The 19th Wife has taken me a long time to get into, and I usually read pretty quickly. Like other reviewers, I kept abandoning it and picking it back up weeks later because I knew I needed to review it for Early Reviewers. Each time I came back to it, I was frustrated by not remembering what was happening. The modern story had promise, and I wanted to figure out what happened with BeckyLynn, but lost interest in the shifting narrative. Maybe I'll come back to this book later in life, but I have too many more compelling books to read right now, and there's never going to be enough time to waste reading something that's not for me.

An excellent fictional account of the start of Mormonism that is tied to present day fundamental Mormons (in this book, known as the Firsts). A searing look at how polygamy destroys those involved in it and affected by it. A great story that draws you in. I couldn't put the book down. ( )

This 507 page tomb, The 19th Wife, is compelling, interesting, and well written. It is a work of historical fiction (which I love), two stories told simultaneously, Ann Eliza from the late 1800's, bucks the polygamous life she was born into after marrying the powerful leader of the Mormon Church. While modern day Jordan Scott tries to solve the mystery surrounding his polygamous father's murder for which his mother has been accused.

This book started out as one of those "can't put it down," reads that kept me rapt until mid-way through when the details and story felt stretched beyond necessity. I love a great read and I rarely care how long it takes the author to tell the story but occasionally I run into a story that feels kneaded to death, the pie crust flat.

I have read as much as I can and sadly am abandoning this book. However, I do recommend The 19th Wife if you are a reader that demands a thorough and exhaustive account of the protagonist's lives. Overall it was an interesting story that dragged on too long for me, however, I do plan to read Pasadena, The Rose City & The Danish Girl also by Ebershoff because I enjoyed his writing style and effortless way he shares the story. ( )

I started and stopped and came back to this book multiple times over a series of months, but I just couldn't get into it enough to keep reading--or remember where I stopped reading from last time so I wouldn't have to read chapters over again. I never got more than a third of the way into it before I gave up. Life's too short and this book was too long to keep hacking away at when it didn't grab my attention immediately. I'll pass, thanks.

The 19th Wife, a novel by David Ebershoff, is loosely based on the story of Ann Eliza Young, one of the wives of Brigham Young, the preeminent prophet and leader of the Mormon Church in the nineteenth century. Ann Eliza left Brigham, and began a crusade to end polygamy. Her story is interspersed with that of a fictional modern 19th wife, BeckyLyn Scott. BeckyLyn is accused of murdering her husband.

The modern story is told through the viewpoint of BeckyLyn's adult son Jordan, whom she was forced to abandon when he was a teenager. The Scott family is part of the fictional community of Mesadale, Utah. This community calls itself the "Firsts"; they are faithful to the original Mormon belief in Celestial Marriage (polygamy).

When Ann Eliza left Brigham, she began a lecture tour of the country, ending in Washington D.C. and meeting with members of Congress and President Grant. Her voice was instrumental to the passage of the Poland Act, which helped to end polygamy in Utah.

Jordan returns to Utah to visit BeckyLyn in prison. He becomes convinced that his mother is innocent. As Jordan tries to unravel the mystery, we learn more about modern day fundamentalist Mormonism. From Ann Eliza's story, we learn about the roots of the Mesadale community.

One of my favorite non-fiction books is Jon Krakauer's fascinating investigation into fundamentalist Mormonism, Under the Banner of Heaven. And of course I never miss an episode of HBO's Big Love. So when I first head about The 19th Wife, I knew I had to read it. I really enjoyed it, and am glad I actually bought it (even though I am now generally against purchasing books). ( )