The 19th Wife
by David Ebershoff 
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Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain. Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, David Ebershoff's The 19th Wife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a brilliant novel of literary suspense. It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the show more United States. A rich account of a family's polygamous history is revealed, including how a young woman became a plural wife. Soon after Ann Eliza's story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds-a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah. Jordan Scott, a young man who was thrown out of his fundamentalist sect years earlier, must reenter the world that cast him aside in order to discover the truth behind his father's death. And as Ann Eliza's narrative intertwines with that of Jordan' s search, readers are pulled deeper into the mysteries of love and faith. Praise for The 19th Wife "This exquisite tour de force explores the dark roots of polygamy and its modern-day fruit in a renegade cult . . . Ebershoff brilliantly blends a haunting fictional narrative by Ann Eliza Young, the real-life 19th "rebel" wife of Mormon leader Brigham Young, with the equally compelling contemporary narrative of fictional Jordan Scott, a 20-year-old gay man. . . . With the topic of plural marriage and its shattering impact on women and powerless children in today's headlines, this novel is essential reading for anyone seeking understanding of the subject."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs by Elissa Wall
sungene A true and compelling memoir of the present-day FLDS community that Ebershoff's novel uses as setting for the murder mystery part of his novel.
40
by bnbookgirl
Member Reviews
I was pretty excited to run across this book, as it's not often that I find historical fiction about New Religious Movements, even those as unobscure as early Mormonism. So a fictional account of Ann Eliza Young? Count me in! And everything about the publication of the book and others' reviews seemed to indicate it would be a good read. But 50 pages in, though already engrossed in the story and breezing through the pages, I became troubled.
For one thing, it's difficult to determine where Ebershoff's reliance on historical documents ends and his fictionalization of Ann Eliza, Brigham, and others begins. The inclusion of fictional documents supposedly from Mormon archives throughout the narrative doesn't help this. I wasn't sure how much show more of the book was simply a re-telling of Ann Eliza's own books and how much was literary license.
But what most bothered me was the lack of nuance. Ebershoff shows only the bad side of polygamy, in both Ann Eliza's portions of the novel and in the modern-day story. To a lesser extent, he doesn't seem particularly friendly towards the mainstream LDS faith in general, either historical or contemporary. It's all too-sweet missionary girls, crazy manipulative prophets, and gay therapy. The "Firsts," as the modern polygamists in the novel are called, are clearly a take-off on Warren Jeffs and the FLDS, which was all blowing up in the media around the time the novel was published. And while the FLDS IS almost certainly full of abuse and the extremes of patriarchal control, there are other fundamentalist Mormons for whom polygamy was and remains a vital, genuine, welcome part of their faith. Ebershoff ignores that, for those who practice it, polygamy is not necessarily what the FLDS has made it.
Faith is at the forefront of The 19th Wife -- why do people follow the doctrines they do, especially when they involve such radical lifestyles, or the casting off of beloved children, or harmful environments in which said children were raised. Ebershoff's answer seems to be simply that beliefs is formed from the situations in which people are raised, particularly when it's in comparative isolation. But he never gets the reader to truly feel as if this is true; it's too simplistic an answer, with no depth of feeling echoed in the characters. The end result is that his main characters just accept people as they are, despite the crazy beliefs they've picked up from their lives. It's not a very complimentary or nuanced resolution. The novel presents two interesting stories and tells them well in terms of plotline, but ultimately it lacks the depth required of such a controversial subject. show less
For one thing, it's difficult to determine where Ebershoff's reliance on historical documents ends and his fictionalization of Ann Eliza, Brigham, and others begins. The inclusion of fictional documents supposedly from Mormon archives throughout the narrative doesn't help this. I wasn't sure how much show more of the book was simply a re-telling of Ann Eliza's own books and how much was literary license.
But what most bothered me was the lack of nuance. Ebershoff shows only the bad side of polygamy, in both Ann Eliza's portions of the novel and in the modern-day story. To a lesser extent, he doesn't seem particularly friendly towards the mainstream LDS faith in general, either historical or contemporary. It's all too-sweet missionary girls, crazy manipulative prophets, and gay therapy. The "Firsts," as the modern polygamists in the novel are called, are clearly a take-off on Warren Jeffs and the FLDS, which was all blowing up in the media around the time the novel was published. And while the FLDS IS almost certainly full of abuse and the extremes of patriarchal control, there are other fundamentalist Mormons for whom polygamy was and remains a vital, genuine, welcome part of their faith. Ebershoff ignores that, for those who practice it, polygamy is not necessarily what the FLDS has made it.
