know what was going on and was mega confused because the author didn't explain anything. It got to the point where I was scanning pages for something I actually could understand. All I know about polygamy now is that it's a "secret" community inside the U.S. or whatever and that the girls at a very young age are forced to marry an old guy and produce as many babies as possible or they go to hell. (Take a look at Celeste's mom - 32 and she already has 8 children. And that's considered "minor".) You know, I could have looked that up on Google. This story was supposed to give me this info but make it INTERESTING, by giving me characters I would care about. Epic. Fail!

3. I don't know about you folks out there, but I'm not capable of being at two places at once. For me, this book felt like that. It talked about Celeste and Nanette's life in the Unity, and it felt like living, IDK, in the 1200's. They had no idea what a dishwasher was, what a cellphone was, etc. The only reason I convinced myself this book WASN'T time traveling was the fact that they talked about hiding from the police, and the fact that they had car transportation. Going on to Taviana. She was a prostitute before, living on the street, the same age as Celeste (WHAT??? It's #1 all over again!). Then Jimmy, (yeah, we don't get much info on him either, so just think of him as "random guy who appears randomly throughout the story to randomly rescue random people", found her and led her to the Prophet, who let her live there for a year and a half before kicking her out because she was attracting too much police attention. Again, Taviana's world was the "real world", what we live in now. The combination of Taviana's world and Unity was too much for me. In Unity, they lived like in the 1200's, as I mentioned before. It was hard to "switch" back and forth between worlds, and that made me annoyed.
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Nov 13, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by LadyJay for TeensReadToo.com

In the isolated community of Unity, Celeste and her family live simple, yet structured lives. They are members of the Movement, a religious sect created by a man called the Prophet.

In this community, polygamy is widely accepted, strict obedience is expected of all women and children, and young girls are married off to men who are much older than they are.

Celeste wishes to be pure of heart, but cannot help asking questions about the world outside of Unity...more

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Mar 30, 2009 Cris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, young-adult

I think I have a better understanding of how difficult it must be to leave a isolated polygamist compound and join the larger society that they know nothing about after reading this book. They know *nothing* about the outside world except that their authority figures say it's dangerous and evil, and that if they choose to leave anyway they'll be cut off from their family and everyone they've ever known. And mostly the only real chance they have of escaping is before they have children, which mea...more

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May 05, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book at a recent library book sale because I find the whole plural marriage concept to be fascinating. Most adults (and a lot of teens), have heard of the compounds in Utah and Texas, compounds that harbor a secretive community that forces young girls to marry much older men. I wanted to see how an author would take this topic on from a teen's perspective. Hrdlitschka focuses on this emotionally charged topic by focusing on the narratives of three teenage girls. Their stories ar...more I picked up this book at a recent library book sale because I find the whole plural marriage concept to be fascinating. Most adults (and a lot of teens), have heard of the compounds in Utah and Texas, compounds that harbor a secretive community that forces young girls to marry much older men. I wanted to see how an author would take this topic on from a teen's perspective. Hrdlitschka focuses on this emotionally charged topic by focusing on the narratives of three teenage girls. Their stories are intertwined and each girl alternates telling their own story.

I must say that I like how Hrdlitschka focused on girls from both inside and outside the community. By using the story of Taviana, a former teenage prostitute, we see how someone from the outside would behave in a closed community. I also thought that is was an interesting twist that this story is based in Canada instead of the US. When I picked up the book, I assumed it would take place in the US. So often we hear of polygamy in the US, that we forget that it takes place in Canada as well.

I found myself getting attached to Celeste and Taviana, although at the beginning the girls' voices all blended together. There are slow periods in the book, but for the most part the story flowed pretty smoothly. Overall I really enjoyed this book , but I did have a few problems with it. I have already mentioned that at times it was hard to differentiate the girls' voices (they were all very similar). I also found some inaccuracies about the religion of the girls versus reports I have read and seen on TV. I would not take this as an accurate account of what life is like for these girls in compounds; it is however a thought provoking look at what directions we decide for our lives to take and which ones we do not take.

I would recommend this book to high schoolers who have an interest in lives that are different from the norm. It would also appeal more to girls than to boys. Overall, I would give this book 4/5 stars and suggest it as a quick and easy read.

