I listened to this book on my Ipod. The characters are all multidimensional. Their stories are well developed and very interesting. The narration is well performed. I highly recommend this book for either a read or a listen.

This was one of those books I couldn't wait to be done with, as I had to read it for my book club. The writing is just okay, nothing overly literary, and at times the narrative is so cliche, or at least doesn't feel real, like the author is stretching a limited imagination. It tells two stories in two separate narratives that the author is trying to somehow relate to one another.

One is a historical fiction about Brigham Young's 19th wife, who divorces him and sets about on a crusade to end polygamy in the late-19th Century. That part of the book I really liked. It's fairly well researched and feels authentic. The other is a modern sort of murder mystery about a 19th wife in a cult-like sect that split of from the Mormons after 1890 who is accused of killing her husband. Her estranged gay son returns to the small town and proceeds to investigate the case, and I don't want to ruin it for you, but the author would like us to believe that the mother's innocent, and her son, the hero is trying to prove it.

But I had some real problems with that part of the book. First of all, the solving of the murder comes abruptly and totally from left field. There's no building of the clues, only a bit of meandering around them. The explanation of the murder is less than a page, and the motive isn't fully believable, especially given that the climax is the first we've heard of it. Also, the confession comes after a totally contrived scene where the main character is captured and seems to be threatened, but again, it doesn't feel as real as the author had been hoping to make it.

My biggest problem was with the main character, Jordan, who as I mentioned, is gay. Why? Because I guess that would make the story more interesting? The author tells us that Jordan spent a little time selling his bod, and on more than one occasion mentions that he was paid by a dude to let him put his "arm in a place where no arm should go." Ew. Ultimately though, I didn't get the feeling that the author knew thing one about being homosexual, that he was basically working with stock stereotypes, and overusing them at that.

And then, about 2/3 through the book, Jordan meets a guy, Tom, who falls in love with Jordan and wants him to stay, make a commitment after ONE NIGHT TOGETHER,. The author tries to kind of make a case that it's hard for Jordan to do that because of how he was raised in the polygamist sect. He can't love, you see. But I felt like -- well, he did just meet the guy. Frankly, the love interest comes off more like a creepy stalker than a sincere life partner. (I pictured him as Kenneth Parcells from 30 Rock, only you know, as a creepy stalker. If they ever make a movie of this book, Jack McBrayer should totally play the character of Tom.)

But I kept turning those pages, because I wanted to find out what happened to Ann Eliza Young, Bringham's 19th wife. Sadly, I was disappointed in that there was no resolution, nor was there any more mention of the son she had left behind but lamented over on several occasions.

The worst part of the book was the last paragraph, where Jordan, Tom, their precocious ward, and even their dogs are sitting on a bed contemplating the future. One man puts his arm around the other, and Jordan imagines his mother where he had left her, and again, I don't want to ruin it for you, but the writing here was particularly cheesey. I could almost here a swell of violins in the background.

While the book was ok, it was nothing beyond that. I am usually the type who picks up a book and finishes it in a couple days.... but this one took me MUCH longer because it just did not engage me.

I must admit I bought this novel under a misapprehension. Based on a quick reading of the cover blurb, I was expecting two fictional narrative strands, one set in the early days of Mormonism, and the other set in modern times, both of which would be mysteries. What I got was a novel set in modern times interwoven with a real (and fascinating) memoir by the estranged polygamous wife of Brigham Young. There is a mystery in both parts of the story, but the mystery of Ann Eliza Young is a real one that has never been solved. And while I cannot deny the compelling nature of Ann Eliza Young's memoir and the other historical narratives (some real, some fictional) which make up the historical strand of this book, I can't help but feel that Ebershoff was padding out his book by relying so heavily on the writings of others. The modern strand is a lively amateur sleuth story that begins well but ends unconvincingly. Even so, I would rather have had more of the latter and a little less of the historical material, simply because I was expecting to read a novel, not a memoir or a history, and instead I got a rather slim novel woven around a rather fat history. In the end, though, the book is worth the trouble because of how much it reveals about the history of Mormonism and some of its more troubling consequences, as well as about some of the positive aspects of its modern form. This book is perceptive and touching on many levels.

It was not what I thought it would be. To much switching back and forth.