Faith is at the forefront of The 19th Wife -- why do people follow the doctrines they do, especially when they involve such radical lifestyles, or the casting off of beloved children, or harmful environments in which said children were raised. Ebershoff's answer seems to be simply that beliefs is formed from the situations in which people are raised, particularly when it's in comparative isolation. But he never gets the reader to truly feel as if this is true; it's too simplistic an answer, with no depth of feeling echoed in the characters. The end result is that his main characters just accept people as they are, despite the crazy beliefs they've picked up from their lives. It's not a very complimentary or nuanced resolution. The novel presents two interesting stories and tells them well in terms of plotline, but ultimately it lacks the depth required of such a controversial subject. show less
Murder? Check. Famous historical characters? Check. Unbiased examination of religious church-and-state themes? Check. Ripped-from-the-headlines polygamous cult? Check. Good writing and sympathetic characters? Check and check.
The 19th Wife was hard to put down. I'm usually not a fan of books that don't stick to one narrative but Ebershoff deftly weaves together two stories: a modern-day murder on a polygamous ranch in Utah and a historical narrative based on the real-life story of Ann Eliza Young, one of Brigham Young's wives who in 1875 attempted to divorce him and began the crusade to end polygamy in the United States.
The historical part uses tons of different sources to tell the story: Ann Eliza's first-person narrative (based on a show more book she actually wrote called Wife No. 19), fictional correspondence between a BYU grad student and current-day Mormon church leaders, historical accounts from Ann Eliza's family members and contemporaries, fictional newspaper articles and a Wikipedia entry, to name a few. I've read that many people preferred the historical narrative to the modern-day murder mystery, but I liked them both.
I loved the protagonist of the modern parts, a young gay man named Jordan, who was kicked out of a fundamentalist polygamist compound (the "First Latter-Day Saints," which appear similar to the fundamental and polygamist LDS sect that was in the news a year ago or so) when he was young for holding hands with his stepsister. Jordan's mother, herself a 19th wife, is arrested for the murder of Jordan's father. Jordan, reluctantly at first, determines to clear her name. His voice is compelling, and you can't help rooting for him and those he meets on his crusade to exonerate his mom. The parts that take place on the Firsts' middle-of-nowhere town are downright creepy. Ebershoff does clearly state early in the book that the funamental polygamists are not related to today's Mormons except through distant history, and that the LDS church today does not condone polygamy. Kinda sad people still have to make this distinction, but anyway.
The historical parts are a fascinating depiction of the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, focusing specifically on the origins of polygamy and how Joseph Smith and his successor, Brigham Young, forced their followers to practice it, telling them it was the only way to heaven. I'm not Mormon, so I don't know exactly how much of the historical part is pure fact and how much is narrative license. Regardless, it's just flat-out fascinating. Polygamy was a disgusting, soul-crushing practice and I caught myself shaking my head and saying "oh no he didn't" a bunch of times. The gradual corruption it wreaked on the early LDS families makes for compelling stuff.
I could go on and on about the book, but suffice to say if you like historical narratives based on actual events, you'll like this book. Also if you're fascinated by modern-day polygamists (and who wasn't, after the raid on that ranch a year or two ago?) this is a good introduction to that way of life. My only complaints are the book is a bit on the long side (the ARC is almost 600 pages) and I was constantly wondering during the historical parts what was truth and what was fiction. Maybe that's just the journalist in me. But you can read more about Ebershoff's research methods on his Web site or in the Author's Note at the back of the book.
Overall, yes! This was a good read show less
The 19th Wife was hard to put down. I'm usually not a fan of books that don't stick to one narrative but Ebershoff deftly weaves together two stories: a modern-day murder on a polygamous ranch in Utah and a historical narrative based on the real-life story of Ann Eliza Young, one of Brigham Young's wives who in 1875 attempted to divorce him and began the crusade to end polygamy in the United States.
The historical part uses tons of different sources to tell the story: Ann Eliza's first-person narrative (based on a show more book she actually wrote called Wife No. 19), fictional correspondence between a BYU grad student and current-day Mormon church leaders, historical accounts from Ann Eliza's family members and contemporaries, fictional newspaper articles and a Wikipedia entry, to name a few. I've read that many people preferred the historical narrative to the modern-day murder mystery, but I liked them both.