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Apr 19, 2013 Ketchup rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Sister Wife is just what it sounds like—your average feel-good, die-hard young adult fiction with polygamy, extreme religion, teenage romance and a confused, oppressed young protagonist packaged into one. The book centres around three narrators who each provide a unique insight into a secretive, highly systematic patriarchal society, each with a different asset of colours and voices. Now the book certainly starts off with an eye-catching bang—but once you’re set off for the ride you may begin to...more Sister Wife is just what it sounds like—your average feel-good, die-hard young adult fiction with polygamy, extreme religion, teenage romance and a confused, oppressed young protagonist packaged into one. The book centres around three narrators who each provide a unique insight into a secretive, highly systematic patriarchal society, each with a different asset of colours and voices. Now the book certainly starts off with an eye-catching bang—but once you’re set off for the ride you may begin to realize that it is not very smooth-going all the way.
The narrators are all isolated, scarcely educated teenagers, so to make their narratives appear plausible the author seems to have framed her patch of rounded narratives into edgy squares—which makes the whole story-telling very, very literal. Then the book’s insipidness and lack of solid information becomes evident to the point that sometimes the novel feels like a show of cardboard puppets, despite the books strive for realism; repetitive elements begin to resurface and unimplemented, useless fillers flourish. Events sometimes feel so artificial, out-of-place that it’s almost laughable. The character developments, though well conveyed generally, did not always fully deliver. The book is sufficient enough in material to cover a little story, however to reach beyond that borderline to pinpoint and make commentaries on the impacts of similar real world situations…it lacks substance. The author is clever in that she created a fantastical community in an ambiguous location to write about, never drawing attention to the specific religion that the community members play a part of, so the reader too senses that this book is nothing more than a play in fictitious realms. That way the author could have more liberty (or, in another sense, less) to manipulate her characters without actually touching the sensitive topics.
However, if the reader is good-humoured enough to look above those faults, they can still close Sister Wife with more than a long sigh of relief to take away with. Although the main characters are more often than not pale and static in their portrayal, they do carry, however subtly, some realistic shadows of thoughts, doubts and temptations that we all go through at some point when we begin coming of age regardless of what different circumstances we were brought up in. The protagonist does not always get what she wants, what she deserves, due to her own vices and flaws. The ending to the story is not a triumphant celebration of good over evil, but welcomes the quiet arrival of new courage, faith, liberty and hopes within the individual. When one finds the direction they want to go to in life—perhaps to death—and all the necessary tools to pursuit that despite outside influences, then it deserves a sigh of relief and a good welcome indeed.
To the sharp reader with a critical eye who expects high rewards for finishing any literary work, this book will not do at all—to quote, “the dry, shriveled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut” (Bronte, 1). Only to the casual reader who out of interest seeks a casual book telling a rather casual version of extreme sociology just for some guilty pleasure to sink their teeth into, I would only dare to recommend such a book to you.
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Apr 08, 2013 Canadian Children's Book Centre added it

Shelves: books-news-reviews

In her latest novel, bestselling author Shelley Hrdlitschka examines the culture of polygamy and Sister Wives from three unique points of view. In the community of Unity, the people live by a set of religious principles and laws that dictate complete obedience and faith. At 15, though born and raised in Unity, Celeste struggles to accept her fate, but feels powerless to change it for fear of shaming her family. About to be assigned to a much older man as a “Sister Wife” in marriage, she must dec...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Lik-wah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Marriage is the process of uniting two people for the rest of their lives and eternity. However, in the book "sister wife," the idea of marriage is very different. The community the characters lived in believed in polygamy which is when a man has multiple wives. The families in that community bred and had their children like rabbits, rapidly and frequently. The story gives perspective of someone that believes in the ways of their community, someone who doesn't agree, and an outside opinion. The...more Marriage is the process of uniting two people for the rest of their lives and eternity. However, in the book "sister wife," the idea of marriage is very different. The community the characters lived in believed in polygamy which is when a man has multiple wives. The families in that community bred and had their children like rabbits, rapidly and frequently. The story gives perspective of someone that believes in the ways of their community, someone who doesn't agree, and an outside opinion. The protagonist, Celeste questions her commitment and desire to follow the rules of her community. She begins to see Jon, a boy whom she had been madly in love with all her life. The problem is that it would have disgraced her family. She chooses to go against her community by being with him, but when she gets seen by her sister, she is forced to decide between running away and facing her problem. She chooses to stay which jeopardizes and affects the lives of everyone around her. Her disobedience was blamed on the outsider living in her house named Tavianna. Tavianna is forced to leave the house and to fend for herself. An arranged marriage between Jon's father and her that she does not want to agree to is also a consequence. The marriage is upsetting to herself and Jon, who she does not wish to hurt. Her life begins to become a labyrinth of suffering and despair. She is alone and has no way of getting out. However in the end, despite all her reasons and wishes to leave, she stays and continues the life chosen for her.

