Wow - just wow! This book is one of the better memoirs I have read this year. This is the story of Carolyn Jessop's life in the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints) community in Arizona.
FLDS culture and religion believe the only way a woman can obtain life in heaven is through exaltation by her husband. The FLDS are polygamists and men have complete control over their families. They believe women should be obedient and subservient, and blame anything that goes wrong on the women not being in harmony with their husbands. The community is run by a "prophet" and everyone is directed by his "revelations from God". Young girls are married off in arranged marriages, as pawns of their father, to help him gain status in the community. Sometimes the men marrying these girls are 30-60 years older than they, or more, and almost always have multiple wives.
This is Carolyn's story - how she suffered as a child and then was married off to one of the more influential men in the FLDS community, Merril Jessop. She describes the horror of her life, and how things began to deteriorate as a new leader, Warren Jeffs, came in to power. It is also the story of her brave escape. The book is well written but difficult subject matter is covered - child abuse, animal cruelty, emotional and physical abuse, poverty, blackmail - and a number of other difficult subjects. It is a long book (over 400 pages), but very enthralling - one you will not want to put down. it is definitely worth the time and a credit!
FLDS culture and religion believe the only way a woman can obtain life in heaven is through exaltation by her husband. The FLDS are polygamists and men have complete control over their families. They believe women should be obedient and subservient, and blame anything that goes wrong on the women not being in harmony with their husbands. The community is run by a "prophet" and everyone is directed by his "revelations from God". Young girls are married off in arranged marriages, as pawns of their father, to help him gain status in the community. Sometimes the men marrying these girls are 30-60 years older than they, or more, and almost always have multiple wives.
This is Carolyn's story - how she suffered as a child and then was married off to one of the more influential men in the FLDS community, Merril Jessop. She describes the horror of her life, and how things began to deteriorate as a new leader, Warren Jeffs, came in to power. It is also the story of her brave escape. The book is well written but difficult subject matter is covered - child abuse, animal cruelty, emotional and physical abuse, poverty, blackmail - and a number of other difficult subjects. It is a long book (over 400 pages), but very enthralling - one you will not want to put down. it is definitely worth the time and a credit!