David Ebershoff's The 19th Wife is a big book - from its nearly 600-page length, to its fascinating recounting of the epic early days of the Mormon religion, to the multitude of first-person voices so deftly handled by Ebershoff, and on to the vast amount of research material (both real and fictional) that was used to breathe life into so many memorable characters. But most importantly, it is a big book because of the way that it so seamlessly combines current news events so many of us have followed in recent years (like the raid by Texas authorities on the Yearning for Zion ranch in which dozens of children were taken from polygamous families) with an intriguing history of the origins of one of America's major religions.

At the heart of Ebershoff's story is the actual 1875 memoir written by Ann Eliza Young about her experiences as the 19th wife of Brigham Young, Wife No. 19. In reality Young likely had married more than 50 women by the time he added Ann Eliza and her two children to his family, a total of which Ann Eliza was unaware at the time of her wedding. The 19th Wife details exactly how the practice of polygamy and the Mormon faith crossed paths and ultimately became so intertwined that the single issue of polygamy came close to destroying the religion and many of its members. For a time, armed conflict between the church and the United States government seemed inevitable and Ann Eliza's exposé may have inadvertently saved the religion by embarrassing its leadership into denouncing the practice of polygamy once and for all.

Ebershoff's fictionalized version of Ann Eliza's original memoir is presented in alternating chapters with his account of a modern day murder investigation involving another 19th wife, this one part of a First Latter Day Saints (usually referred to as "Firsts" in the book) family in Mesadale, Utah. These Firsts are not members of the Mormon faith. Rather, they consider themselves to be the descendents of the true faith founded by Joseph Smith, a religion in which polygamy continues to play a major role.

Jordan Scott, a 20-year-old who had been expelled from the Mesadale community several years earlier, has made a new life for himself in California but he still feels compelled to keep up with what is going on in Mesadale via the internet. That is how he comes to learn that his mother has been charged with his father's murder and that, if convicted, she could face the death penalty. Jordan returns to Utah to see his mother for the first time since she dumped him on the side of the highway to begin life on his own and, almost despite himself, he comes to believe that his mother is innocent of the murder.

At first, the chapter-by-chapter transition from the 19th century diary to 21st century Utah is a little jarring. But soon, the similarities between the experiences of the two 19th wives become clear, the book settles into a comfortable rhythm, and the reader comes to understand that Joseph Smith's decision to make polygamy central to his religion is still impacting the lives of some Americans more than 100 years later.

The 19th Wife is excellent historical fiction, well-researched and filled with numerous characters who give life to the early days of the Latter Day Saints. But even more significantly, it explores the topic of polygamy from several points-of-view: those of the husband, the wife, and the children who grow up along side tens of brothers and sisters in a dormitory lifestyle.

As is so vividly portrayed in The 19th Wife, polygamy has been outlawed in this country for good reason. Some of those reasons are more obvious than others, including the fact that so many young girls are married off to men a generation or two older than them, men who are sometimes blood relatives of theirs, men they are forced to marry despite whatever misgivings they might have. A more recent phenomenon sees young boys (such as Jordan Scott), known these days as "lost boys," on some pretense or another being pushed out of the only community they know in their early teens so that they will not be around to compete for the hands of girls of the same age.

Wives find it difficult to maintain their dignity in polygamous relationships that require them to compete for the affections of their husband, a constant competition that they are doomed to lose as years pass and younger wives continue to be added to the family. Brigham Young himself set the precedent of counting as "wives" only those with whom he still shared a bed, something that Ann Eliza only learned well into her marriage. She found that, instead of being wife number nineteen, she was more likely to be wife number fifty-two, nineteen of whom were still sleeping with Young.

And, finally, the more introspective husbands involved in polygamous households, men for whom such a system would seem to be perfectly tailored, sometimes express regret that they simply do not have enough hours in the day to get to know all of their numerous children. These men come to realize that being a good father and husband is measured in terms of quality relationships, not in the number of children they father or the number of wives they have, and that realization comes to haunt some of them.

Bottom line, this book is about the children who grow up in a social setting among dozens of peers and adults in what must seem more a boarding school than a family home. It is about the rights of children, rights denied them by the very lifestyle they are being forced to live.

David Ebershoff has written a book, a big book, one that deserves a wide audience.