I have positive feelings towards this book because its not predictable and its message is very realistic compared to typical young adult adult novel. Most young adult novels follow a similar story, a young protagonist has conflict and everything goes their way at the end of the book or they follow what they want. In sister wife, the protagonist's decisions and approach is more realistic. “Should I just do it? I could spend everyday with them just going to school, just being together, no little children to mind, no mothers to boss me around. I wouldn't have to marry Mr Nielsson!” “Running away would cause such pain in my family.” “This is my opportunity to start a new life. My only opportunity. I do not have to be a wife and mother. I could have a career. Jon and Tavianna are both managing. I have a choice.” All these quotations represent the battle between Celeste’s choices. The fact that she had so much more to lose by staying made the story so much more meaningful. I assumed in the end she would run away and start a new life, however she doesn't. Its unrealistic for a fifteen year old with an eighth grade education like Celeste to live in a new society with nothing. The story displays the message that you cannot always have what you want, and sometimes you need to settle for what you have. This book was like pair of glasses, it enlightened my perspective and reminded me to be more aware of my choices. I really enjoyed this book for the sole fact that it was different and meaningful.(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Niamh Mulvale added it

The sister wife was an intriguing novel based on different perspectives of polygamy. A community called "unity" was made up in the novel. In this community you were expected to live by God's rules and respect him as though he is watching your every move. If you did follow all of the rules and not question your faith, then you would enter heaven. If not then you would be sentenced to a life of misery after death. Women were expected to do all of the household chores, cooking, and taking care of t...more The sister wife was an intriguing novel based on different perspectives of polygamy. A community called "unity" was made up in the novel. In this community you were expected to live by God's rules and respect him as though he is watching your every move. If you did follow all of the rules and not question your faith, then you would enter heaven. If not then you would be sentenced to a life of misery after death. Women were expected to do all of the household chores, cooking, and taking care of their children. Men were the bosses of the house, and would always have more than one wife. The wives had no say in anything and would be assigned to their much older husband once they turned 15, and be expected to produce as many children as possible.

The novel was narrated by three different girls. Celeste, 15, Nanette, her younger sister age 13, and Taviana, age 17 who came from the outside world and was only apart of unity for a while. This was of writing the book made it unbiased, and gave three completely different views of polygamists (known in the book as celestial marriage).

Celeste's point of view on the topic was my favorite. For me her part of the story was always the best and made me happier. She did overcome a lot of drama. But she was trying to find herself and in the end did. "I'm finally free to think for myself" she says by the end of the book. Unity was not for her, but she still respected it. Taviana brought excitement to the book for me. She was a run away and was the one who was always bringing impure thoughts to Celeste. Which was the reason she ended up being kicked out of unity. Nanette did not like this though. She fully believed in celestial marriage and the way of life. She was the one who was constantly getting Celeste in trouble while she was trying to find herself, and she brought a not so nice feeling to the book. For me she was a downer, and I was not a fan of her character.

Overall for me the book was well written, and i enjoyed it. It was written in an unbiased way, and there was also a love story in there, along with Celeste finding herself. I highly recommend it, especially to young girls who are in the process of trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. I loved this book! (less)

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Mar 03, 2012 Jessica rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Idiots.

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

I feel like I have to preface this by saying that 1. I've read more than a dozen books and memoirs in relation to the Fundamentalist Church of the Later-Day Saints, and have researched them more than that, and 2. I have written papers about their culture and consider them a serious sociological interest of mine.

Therefore, I probably am not the kind of reader that Hrdlitschka was looking for in writing "Sister Wife". Regardless, I read it. And was seriously disappointed.

First...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Zhao Jing0331hotmailcom rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Sister Wife, Celeste, a 15 year old girl was born and raised in a polygamist community called Unity, isolated from the outside world. When girls turn 15, they were assigned to men, who were much older. There were three points of view in the novel. From Nanette’s point of view, the readers got to know why people in Unity stay there—obeyed and believed religious principle and laws. From Celeste’s, we could see how confused were the girls in The Movement and what the consequences were when girls...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

It's a little ironic how I read this book right after reading Withered, which also had to do with plural marriages.

I liked this book because it told both sides of the story. It told the obvious side of Celeste, who feels like the life in Unity and expectations to marry a much old man and become a sister wife just doesn't fit what she wants. She struggles greatly, turning down several offer to run away before finally finding the courage needed.