I loved the protagonist of the modern parts, a young gay man named Jordan, who was kicked out of a fundamentalist polygamist compound (the "First Latter-Day Saints," which appear similar to the fundamental and polygamist LDS sect that was in the news a year ago or so) when he was young for holding hands with his stepsister. Jordan's mother, herself a 19th wife, is arrested for the murder of Jordan's father. Jordan, reluctantly at first, determines to clear her name. His voice is compelling, and you can't help rooting for him and those he meets on his crusade to exonerate his mom. The parts that take place on the Firsts' middle-of-nowhere town are downright creepy. Ebershoff does clearly state early in the book that the funamental polygamists are not related to today's Mormons except through distant history, and that the LDS church today does not condone polygamy. Kinda sad people still have to make this distinction, but anyway.
The historical parts are a fascinating depiction of the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, focusing specifically on the origins of polygamy and how Joseph Smith and his successor, Brigham Young, forced their followers to practice it, telling them it was the only way to heaven. I'm not Mormon, so I don't know exactly how much of the historical part is pure fact and how much is narrative license. Regardless, it's just flat-out fascinating. Polygamy was a disgusting, soul-crushing practice and I caught myself shaking my head and saying "oh no he didn't" a bunch of times. The gradual corruption it wreaked on the early LDS families makes for compelling stuff.
I could go on and on about the book, but suffice to say if you like historical narratives based on actual events, you'll like this book. Also if you're fascinated by modern-day polygamists (and who wasn't, after the raid on that ranch a year or two ago?) this is a good introduction to that way of life. My only complaints are the book is a bit on the long side (the ARC is almost 600 pages) and I was constantly wondering during the historical parts what was truth and what was fiction. Maybe that's just the journalist in me. But you can read more about Ebershoff's research methods on his Web site or in the Author's Note at the back of the book.
Overall, yes! This was a good read show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Being a long-time Utah transplant this book held a special attraction to me. While this is a novel (two actually), it does read remarkably like an a factual historical account--a feature that may or may not appeal to its readers depending on their personal affinity for Misters (aka Prophets) Smith and Young. I particularly liked the the interplay between the tales of the early LDS church in Nauvoo and Salt Lake against the Lost Boys abandoned in the modern-day desert of Southern Utah. While homophobes and devout traditional Mormons may find some of the controversial information between these covers painful and/or offensive, I think most others would find it a very interesting and compelling read.
The most pressing question on my mind at the close of this book was, how much of this is fiction and how much fact? Fortunately, the author’s afterword clears up a good deal of that query. He has included fictionalized chapters from the memoir of Ann Eliza Young, the famous 19th Wife of Brigham Young , who successfully sued Brigham for divorce in the late 19th century and was instrumental in the legislative tide against polygamy. He also tells the completely fictional story of Jordan Scott, whose father is murdered and mother, also a 19th wife, is incarcerated for the deed. Jordan does not believe his mother is the culprit and sets out to prove it. In addition, a third character Kelly Dee is a graduate student at Brigham Young show more University and is doing a master’s thesis on Ann Eliza. Her scholarly work is included, as are some of her sources: Ann Eliza’s mother’s pioneer diary, her father’s testimony and some correspondence from her brother. This is fictionalized as well.
The story moves back and forth between the narratives of Jordan and Ann Eliza, with the aforementioned source documents thrown in when clarification is necessary. This device largely works, keeping the reader invested in both tales and using one to illuminate a portion of the other. The author states that he was attempting to present a tale that while not necessarily completely factual, comes close to the truth of what it feels like to grow up in a fundamentalist LDS way of life, and I think succeeds well. show less
The story moves back and forth between the narratives of Jordan and Ann Eliza, with the aforementioned source documents thrown in when clarification is necessary. This device largely works, keeping the reader invested in both tales and using one to illuminate a portion of the other. The author states that he was attempting to present a tale that while not necessarily completely factual, comes close to the truth of what it feels like to grow up in a fundamentalist LDS way of life, and I think succeeds well. show less
Ebershoff blends the history of Mormonism with modern day fundamentalist Mormonism, and reality with fiction, to create a gripping story of murder, religion, marriage, morality, and history. He does an excellent job of slowly weaving together multiple strands of the story to reveal, in the end, a story in which every tiny bit matters a great deal, and raises a lot of moral questions, concerning religion and faith, marriage and sexuality, and selfishness and generosity.