The book is supposed to go back and forth between two stories. One story is about a young man trying to prove his moms innocence within a community that still believes in polygamy. The second is the story of Brigham Young's 19th wife, her struggle to leave the Mormon religion and end polygamy. The second story is by far the more interesting. The book doesn't flip back and forth between the stories well, creating a magazine of stories, letters and essays instead of a smoothly flowing book. I can't express through this review how unreadable this book actually was. I would never recommend it.

I had heard good things about this book, but even so, I wasn't sure it was going to be a book I would enjoy. I'm glad I gave it a try. The book opens with the death of a present-day polygamist and the arrest of one of his plural wives for the murder. When their estranged son hears the news, he feels compelled to return home to investigate. This modern crime story (which, by itself, is far to thin to sustain a novel) is intercut with a lengthy retelling of Ann Eliza Young's story, which follows the story of the early history of the Mormon Church. While this part of the book does drag to a crawl in places, it is a fascinating and detailed look at the trials of the early Later-Day Saints and their struggles to find a place to live and practice their religion in peace. Along the way we learn a great deal about polygamy, as practiced by the early Mormons, and how, in spite of the official renunciation of the practice by the Church, it continues to be practiced by splinter groups. Without this extensive background, the modern-day portions of the story would lose much of its impact and mystery. The two stories dovetail together quite nicely (be sure to pay attention to the names of the characters to see just how related they really are). This book provides a glimpse into the beliefs of a people whose practices are hard for many to understand or appreciate and exposes the abuses that seem to thrive in this culture.

[This review is based on an Advanced Reader's Edition]

If you're interested in Morman history and the history of polygamy then this is book for you. It is a mixture of truth and just enough fiction to keep you reading. I like the topic, but it went on and on and on. The book was heavy and poorly put together.

As a teenager, I learned about the Mormons from the Sherlock Holmes book THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. Since then, I've read about them but nowhere have I seen so compelling and absorbing a history as what David Ebershoff has written. He has taken two very dramatic situations, more than 100 years apart, and used his characters to provide insights into the religion, the circumstances of the U.S. in the 1800s and recent times, and the role of women in the different centuries. Unlike some reviewers, I wasn't bothered by the back and forth between the time periods but found that this technique added depth and interest.

Several reviewers mentioned Jon Krakauer's UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN for a modern take on the "Firsts" = i.e., those Mormons who still believe in plural wives. That was an excellent book but this one makes a great companion piece.

By serendipity, the book was published at almost the same time that the U.S. government raided the camp/cult of polygamists in Texas. THE 19th WIFE clarifies alot of the issues raised in that raid - the lack of identities for the children, the "marriages" of minors, the paranoia of the residents of the settlement, the role of Warren Jeffs as "prophet" and even the style of dress and hair.

The book is long so be prepared to settle in but it is worth the time. An outstanding read!

I really enjoyed the balance of history and fiction in this book. It is an enjoyable way to learn about how different cultures are through stories. The only thing that I didn't like was that it seemed to drag at the end.

Perfect for : Personal reading, Book Club reading

In a nutshell: What can I say - I was curious about this book, and a little nervous to read it after reading some early reviews, but I've really enjoyed it!! I've learned a lot, and the book is fascinating. It is written a little differently than most books - it is two stories told simultaneously throughout the book. The story of Ann Eliza Young (Brigham Young's 19th wife, late 1800's) is told from the time of her parents involvement in the Firsts section of the Mormons, through her crusade to end polygamous relationships in the United States. We also read the current-day story of Jordan Scott, who was thrown out of the compound in Utah at 14 years of age because the Prophet told his parents he needed to go - how amazing is that!! His mother (wife 19 out of 25ish wives) is accused of murdering his father six years after he leaves, and we learn a lot about the inner workings of the compound as Jordan digs into what really happened. In addition to the two stories, some of the passages in the book are not really chapters, but rather types of documents that help tell the story and present the reader with information: preface, essay, LDS (Latter-Day Saints) archive materials, newspaper articles, letters, etc. I found these to be fascinating, adding to the story rather than detracting from it. I just can't stop talking about this book to my friends and relatives! It's a great read, and I love Jordan's "family" by the end of the book!

My Review:
While the story is written as fiction, and the author has a note at the back of the book confirming that, it is factually based. I found the book very enlightening and entertaining.