But they also told the story from the point of view o...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Suzy rated it 3 of 5 stars

A book I read this week was SISTER WIFE by Shelley Hrdlitschka. This book was a quick read and at parts was hard to get through. I found that through one of the characters eyes Celeste that the religion of the commune that they live in is portrayed very negatively. She is having impure thoughts about a boy her age but in the community she lives in the girls at age 15 are given to a man much older than they are and become a sister wife. But Celeste doesn't want to have anything to do with that. S...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Alexandra rated it 1 of 5 stars

Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka

I think a young adult book has accomplished something when it can be entertaining to adults as well as adolescents without “sounding” like a YA book. I also think it has accomplished something when it has a lesson intertwined within the plot, but that lesson does not “hit you over the head.” Finally, I think a YA book has succeeded when it is unpredictable. Unfortunately, Hrdlitschka’s Sister Wife does not accomplish any of these tasks, making the book one that...more Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka

I think a young adult book has accomplished something when it can be entertaining to adults as well as adolescents without “sounding” like a YA book. I also think it has accomplished something when it has a lesson intertwined within the plot, but that lesson does not “hit you over the head.” Finally, I think a YA book has succeeded when it is unpredictable. Unfortunately, Hrdlitschka’s Sister Wife does not accomplish any of these tasks, making the book one that I would neither recommend, nor teach. In fact, in addition to being predictable, in many cases, it also spreads stereotypes about the fundamentalist religious groups it exposes, to the point that much of the book feels forced.

Hrdlitschka’s book follows the lives of three girls from The Movement, which is a fundamental Christian society that has closed itself off from the rest of the world in order to follow what they believe to be the true word of the Lord. They practice polygamy and life in a world devoid of all modern technology, books, schooling past the eighth grade, and most importantly, individual choice. The three girls, Celeste, Nanette, and Taviana all live in the same home, where Celeste (15) and Nanette (13) are sisters, and Taviana (17) is an “outsider” who was brought in to live with the family. She was a past prostitute who lived on the streets in the nearby city, Springdale. Celeste struggles with her faith and with the rules of the society, which they call Unity, and Nanette is the pure and faithful daughter who longs to be married and have a child even though she is only 13. Celeste and Nanette’s father, Kelvin, is a harsh man who wants his daughters to remain pure in thought and action so that they can be married off soon within the community. Celeste however, has “impure” feelings for a young man in their community named Jon, which is strictly against the rules. At 15, she is about to be married off to a much older man who already has many wives and children. Celeste is disgusted by this and cannot imagine being stuck in that live forever. However, when Jon wants to run away with her she is paralyzed with fear.

Nanette is Celeste’s foil and always seems to be running to their father and exposing Celeste’s impurity. She longs to be married to the older man that Celeste will be joined to and is physically and emotionally ill when she hears that her sister will marry this man. Hrdlitschka takes the story a bit too far when she reveals that Jon, the boy Celeste loves, is actually her new, much older husband’s son. Jon flees the community and ends up at the same group home as Taviana (who has been discarded from the community).
Amid the story of the girls, Hrdlitschka has a second, minor plot that continues about the building of inuksuk which are stone sculptures of people that were built by the Inuit people and symbolize spirits. Celeste and other characters in the book build these sculptures throughout the story, which by the end, becomes extremely tiresome and forced. I found myself rushing through the pages upon pages where Hrdlitschka writes about these sculptures. Another issue with this book concerns the narration. Hrdlitschka rotates between the three girls throughout the book, telling different chapters in various points of view. While this can work in some novels, the voices of the three girls is not distinct enough and mid-chapter, I sometimes found that I was confused as to who was speaking.

Overall, while I was initially attracted to the subject of the book because of its sheer difference from mainstream society, the subject (in reality) is too racy and complex to be the focus of a YA novel, which results in Hrdlitschka watering it down until all that remains is stereotyping. I do not believe the book had any redeeming literary merit to make up for the problems with plot, which makes for a book that, ultimately, I would not recommend.
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Jun 14, 2011 Jenn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books, ya

I got this book because I am obsessed with stories of religious polygamy. I'm sure that makes me a little bit voyeuristic and possibly a bad person, but it's the truth. This book was in the YA section, which I also found intriguing. Overall, this book was kind of dull - I guess if you know nothing of FLDS sects or groups of that nature, it would be informative. I did end up liking Celeste, the main protagonist, but I was a little irritated by the books mulitple narrators. Normally it's a device...more I got this book because I am obsessed with stories of religious polygamy. I'm sure that makes me a little bit voyeuristic and possibly a bad person, but it's the truth. This book was in the YA section, which I also found intriguing. Overall, this book was kind of dull - I guess if you know nothing of FLDS sects or groups of that nature, it would be informative. I did end up liking Celeste, the main protagonist, but I was a little irritated by the books mulitple narrators. Normally it's a device that I have no problems with, even enjoy, but there is not enough meat in this story to merit being told from three different points of view. Maybe two. The book's main character, Celeste, is also the main narrator; she's the young girl who is questioning her faith in the Movement and the Prophet. (for a Big Bad, the Prophet is a pretty minor character - he's only in two scenes.) Her sister Nanette is the unquestioning girl looking forward to her marriage to whomever the Prophet decides, and is scandalized - SCANDALIZED - by her sister's doubts. She's also an awful tattletale. And then there is Taviana, the outsider girl who was "rescued" from her life on the streets by a man in the Movement, and then kicked out from the town as a convenient plot device.