The weakest elements of the story lie in the main narrator and some aspects of the modern day story: Ebershoff doesn't have a lot of time to help the reader understand Jordan Scott, and therefore, many of his actions seem implausible, and the dialogue is at time stilted show more and false sounding. This, however, is a small complaint in what is otherwise a wonderfully constructed and fascinating story. show less
The weakest elements of the story lie in the main narrator and some aspects of the modern day story: Ebershoff doesn't have a lot of time to help the reader understand Jordan Scott, and therefore, many of his actions seem implausible, and the dialogue is at time stilted show more and false sounding. This, however, is a small complaint in what is otherwise a wonderfully constructed and fascinating story. show less
This book tells the mirror image stories of two 19th wife's, one a fictionalized version of one of the wives of Mormon prophet Brigham Young, Ann Eliza, and the other a modern day polygamist wife who lives in a fundamentalist mormon sect.
There were times in this book when I wished that the story of Ann Eliza could be cleaved from the much more plot filled story of the modern day wife's son, who is seeking to exonerate his mother for the murder of her husband, which she does not believe he did. However, as I moved deeper into the book, I appreciated how the historical underpinnings of Ann Eliza's story brought more depth to the modern day mystery.
In an author's note, Ebershoff clarifies which portions of his story were based on fact an show more which were not and describes some of his source material. I found this really helpful in trying to make sense of the history of the Latter Day Saints and the relationship of that religion to polygamy.
I generally have a pretty live and let live attitude towards the way that other people arrange their lives and sort of thought of polygamy as a fairly harmless, if unappetizing, family structure. I was really interested to come to understand the author's portrayal of the harm that is caused not only to the women and children in polygamous marriages, but also to the husbands. When a husband is asked to spread himself out so thinly among wives and children, he ultimately feels as though he is not meeting the needs of his family.
For me the biggest mystery left unsolved by this book is the why of the introduction of polygamy into the church of latter day saints. It is unclear whether it was simply a way to make more children and so more saints or if it was a product of lust. show less
There were times in this book when I wished that the story of Ann Eliza could be cleaved from the much more plot filled story of the modern day wife's son, who is seeking to exonerate his mother for the murder of her husband, which she does not believe he did. However, as I moved deeper into the book, I appreciated how the historical underpinnings of Ann Eliza's story brought more depth to the modern day mystery.
In an author's note, Ebershoff clarifies which portions of his story were based on fact an show more which were not and describes some of his source material. I found this really helpful in trying to make sense of the history of the Latter Day Saints and the relationship of that religion to polygamy.
I generally have a pretty live and let live attitude towards the way that other people arrange their lives and sort of thought of polygamy as a fairly harmless, if unappetizing, family structure. I was really interested to come to understand the author's portrayal of the harm that is caused not only to the women and children in polygamous marriages, but also to the husbands. When a husband is asked to spread himself out so thinly among wives and children, he ultimately feels as though he is not meeting the needs of his family.
For me the biggest mystery left unsolved by this book is the why of the introduction of polygamy into the church of latter day saints. It is unclear whether it was simply a way to make more children and so more saints or if it was a product of lust. show less
I fell into the pages of this novel very quickly. Interesting, insightful, and thought-provoking, Ebershoff is a talented author, capable of weaving together various narrators, letters, articles, research papers, and even a wiki link (all penned by the author) seamlessly and with great authenticity. Typically when reading a book with two competing stories, I find myself drawn more to one of the story lines leaving the other a more arduous read - that was not the case with this book. I found this to be a fascinating book: there is much here to fuel thoughts of spirituality, greed, humanity, and even American History; however, Ebershoff doesn't beat the reader about the neck and head with these things. It is there for those who want to show more read and ponder, or see and move on with the story
An easy read, and the author never judges these people, but brings them to life. the details around the modern mystery were very compelling. While polygamy as it is practiced in this novel is not the norm, it is what we think about when we hear stories of men like Warren Jeffs.
Ebershoff highlights two especially poignant side effects to the world of fundamentalist polygamy. Young girls forced to marry men, sometimes more than twice their age, and live a life bearing children to build up credit in the afterlife. There are also the lost boys, who are young men cast out of the compounds to not be competition of the older men for young, beautiful wives.
Ebershoff points out that the recorded history of the Mormon church is ambiguous at best (in the notes at the end). And modern Mormons will argue that the modern fundamentalist sect portrayed in this book are not real Mormons. Still, there's no disputing that polygamy was a huge part of the church's past.
The story of Ann Eliza Young, skillfully manipulated into a marriage with Brigham Young, a man twice her age, and then successfully divorcing him and helping fight against polygamy, was more than fascinating. It was history I was unfamiliar with, and I enjoyed learning more about this story. Ann Eliza's own dubious motivation for fighting Brigham was only a small part of the story. Finding out about what happens to her is the truly intriguing part.