Characters: David Ebershoff has done a wonderful job of creating believable characters in both the stories taking place within the book. He gives us a good idea of how the Firsts got a hold on people, what the Prophet was like, and how people lived in the late 1800's under his leadership. He paints a very believable story. Additionally, he does well in the modern-day story of Jordan and his mother, showing sometimes harsh realities facing families and children within the polygamous community. I really like what happened with Jordan's "family" at the end of the book.

Story-Line: The story-line was fascinating - much better than I expected it to be. It slowly drew me in, to the point that I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next! It also gave me a lot to think about, which I find refreshing. I was fascinated to learn that similarly to the Underground Railroad during the time of slavery in the United States, there was similar help for people wanting to leave the Prophet's compound.

Readability: This was a very enjoyable read. The use of alternate reading sources (letters, articles, archives, etc instead of only having traditional chapters) was fun (I had read some other reviews that said it was distracting and not helpful, but I disagree - possibly because I was warned ahead of time? I like to think I would have liked this style regardless). The transitions between the past and present-day stories was good and led the reader nicely through an understanding and development of the story.

Overall: A very enlightening and enjoyable book! I will be recommending this book to the book clubs I participate in - it would be a great book club read (the author has provided Reading Group Questions), providing readers with plenty to think about and discuss. Even if you don't normally read this type of book, stretch outside your comfort zone and give this book a try!

About the Author:
This is David Ebershoff's fourth book. He lives in New York, where he teaches classes at Columbia University (he has also taught at New York University and Princeton).

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff is actually two stories in one. It begins with the story of Ann Eliza Young, the 19th wife of the Brigham Young, Prophet of the Latter Day Saints. As a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints during the 1800's, she found herself in a polygamous marriage. She was never happy in the marriage, but tolerated it until Brigham refused to financially support her. Forced to take in Gentile boarders, she saw what life was like on "the outside." She divorced Brigham and went on a speaking tour denouncing the Latter Day Saints and the practice of plural marriage. This part of the book is so well written, I had to keep reminding myself that, while based on fact, it is a work of fiction.

The second story in The 19th Wife is the story of a present day 19th wife, who is a member of the "Firsts," who are loosely based on The Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, or FLDS, that was so prominent in the news this summer. BeckyLyn finds herself in jail, accused of murdering her husband. Her son Jordan, who has been excommunicated from the church, reads about it in the newspaper and visits her in jail. Convinced of her innocence, he searches for the truth.

This book grabbed me from the first page. David Ebershoff does a fantastic job of switching between the two stories. He includes an author's note at the back of the book detailing his research and telling of his inspiration in writing it. I thought The 19th Wife was a fantastic read - it is a wonderful blend of historical fiction and mystery.

While I enjoyed what this book had to say about the horrors of polygamy and its effect on women, I did not enjoy the style of writing, and feel that this book could have been better served either by a more talented writer or a ruthless editor. The storylines never came together for me, and the characters failed to impress. Overall, just an okay book.

Although there is plenty of information regarding the Mormons in "The 19th Wife", I found it to be plodding in parts, and too much like a textbook. However, anyone wanting to know about the genesis of the Mormon faith will find this book most informative.

The 19th Wife was a disappointment. First, it's too long and thereby gets in a muddle among its many perspectives and voices which fail to come together in an interesting way. As a result, many of the characters seem flat. I considered, as I was reading, how much more efficiently the story of polygamy, the 19th wife, and the founding of the LDS church could've been told in a non-fiction format. Certainly there seemed enough material for it, but ultimately, I believe, not enough new insight to make a significant contribution to that vast literature. The central theme, the solving of a murder mystery, allows the author opportunity to give the reader background information and historical matter. Unfortunately, the murder mystery is quite thin in terms of its plot and resolution. The best characters -- Jordan, Tom, and Johnny -- are practically interchangable, their inner lives as barren (and perhaps deceptively complex, but the author never gets around to exploring that) as the desert they inhabit. And most disappointingly, the voice of the 19th Wife, both of the past and in the fictional present, is lifeless and unsympathetic.

With recent polygamy issues in the news and on TV, I was excited to read this new book which was part mystery and part history. It had a great start and I was very intrigued. That intrigue quickly turned to impatience which lead eventually to boredom. I found the historical aspect of the novel way too long and frankly not particularily interesting. The modern day mystery part of the book was mildly suspenseful but with an anti-climatic ending. When coming to the end, my final thought was "so what?"