A major annoyance is that while Celeste has doubts within herself, she doesn't really give herself permission to allow them any traction until she discovers that the boy she likes has those doubts too. This is a major problem in a lot of girl-driven fiction, and I just wish that Celeste's relationship with Taviana could have been the impetus to admit to herself that her beliefs had changed.

The ending is one that I would have hated and disbelieved had I read this book when I was 13 or 14, but that I do understand now. The ending is surprisingly realistic and believable, given the rest of the book.

All in all, not nearly as titillating as I had hoped, and not interesting enough to make up for it. Probably would have liked this much better in junior high or high school - you know, the intended audience.(less)

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Aug 10, 2010 Kirsten rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Celeste, Nanette, and Taviana are three girls living in Unity, a polygamous compound. Celeste and Nanette were born to it. Taviana was rescued from a life on the streets, and, while she doesn't always agree with the philosophies and rules, loves it there. Celeste has always asked too many questions for her own good, and loves listening to Taviana's stories, as the only books and stories that ever need to be read or told on the compound are from the Scriptures. Celeste has begun to have feelings...more Celeste, Nanette, and Taviana are three girls living in Unity, a polygamous compound. Celeste and Nanette were born to it. Taviana was rescued from a life on the streets, and, while she doesn't always agree with the philosophies and rules, loves it there. Celeste has always asked too many questions for her own good, and loves listening to Taviana's stories, as the only books and stories that ever need to be read or told on the compound are from the Scriptures. Celeste has begun to have feelings for Jon, a boy her own age on the compound, while Nanette has dreams of an eternal plural marriage to and older man, who seems to reciprocate her feelings.
Things come to a head when Taviana is forced to leave the compound, and Celeste is assigned to Jon's father (who is Nanette’s love interest) for marriage.

This book actually really made me think about the nature of religion and revelation and prophets. Although many might think that it's about Mormons, it is never stated, as well as impossible. Mormons ceased practicing polygamy more than a century ago. Those who still practice polygamy have a different prophet than the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and are not recognized by the Church. That being said, the similarities between Unity's and Mormon beliefs are striking.
Though I found much of the book to be quite disturbing, and I wondered how Celeste could make the decisions that she did, while also understanding the difficult position she was in, what disturbed me the most was religion, period. I know that polygamy is wrong because it's illegal, and because I was raised to believe that it served its purpose is the past, but is no longer abided by the Church. But that calls into question belief. I’m clearly biased, as is everyone else, one way or another. How does anyone know? Those who live on compounds such as Unity, are raised to believe that their prophet is the true prophet, and that God speaks through that prophet, and that plural marriage is the only way to achieve the Celestial Kingdom (do other religions speak of the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial Kingdoms?). Mormons believe that their prophet is the true prophet, and that plural marriage is now wrong. Catholics believe that the Pope is the true prophet of God, and so on. I realize that this is where faith come into play, but really, who is right, and how do you know? I’ve thought about this before, but never with such intensity.
How is it OK that 15 year old Celeste is compelled to marry an older man (quickly, before she can cause any more trouble), who she doesn't love, and bear him a child, when the rest of the world knows that it is wrong? On the other hand, how is it OK for Taviana to leave the compound, get a job, and finish school, while associating with boys her own age, and choosing her own mate, when those on the compound know that that way of life is clearly evil? I know that this is an old debate, and religious differences have been fought over for ages, but.... What makes it OK for a Mormon to say that yes, once upon a time God told them that polygamy was the only way to live, but then, God changed his mind because, at some point it became more important to follow the law of the land, which outlawed polygamy. Sure, I suppose that it's God's prerogative to change His mind, but then who do you believe? The prophet who says, OK, God says polygamy's over, or the one who says, that, no God says it's still the only right way to live. They can’t both be right. And then, is it just dirty old men assigning young girls to marry other dirty old men who now have a free pass to screw around with multiple women because they’re all married? Or is it possible that there is something truly sacred about being one of many wives sharing a husband and popping out as many babies as humanly possible? And how can it be sacred to be breaking the law? Polygamy is illegal. So is statutory rape.
I don’t have answers, only very strong opinions. This book was quite distressing to me, but I applaud it for making me think about the situation of polygamous sects, with more of a big picture view than, say, the soap opera-y view of Big Love, which is unbelievably enough, as it is.
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May 10, 2010 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

I initially bought this book because I thought it would be a good way to tide me over before Big Love comes back (Sunday!) and if you watch that show, this is more like life on the compound than life with Bill, Barb, Nicki and Margene. Although it's weird, because while it's not a particularly great life, none of the guys seem to be as awful as, say, Roman.