This story is interwoven with a fictional account of a murder mystery in a polygamous Mormon community. A "lost boy" returns, to help his mother fight against the murder charge she is facing, as he knows she didn't murder her own husband. Even though he had not been back in years.
Not as quick of a read as I thought it might be, I still found The 19th Wife an entertaining read, especially if you are interested in the subject matter. show less
An easy read, and the author never judges these people, but brings them to life. the details around the modern mystery were very compelling. While polygamy as it is practiced in this novel is not the norm, it is what we think about when we hear stories of men like Warren Jeffs.
Ebershoff highlights two especially poignant side effects to the world of fundamentalist polygamy. Young girls forced to marry men, sometimes more than twice their age, and live a life bearing children to build up credit in the afterlife. There are also the lost boys, who are young men cast out of the compounds to not be competition of the older men for young, beautiful wives.
Ebershoff points out that the recorded history of the Mormon church is ambiguous at best (in the notes at the end). And modern Mormons will argue that the modern fundamentalist sect portrayed in this book are not real Mormons. Still, there's no disputing that polygamy was a huge part of the church's past.
The story of Ann Eliza Young, skillfully manipulated into a marriage with Brigham Young, a man twice her age, and then successfully divorcing him and helping fight against polygamy, was more than fascinating. It was history I was unfamiliar with, and I enjoyed learning more about this story. Ann Eliza's own dubious motivation for fighting Brigham was only a small part of the story. Finding out about what happens to her is the truly intriguing part.
This story is interwoven with a fictional account of a murder mystery in a polygamous Mormon community. A "lost boy" returns, to help his mother fight against the murder charge she is facing, as he knows she didn't murder her own husband. Even though he had not been back in years.
Not as quick of a read as I thought it might be, I still found The 19th Wife an entertaining read, especially if you are interested in the subject matter. show less
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Author Information
7+ Works 5,183 Members
David Ebershoff is the author of "The Danish Girl" and the publishing director of "The Modern Library". Hi newest book is entitled, "The 19th Wife." (Publisher Provided)
David Ebershoff is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Work Relationships
Is a retelling of
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The 19th Wife
- Original publication date
- 2008-08-05
- People/Characters
- Jordan Scott; BeckyLyn Scott; Ann Eliza Young; Young, Brigham, 1801–1877; Joseph Smith; Kelly Dee (show all 18); Chauncey Webb; Harriet Beecher Stowe; Ulysses S. Grant; Roland Dott; Elizabeth Churchill Webb; Gilbert Webb; Lorenzo Dee; Johnny; Tom; James Dee; Five; Queenie Alton
- Important places
- Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Mesadale, Utah, USA; Kirtland, Ohio, USA; Haun's Mill, Missouri, USA; Nauvoo, Illinois, USA; Liverpool, England, UK (show all 9); Pasadena, California, USA; Hildale, Utah, USA; Colorado City, Arizona, USA
- Important events
- Abolition of polygamy in the United States
- Related movies
- The 19th Wife (2010 | IMDb)
- Epigraph
- Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. - Saint Augustine
Like all the other arts, the Science of Deduction and Analysis is one which can only be acquired by long and patient study, nor is life long enough to allow any mortal to attain the highest possible perfection in it. - Arthu... (show all)r Conan Doyle
And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men. - The Book of Mormons, translated by Joseph Smith, Jr. - Dedication
- for my parents Dave and Becky Ebershoff and for David Brownstein
- First words
- Preface to the First Edition:
In the one year since I renounced my Mormon faith, and set out to tell the nation the truth about American polygamy, many people have wondered why I ever agreed to become a plural wife.
Wife #19:
A Desert Mystery
By Jordan Scott:
Prologue
Her Big Boy
According to the St. George Register, on a clear night last June, at some time between eleven and half-past, my mom—who isn't any... (show all)thing like this—tiptoed down to the basement of the house I grew up in with a Big Boy .44 Magnum in her hands. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I saw my mother on her knees. And I saw myself in her prayers.
- Publisher's editor
- Medina, Kate ; Velmans, Marianne (Doubleday UK)
- Blurbers
- Greer, Andrew Sean; Schwartz, John Burnham; Bram, Christopher
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, Historical Fiction, General Fiction, Mystery
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PS3555 .B4824 .A615 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Individual authors 1961-
- BISAC
Statistics
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- 3,559
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- Reviews
- 295
- Rating
- (3.68)
- Languages
- 6 — Dutch, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 31
- ASINs
- 12