I'm in the minority here, but I was disappointed in the novel. I guess I was mislead by the cover, thinking that the Ann Eliza Young story would take a back seat to the fictionalized story of Jordan and his hunt for his father's killer and mother's proof of innocence. I was wrong. The Ann Eliza story basically took center stage. It was very fascinating and I truly enjoyed it. However, so much emphasis was put on Ann Eliza that I honestly forgot characters and occurances in Jordan's story. This may have been because I only read about a chapter a night; but still, no book without Cliff Notes should be that hard to keep up with.

I am glad I read it, since I find the Mormon aspect of American History fascinating. But I just don't agree with my fellow reviewers has been as great a book as they.

it is 2 stories in one.... can make you wonder but really needed to be put togetter a little bit better

The 19th Wife is a wonderful and fascinating book about the affects of plural marriages on the family structure. I loved this book and would highly recommend to other readers.

I would have happily given this novel a perfect score but for one minor detraction - length. In the last third, I found myself skipping|skimming a few sections. I became impatient with the characters' lengthy self-examinations.
Nevertheless, this novel is so beautifully written and so well researched that I began recommending it before I finished the first 200 pages. I would like to add that I have never before been inspired to write a review, and that my impatience to get through certain parts is probably due more to my own character flaws than any fault of the author. I so enjoyed this novel, purchased electronically, that I will be purchasing a "hard copy" to share with friends.
In summary, well worth reading and reading again!

"The 21st Wife" gives a complete overview of the horrifics of polygamy in the early days of the Mormon church, and shows how it has carried over into these days with many of the break-away sects still clinging to the practice. The Mormon church claims to no longer practice it, but they still "seal" men to muliple wives for their enjoyment in the "hereafter".

Readers who pay attention to The 19th Wife will be rewarded with an intriguing pair of tales told by multiple voices that reveals a fascinating world. The two stories are of two "19th" wives of Mormon polygamists separated by more than a century of titillating innuendo about the illegal, disreputable, but still-active practice. The book is fiction, but it is studded with history. It's not a quick and easy read, but it's worth the time and effort to follow the stories to their conclusions.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo

just finished reading this book. a real eye opener on some old, old facts.
definitely will recommend.

Mr. Ebershoff has sure done his research. With skillful acumen, the writer paints a picture providing the "Patient Reader: with a detailed (albeit fictional), historical account of the Mormon Church and a keen insight into the consequences of plural marriage. Great Job, Dude!!!

"Bookclubs should select The 19th Wife as their next selection. David Ebershoff has written his best book yet. The 19th Wife explodes with details of how polygamy exists today and what the devastating effects are on women and especially children. A must read for everyone."

The 19th Wife is a real page turner. Very intriguing. The modern day portion of the book really keeps you guessing right up to the end.

Read this book, you won't be sorry.

This book was actually amazing and I could not put it down. Perhaps it was so interesting because I live in Utah, the mecca of mormonism. Each time I sat down and read the book, I was both angry and dumbfounded at the same time. The book had a big impact to say the least. You are angry over the things that actually happened, and you are left dumbfounded, wondering how the mormons of today, could possibly call Joseph Smith and Brigham Young their prophets. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the mormon religion. I also loved that the information was based on factual data, the author, footnoting where the information came from. Enjoy, you wont be sorry!

This book captures the depth and complexity of lives touched by polygamy, but doesn't stop there. Instead of settling for a one-note critique of a controversial religious practice, the author's use of multiple narratives also engages the reader in issues of feminism, homophobia, poverty, and those who struggle with lives lived on the margins of society.

"The 19th Wife" is a 500 page treatment for a Scooby-Doo episode with a history of Mormon polygamy as backstory - two gay men running around the Utah desert (in a van!) with their respective dogs and a precocious 12 year old side-kick solving a fundamentalist Mormon murder mystery in a cutesy way. At the end of it all, I was fully expecting the villain to grumble: " I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids." There's even a "tie `em up and gag them with a sock-in-the-mouth" scene. This is writing at its laziest and most unimaginative, where every character we encounter is conveniently vital to the progression of the weak plot, where the dialogue is utterly unbelievable, where one character meets another character, and we are promptly treated to three pages of pure plot exposition. This is what passes as literature in 2008? All this by an editor at Random House and a lecturer in creative writing at Columbia University, nonetheless. Without a shadow of a doubt, Mr. Ebershoff has written this novel with an eye to Hollywood.