Anyway. It's about Celeste, who was born and raised in a polygamist community called Unity. She's starting to realize that she doesn't want...more

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Mar 08, 2010 Chris93 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Celeste was born and raised in a community called Unity, isolated from the outside world. Everyone in Unity is a member of the Movement, where polygamy is the norm and they believe, “plural marriage is the only way to salvation.” When girls turn 15, they are assigned to men, who are much older.
Celeste’s sister, Nanette is very obedient and believes in her religion, and Celeste had been like her too. However, ever since Tavianna, a girl from the outside world, arrived in Unity, Celeste began t...more Celeste was born and raised in a community called Unity, isolated from the outside world. Everyone in Unity is a member of the Movement, where polygamy is the norm and they believe, “plural marriage is the only way to salvation.” When girls turn 15, they are assigned to men, who are much older.
Celeste’s sister, Nanette is very obedient and believes in her religion, and Celeste had been like her too. However, ever since Tavianna, a girl from the outside world, arrived in Unity, Celeste began to question her faith and began to be repulsed at the thought of becoming a sister wife. Celeste wants to change her fate, but she knows that she can’t because it would mean disgracing her family.
In Sister Wife, the storyline is well balanced. When Celeste is in despair, there is hope, and when she is happy, something invariably goes wrong. It is interesting how the author uses multiple narratives to give different perspectives of one situation. From Nanette’s point of view, the readers get an insight into why people in Unity stay there, and from Celeste’s, they see what the consequences are when girls try to leave. Furthermore, from Taviana, the readers see polygamy and the community from an outsider’s point of view.
Although having three different narrators can make the plot more interesting, I would rather have only one first person’s narration. In my opinion, having multiple narrations prevented me from sinking deeply into the protagonist and becoming really attached to her emotionally. The author, Shelly Hrdlitschka, gives the breadth of many perspectives at the cost of potential depth into one individual. If you happen to be a reader who prefers the sampling of different viewpoints, this would be the book for you.
Even though the book was well written, there was a decided lack of detailed descriptions of the scenes. Throughout the story, I had troubles picturing images in my head, further preventing me from sinking deeply into the book. By the time I was finished, Sister Wife simply left me wanting.
(less)

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Aug 03, 2009 Corinne rated it 4 of 5 stars

You can probably guess the plot by the title - Sister Wife is the story of a young teenager who was raised in a polygamist sect, named Unity. 15 year old Celeste has always let her mind wander more than it should. And although she knows that listening to her father and The Prophet, and obeying what they say, is the way to eternal life, she still struggles with what she is asked to do - have pure thoughts and prepare to be a sister wife. Well, she's not really asked to do those things. She's told...more

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Apr 21, 2009 Shawnta rated it 5 of 5 stars

Narrated from the perspective of three teenage girls, 13, 15, and 17, all in search of direction, love, and faith, this family drama encapsulates a traditional coming of age story. Set in a fictional Mormon intentional community, the life of polygamists is introduced in three different angles. Celeste, 15, dreams of happiness with a boy her own age, but is set to marry his father instead, Taviana, 17, seeks community and acceptance yet battles her old life of living on the streets, while Nanette...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Steen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-books, ebook, fiction, hated

I found this book to be poorly written and so highly unbelievable. I don't know a lot of the FLDS church but from what I understand in communities such as these, how some of the characters were acting I wouldn't believe that it would ever be allowed.

Celeste can wander around and disappear for hours on end repetitively and only have flimsy excuses as to where she was and be allowed to keep doing this. I would think after it happened once she would be watched like a hawk. Also when going into town...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Shamim rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

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Jul 13, 2010 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I'm going to have to admit to an odd fascination with polygamy before reviewing this book. Not because I think it's something I'd do myself, but because I really don't understand how you would agree to it as a woman. But, that's exactly the point in most polygamist communities; women don't have a choice. As is the case with Celeste, one of three mains characters whose stories are told through alternating chapters.

Celeste is 15. She is nearing the age of marriage - arranged marriage - where the...more I'm going to have to admit to an odd fascination with polygamy before reviewing this book. Not because I think it's something I'd do myself, but because I really don't understand how you would agree to it as a woman. But, that's exactly the point in most polygamist communities; women don't have a choice. As is the case with Celeste, one of three mains characters whose stories are told through alternating chapters.

Celeste is 15. She is nearing the age of marriage - arranged marriage - where the head of the Unity community decides who she will marry. Celeste knows it will be someone drastically older than herself, he will already have multiple wives, and she will begin bearing children very soon and continue having them for many years. She isn't happy about her future and questions her faith and community. A boy in the community, Jon, also questions his faith and he and Celeste begin meeting privately by the river where they kiss, hug, and discuss their questions about their faith.

