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Escape (2007)

by Carolyn Jessop

Other authors: Laura Palmer

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,7191079,513 (3.88)53
Biography & Autobiography. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML:The dramatic first-person account of life inside an ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect, and one womanâ??s courageous flight to freedom with her eight children.

When she was eighteen years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger: a man thirty-two years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolynâ??s heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church that had settled in small communities along the Arizona-Utah border. Over the next fifteen years, Carolyn had eight children and withstood her husbandâ??s psychological abuse and the watchful eyes of his other wives who were locked in a constant battle for supremacy.

Carolynâ??s every move was dictated by her husbandâ??s whims. He decided where she lived and how her children would be treated. He controlled the money she earned as a school teacher. He chose when they had sex; Carolyn could only refuse at her own peril. For in the FLDS, a wifeâ??s compliance with her husband determined how much status both she and her children held in the family. Carolyn was miserable for years and wanted out, but she knew that if she tried to leave and got caught, her children would be taken away from her. No woman in the country had ever escaped from the FLDS and managed to get her children out, too. But in 2003, Carolyn chose freedom over fear and fled her home with her eight children. She had $20 to her name.

Escape exposes a world tantamount to a prison camp, created by religious fanatics who, in the name of God, deprive their followers the right to make choices, force women to be totally subservient to men, and brainwash children in church-run schools. Against this background, Carolyn Jessopâ??s flight takes on an extraordinary, inspiring power. Not only did she manage a daring escape from a brutal environment, she became the first woman ever granted full custody of her children in a contested suit involving the FLDS. And in 2006, her reports to the Utah attorney general on church abuses formed a crucial part of the case that led to the arrest of their notorious
… (more)
  1. 80
    Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs by Elissa Wall (dara85)
  2. 60
    Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (krazy4katz)
    krazy4katz: Both books describe women trapped by religious dogma and how they struggle to break free.
  3. 20
    Church of Lies by Flora Jessop (BlaisesLibrary)
  4. 20
    Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer (itbgc)
  5. 10
    Lost Boy by Brent W. Jeffs (schatzi)
    schatzi: both books deal with people who broke free from the FDLS cult
  6. 00
    Prophet's Prey: My Seven-Year Investigation into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints by Sam Brower (rxtheresa)
    rxtheresa: Carolyn Jessop escaped from the FLDS so much of the same information is covered from a woman insider's point of view.
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» See also 53 mentions

English (104)  Dutch (2)  All languages (106)
Showing 1-5 of 104 (next | show all)
Good Maude what a horrid story with a seemingly happy ending. It is so hard for me to believe that in this day and age of so much access to information, that there are people who live in a society like the FLDS described in this book. And all of it under the guise of religion.

I enjoyed listening to this book, although the reader was a bit annoying at times.

I can't imagine the fortitude of character that Carolyn Jessop had to possess to survive the horrors that she faced. ( )
  Fish_Witch | Jul 4, 2023 |
Carolyn Jessop became the first woman to escape the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) who managed to retain full custody of all her children. Her story is chilling and eye-opening, as she tells of her childhood and the belief system she was brainwashed into trusting completely, the oppression and abuse of women and children that occured daily, and the immense risks she took to get herself and her children out safely. Ultimately it is a story of victory and freedom of both body and mind. ( )
  vvbooklady | Feb 1, 2023 |
Every single one of these books break my heart a little more. What a remarkable woman. ( )
  FaithBurnside | Aug 17, 2022 |
This book was very interesting. The story is almost hard to believe, hearing it from an insider in the community. You feel like you are almost a part of the community as well. I would recommend this book to anyone intrigued by the polygamous lifestyle. But be aware, it's not pretty. ( )
  MBTC | Jul 9, 2022 |
One of the first autobiographies that I read about the FLDS. I was drawn in and couldn't put the book down. It was fascinating and horrifying as to how much abuse and pain that goes on in this cult. ( )
  pacbox | Jul 9, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 104 (next | show all)
Below, Slate flags Carolyn's most intriguing, strange, and heartbreaking allegations.
added by lquilter | editSlate, Torie Bosch (Apr 16, 2008)
 

» Add other authors (2 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Jessop, Carolynprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Palmer, Laurasecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Fraser, AlisonNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lee, Ann MarieNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Dedication
I dedicate this book to my eight children: Arthur, Betty, LuAnne, Andrew, Patrick, Merrilee, Harrison, and Bryson. My love for you knows no bounds. Even in my darkest days, you always gave me the meaning and reason I needed to go on.



This book is also dedicated to the women and children who may feel as desperately trapped by polygamy as I did and may wonder if they even deserve to dream of freedom and safety. You do.
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Escape. The moment had come. I had been watching and waiting for months.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Biography & Autobiography. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML:The dramatic first-person account of life inside an ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect, and one womanâ??s courageous flight to freedom with her eight children.

When she was eighteen years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger: a man thirty-two years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolynâ??s heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church that had settled in small communities along the Arizona-Utah border. Over the next fifteen years, Carolyn had eight children and withstood her husbandâ??s psychological abuse and the watchful eyes of his other wives who were locked in a constant battle for supremacy.

Carolynâ??s every move was dictated by her husbandâ??s whims. He decided where she lived and how her children would be treated. He controlled the money she earned as a school teacher. He chose when they had sex; Carolyn could only refuse at her own peril. For in the FLDS, a wifeâ??s compliance with her husband determined how much status both she and her children held in the family. Carolyn was miserable for years and wanted out, but she knew that if she tried to leave and got caught, her children would be taken away from her. No woman in the country had ever escaped from the FLDS and managed to get her children out, too. But in 2003, Carolyn chose freedom over fear and fled her home with her eight children. She had $20 to her name.

Escape exposes a world tantamount to a prison camp, created by religious fanatics who, in the name of God, deprive their followers the right to make choices, force women to be totally subservient to men, and brainwash children in church-run schools. Against this background, Carolyn Jessopâ??s flight takes on an extraordinary, inspiring power. Not only did she manage a daring escape from a brutal environment, she became the first woman ever granted full custody of her children in a contested suit involving the FLDS. And in 2006, her reports to the Utah attorney general on church abuses formed a crucial part of the case that led to the arrest of their notorious

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