The historical narratives centered around the early Mormon church, Ann Eliza Young, her family, and Brigham Young are compelling. But is it necessary to read fictionalized versions of historical events to understand that polygamy had (and continues to have) devastating moral and spiritual repercussions on men and women alike? Try as I may, I could not understand how the historical narratives aided our understanding of the present-day Scooby-Doo murder mystery narrative.

For an infinitely better read on the subject of murder and modern day fundamentalist Mormons, consider J. Krakauer's masterly "Under the Banner of Heaven".

"The 19th Wife" is a 500 page treatment for a Scooby-Doo episode with the Mormon history of polygamy as backstory - two gay men running around the Utah desert (in a van!) with their respective dogs and a precocious 12 year old side-kick solving a fundamentalist Mormon murder mystery in a cutesy way. At the end of it all, I was fully expecting the villain to grumble: " I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids." There's even a "tie `em up and gag them with a sock-in-the-mouth" scene. This is writing at its laziest and most unimaginative, where every character we encounter is conveniently vital to the progression of the weak plot, where the dialogue is utterly unbelievable, where one character meets another character, and we are promptly treated to three pages of pure plot exposition. This is what passes as literature in 2008? All this by an editor at Random House and a lecturer in creative writing at Columbia University, nonetheless. Without a shadow of a doubt, Mr. Ebershoff has written this novel with an eye to Hollywood. He should have saved himself some time by writing a screenplay for the straight-to-DVD film (staring Seth Green as Jordan Scott) this material warrants.

The historical narratives centered around the early Mormon church, Ann Eliza Young, her family, and Brigham Young are compelling. But is it necessary to read fictionalized versions of historical events to understand that polygamy had (and continues to have) devastating moral and spiritual repercussions on men and women alike? Try as I may, I could not understand how the historical narratives aided our understanding of the present-day Scooby-Doo murder mystery narrative.

For an infinitely better read on the subject of murder and modern day fundamentalist Mormons, consider J. Krakauer's masterly "Under the Banner of Heaven".

Having recently read "Under the Banner of Heaven", I was a bit skeptical about reading a fictionalized account of the Latter Day Saints. To my delight, "The 19th Wife" follows the historical development of the movement quite closely...AND it makes it SO much more interesting than a dry, purely historical account.

The mystery which is interwoven is a real diversion weaving today's polygamists with those of the past.

This book has held my interest from the first page. I am an avid reader, as are many of my friends. All of us who have read (or are presently reading) "The 19th Wife" agree...it is a winner!! It would be a perfect choice for book club discussions.

I enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down. Although I know a little about the Mormon faith, I was not aware of many of the historical events that shaped it. There are historical writings in the book that were enlightening. As a woman, it was an interesting novel to read especially about the protocol of wives and the way that it's fully accepted that polygamy is a duty of faith. The insight that the wives and children suffer from this type of marriage was sad. It was fully acceptable to give up a young daughter in marriage to an older man who already had many wives. It's difficult to imagine that after generations of living this way they were so sheltered they did not think there was any other way too live. I have already recommended it to my sister in law.

The book held me captive for an entire day. It is well written and very direct in the practice of polygemy.

I struggled with my review for this book because it was not terrible but it also was not great. I have read almost every book concerning this topic. I loved "Under the banner of Heaven, Shattered Dreams,Favorite Wife,ect" however, I was stumped on how to review this book. I briefly was reading the reveiws posted and I have to agree 100% with Nancy Grisso. I copied from her review my exact sentiments on this book

"" Whether truth or innuendo, the story makes a very slow progress to a conclusion that really wasn't a conclusion, just a good place to stop""

The statement above is "just a good place to stop" with this review. Thank you Nancy Grisso :)

The 19th Wife is much more than I originally thought it would be. It gave great insight into the 19th century and Mormonism and left me spending a lot of time googling different Mormon concepts to learn the story behind the story.

The "current" plot is a who-done-it that kept me interested...how would it turn out?

At 500 pages, it is definitely a long read (and yes, a few pages I did skip over) but I consider it a page turner.

I highly suggest this book for anyone who wants to learn more about historical Mormonism and would like a really different book. If I could give it 4.5 stars, I would.