Nanette is 13; she is Celeste's younger sister. She is as pure of heart as you can get. She believes deeply in her faith and believes that even though she is a few years away from getting married, that she is ready to do so and to bear children now. She has her eyes on an older gentleman in the community who always comes to her for juice after church and carries on a conversation. Nanette sees Celeste sneak away, becomes suspicious, and follows her. She sees Celeste with Jon and immediately tells her father because she is scared for Celeste and her ability to join the kingdom of heaven when she is having impure thoughts about boys her own age.

Tavianna is a gentile. She only joined the Unity community a year and a half ago after having been brought here by a community elder. Tavianna has been homeless since the age of 12 when she ran away from an abusive mother and started turning tricks in order to pay for food and shelter. She is brought to the community to start over. Tavianna is fun, loves being a part of a group of people who support one another, and fits into the community fairly well. The other kids love to have her tell them stories like Cinderella and the Pied Piper since they have never heard of such things having had absolutely no access to books, TV, movies, newspapers, or anything in the outside world for their entire lives. When the police start sniffing around for Tavianna who they think is being held in Unity against her will, the community elders decide that she is attracting too much attention and they force her to leave.

At the same time, Celeste learns that because she has been having impure thoughts, her arranged husband has been decided upon and the date set - one week from today. Her husband will be Jon's dad, the older gentleman who Nanette wants to marry! Jon decides he can't take it and runs away from the community to Springdale where a woman who years ago also ran away, takes in runaways from Unity and helps them get on their feet. Tavianna has also ended up here. Jon encourages Celeste to run away too but she refuses, knowing how much it would hurt her family.

I literally cried while reading this book. At one point, Celeste's mom is pregnant with her eighth child at age 32. She is suffering from preeclampsia (sp?) but the community does not believe in outside medicine. Finally, a doctor is brought in and it is decided that she will be brought to a hospital because her life is in jeopardy and another young woman has just died during childbirth in the community. But once at the hospital, Kelvin, the dad, refuses to consent to a c-section birth. He returns to the hospital one day to find that Celeste's mom has consented herself and the baby is born. The next day Kelvin bursts into the hospital and drags his wife and child home, without pain medication. The mom is sick with pain but there is nothing to be done because the community doesn't believe in it.

I am absolutely positive that these things happen in real life and it makes me sick because of a number of things: the powerfulness of the men in communities like this, the inability of women to make decisions for themselves, multiple wives and multiple children all trying to sacrifice and make it work together, the hopelessness of the women, etc. In the book, the houses are continually being built onto becasue families grow exponentially when new wives are added and new children are born.

I've decided this book is a little too advanced for the middle school library which I bought it for. I will be passing it onto the junior high instead.(less)

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Dec 21, 2009 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, 2009

This book is told from the point of view of three female characters: Celeste, a 14 year old girl born and raised in a polygamist community, Nanette, her younger sister and Taviana, a teen who was not born into the community, but who joined it willingly after a hard life on the streets. Celeste is about to be assigned a husband, but she is starting to doubt her faith in the ways of the community. She is attracted to a young man and is not looking forward to being married to an old one. Nanette is...more

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Dec 01, 2008 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sister Wife has multiple narrators--a teen girl, Celeste, on the verge of her fifteenth birthday which means that the Prophet will soon reveal which man is destined to become her husband; Taviana, a young teen who was rescued by one of the men in the community, she is now living with Celeste's family; Nanette, Celeste's younger sister, is dreaming of the day when she'll be assigned to marry one of the men. In fact, she's dreaming of one man in particular, Jacob, the man who first rescued Taviana...more Sister Wife has multiple narrators--a teen girl, Celeste, on the verge of her fifteenth birthday which means that the Prophet will soon reveal which man is destined to become her husband; Taviana, a young teen who was rescued by one of the men in the community, she is now living with Celeste's family; Nanette, Celeste's younger sister, is dreaming of the day when she'll be assigned to marry one of the men. In fact, she's dreaming of one man in particular, Jacob, the man who first rescued Taviana, no matter that she'd just be wife number six or seven. Each narrator presents an insider's look at a polygamous community.

Celeste is dreading the idea of becoming a plural wife...for that matter...she is dreading the idea of marriage in general. Marriage means several things within the community: wives are assigned to men, the men are always older--significantly older than the teen brides, there are always plural wives within each household, marriage is for breeding--breed your way into heaven--a baby a year for all your childbearing years. Marriage brings with it work--the housekeeping, the cooking, the cleaning, the tending children. No wonder Celeste is a bit intimidated by the prospect. Celeste is dreaming of love. She is attracted by the idea of falling in love with a boy of her own choosing. Falling in love with a boy--not a man--someone her own age.