The author has done a superb job of interweaving two stories in the never ending saga of Polygamy and did a great job on his potrayal of Ann Eliza Young, one of the many of wive's of Brigham Young, and the woman who fought the injustices of Polygamy. The characters in this book are both rich and endearing.

To anyone who's planning on reading this book, I highly recommend they read "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer.

Told in a back and forth style with many voices, Ebershoff tells the story of Ann Eliza Young who being the 19th wife of Brigham Young decides that polygamy isn't for her and decides to do the unthinkable and file for divorce. Interspersed with this story is the story of BeckyLyn also a 19th wife of modern day who is accused of killing her husband, and her son Jordan, one of the Lost Boys, who is trying to clear her name and get her out of Mesadale, the compound she lives in with the other Firsts; the break off group that still follows the old tradition of polygamy.

Have I lost you yet?

There is also Kelly Dee the student researcher that is trying to pull the life of Ann Eliza together for her masters thesis who is telling the story, in a round about way, through all the characters and who is also trying to decipher the goings on and hoping to separate fact from fiction.

Though this is a book of fiction, there is enough history to make you wonder what is real and what is embellished for a better story. In this multiple character driven novel, Ebershoff reaches into the world that Smith and Young created and how dominate they were over their followers. Whether truth or innuendo, the story makes a very slow progress to a conclusion that really wasn't a conclusion, just a good place to stop.

It is not often that an author can take two timelines and integrate with no confusion or disorientation and loss of the thread of one story to the next. Others that I've read have felt a little jumpy. I loved this book, never put it down once.

Ebershoff, David. "The 19th Wife", Random House, 2008.

Two Stories of Polygamy

Amos Lassen

News reports claim that Mormonism is the fastest growing religion in America and I would venture to say that it is also the religion that we, as a nation, know the least about. David Ebershoff fills some of the gap in that knowledge with "The 19th Wife", his novel that gives some of the history of the Mormons. Ebershoff gives two storylines in the book---one concerns the 19th bride Brigham Young, former president of the Church of Latter Day Saints and the other is about Jordan Scott, a gay man and former hustler who tries to understand why his mother murdered his father who had eighteen other wives.
We don't know much about the murder but we learn that Jordan had been forced out of the religion when he was 14 and left on the side of a highway for no apparent reason. As Jordan comes into his own and develops his identity, we get the parallel story of the original Mormon colony in Mesadale, Utah and the life of Ann Eliza, the 19th wife of Brigham Young. She later divorced him and then when on a national crusade to outlaw polygamy.
The two stories interweave beautifully and on many different levels. The book is rife filled with examples of how the church convinced women to share their husbands because it is a key to salvation (so they say), The brainwashing ability of these people is still evident today as we saw with the Yearning for Zion group in Texas.
Ann Eliza's story is fascinating and Ebershoff did his research. We learn about the tyranny of religion and the whole issue of polygamy. The characters are who give us the information and they are richly drawn and unforgettable. Jordan emerges as a gay hero. Woven into the historical material is a modern story and a wonderful murder mystery. At 600 pages it is quite a book but it catches you from the first page and it keeps you interested the entire time. Both the subject matter and the prose style of Ebershoff make for an outstanding read.

Jordan Scott's mother has been accused of killing his father. It could be any murder mystery - until we learn that Jordan's mother was his father's 19th wife in a small polygamist cult in Mesadale, Utah. Jordan was kicked out of the cult at the tender age of 14, left alone on the side of a highway for virtually no reason. By the time this novel starts, Jordan has established himself and developed an identity, but that identity isn't strong enough to keep him from trying to save his mother once she convinces him that she didn't do it - despite all the evidence against her. Paralleled with Jordan's story is that of the original Mormon colony, more specifically the background and life of Brigham Young's 19th wife, Ann Eliza. She divorced him and took her story on the national circuit, making strides in the battle to force the early Mormons to renounce polygamy all together. Of course, they didn't complete the job, because Jordan's family is derived from the sect that broke off after the official renunciation.

This story is told through many forms of media - in addition to an ordinary narrative in both storylines, there are also excerpts from newspapers, journals, letters, and even a master's thesis. All of these are fictional, of course, but they add a feeling of authenticity since some of these could have existed in similar ways, and it's certainly not unimaginable that a member of the current LDS church would choose to research Ann Eliza.