Taviana doesn't know whether she'll ever be marriage material or not. She was not born into this faith, into this community. And she wasn't trained up properly. She's seen and done it all. Having even worked as a prostitute on the street. Will the Prophet ever think she'd make a man a fit wife? No, Taviana feels that she won't be with this community forever. She'll one day be out in the world again. She doesn't miss her former life--though sometimes she wishes she could go on the internet or watch television or read a book--too many bad memories. But she knows this reprieve is temporary in all likelihood.

Nanette. Out of all the narrators perhaps I pity Nanette the most. Here is a girl--around the age of twelve or thirteen--who is idealizing marriage. Maybe that isn't the strange part. But it's who she's choosing to idealize that is a bit icky. Jacob, as far as they come, is a good man. He's a believer. He appears to treat his wives and his children kindly. That's not to say there is no discipline or structure, but he's not as tyrannical as he could be. Jacob seems to have picked Nanette out of the crowd. Though she is several years away from marriage, he seems to have taken a liking to her. He speaks with her at every opportunity. He hints in a veiled-not-so-veiled way that he wishes she could be his wife now.

Sister Wife is an excellent book, a fascinating book, a look at an oppressed culture. Oppressed in that the children are given no choices. To be in the faith means certain things--for girls it means being obedient and diligent. Girls are to obey their father, work hard and respect their mother(s), tend to the house, tend to the younger children, etc. When they reach a certain age--fourteen or fifteen--they are assigned husbands. Again no choice. No choice who to marry--or when to marry. But the community is oppressive to boys as well. The boys aren't allowed to develop relationships with girls. Aren't allowed to marry when they're young. The teen girls are for the older men, not the younger. Is it any wonder that there are a lot of boys running away from the community, choosing to be shunned and to become a part of the world at large. We see a glimpse of this in Sister Wife as we follow Jon to the city and to the refuge he finds there with a woman--a former sister wife herself--who seeks to help those leaving the community adjust to the modern world, to society.

The book is packed with ethical implications. It's a thoughtful and thought-provoking novel. It's not that the book seeks to demonize this fictional community, all the characters are human--flawed, imperfect.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews (less)

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Apr 07, 2011 Lynzey added it

I am normally a really fast reader, but I finished this book in less than 5 hours... it was just too good. Celest's character, though at times predicatable, was fascinating. Her struggles and hope make the plot intriguing and keep the readers on their toes. Though some of the topics were new to me, I found it easy to pick up on seeing as the information was straight forward. I was definitley dissapointed with Celeste when she didn't take up Jon's offer to leave, and when she refused the second t...more

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Aug 31, 2009 E. Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

While polygamy and religious fundamentalism are hot topics for fiction right now, Sister Wife steps outside the box to present the truly compelling story of three different girls from the same polygamist sect.Two sisters and one outsider each speak from their own points of view, and Hrdlitschka weaves their voices seamlessly together for the sort of prose the reader is easily wrapped up in. Celeste will soon be fifteen and assigned a husband, but she has plenty of doubts about the Movement, unli...more

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Jan 08, 2009 Jaclyn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copy

I was really excited to read this book because polygamy and those who practice it interest me but unfortunately I was disappointed. The author alternates the stories of three girls, Celeste, Taviana and Nanette. The voices of these characters were indistinct and I found myself forgetting which character's perspective I was getting at any given time. I would have preferred to have one perspective throughout because then maybe a more thorough telling of the story could have been achieved instead o...more

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Apr 01, 2010 Daniela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction

Summary: Sister Wife describes the intertwined lives of Celeste, Taviana and Nanette in a fictional polygamist community called Unity. While Celeste struggles with the thought of marrying a much older man, Nanette embraces the idea enthusiastically. Taviana, a newcomer to the community, grapples with a life of new restrictions, but finds comfort in the safety of the community. Each of the young girls must decide if Unity is where they want to live their lives.

Review: The subject matter of Siste...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Nicole Lazarovski rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sister Wife. It was such a great novel, it wasn’t like most books. It was very unique in its own way. When I first started reading this book it made me feel in love. Love is like a rose. This book was very traditional and by that I mean it had its own rules and trusts. This book was a very unbiased I have to say. It was very prejudice and even-handed in a way.
This novel was based on three main characters. Taviana, 17, a girl that has battled her life living on the streets, Celeste, 15, a girl w...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Sarahgina rated it 5 of 5 stars

What is polygamy? In this dramatic novel we follow a 15 year old gir, Celeste, through hard times living as a girl in a polygamist community. The community is called Unity. There are many wives assigned to one husband for one purpose...to create.

Celeste is different then most in the community. Unlike her sister, she questions her faith. Drama arises when Celeste developes impure thoughts about a boy her own age. This is considered a sin in her religon. Celeste soon in put in a position where sh...more

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