Both stories are extremely compelling and I love the way that they related to each other. Ebershoff thought the story through on many levels. I suspect it would be difficult to find a non-fiction work that could better expose the evils of polygamy. In addition, I could relate to all the characters and I loved how Jordan picked up several endearing sidekicks along the way. They added flavor and emotional attachment to the story, fleshing out Jordan's character as we witnessed his relations with them. I was drawn in by Ann Eliza's narrative, too, so it's clear that the author can do a very good job with historical fiction in addition to his mystery storyline. I did, however, feel a bit disappointed by the mystery's ending. It wraps up too quickly and a bit too neatly, in my opinion.

This is a very enjoyable book and I'd recommend it to fans of mystery and historical fiction.

I really enjoyed this book. I had trouble putting it down. Mr Ebershoff weaved 2 tales a hundred years apart, yet related. One based on the real life story of Anne Eliza Webb, wife # 19 of Brigham Young (one of the first leaders in the Mormon church) and a fictional story of a modern day cult of polygamists. The book switches back and forth between the 2 stories. Seemingly the 2 stories are related only by the fact that the 2 woman at the heart of the stories are both ranked 19th with their husbands, but the author lays clues thoughout the book that connects the stories futher.
I guess real life is more interesting then fiction because the story of Anna Eliza is definalty better then the modern day murder mystery of the second story.
I've always been curious about the mormon faith and it's current reputation. My interest in this book was peaked when I saw that it was about polygamy and it didn't disappoint. Understandably, the story doesn't paint a nice picture of polygamy, however the author did a magnificent job of including several points of view, including those of the men who practice it.
This book was so well written, it answered my own disbelief about the reality of someone that would practice polygamy, and satisfied my interest in Mormonism's history.
Wow, I will definatly read this book again soon.

This book was engaging from start to finish. I did not know a lot about these historical events so I appreciated the lesson and I also enjoyed the look into the emotional lives of how these people lived.

Not knowing much about the Mormon Church, it was good to read an enjoyable book and learn a little something about its history at the same time. The only thing that kept me from giving 5 stars was that the modern day part of the story was not as well developed as the historical part, and at times the historical part got a little creaky. All in all, a good read!

Talk about timing -- with the big raid some time back of the Yearning For Zion ranch and all of the news from that event, this book should sell big time. Personally, I'm fascinated with the whole issue of polygamy -- not that I'd want to do it, but I do wonder why others subject themselves and furthermore, I wonder why the government hasn't just come right out and reminded law enforcement that polygamy is illegal and that leads to my wondering why this is still going on. The whole brainwashing thing eludes me as well, but then again, the issues brought up in this book are part of the reason I shy away from any sort of organized religion. Ebershoff may have written fiction, but the issue of brainwashing is very real. Take the Yearning For Zion thing in Texas -- the women there were scared to death of having to live on the outside because of all the things they are taught about the real world while they are under the sway of the FLDS leadership at the ranch. Or in the novel -- it's rife with examples of how the church leadership managed to convince some seemingly intelligent women that they needed to share their husbands with other women, sometimes under the same roof. It's all about salvation, you know? Fantasy camp for men; for women and especially for their children, well, what can I say? Sorry about the diatribe, but you know, the whole polygamy thing has a tendency to rankle me, and I appreciate Ebershoff's book -- it pointed out the many issues about this practice justified in the name of salvation.
So now that I've ranted, the book is structured so that there is a present-day mystery that focuses on a woman who has been arrested and imprisoned for killing her husband. It turns out that she is the 19th wife, and her estranged son reads about her arrest on the internet. Seems that when he was younger, he was tossed out of the local polygamist community, "The Firsts," where they believed they were carrying on the mission of the first and true LDS church, when polygamy was the norm. So off he trots to Utah to see his mother and then gets involved in trying to prove her innocence. At the same time, there is another thread running in this book, the story of another 19th wife, Ann Eliza Young, who married Brigham Young and then squared off against him and the whole polygamy issue publicly. The present-day story is minor compared to Ann Eliza's story, beginning with her mother's conversion to Mormonism and then her descent into the hell that was polygamy after the prophet had a revelation from God that men should take more than one wife. The two stories are interspersed, but Ann Eliza's story is (imho) the better of the two. More than the present-day story, her story had me glued to the book.
The characters were well drawn and Ebershoff did a fine job with the whole polygamy thing, especially describing the plight of the children from polygamous marriages. This is not something I probably would have picked up at a bookstore, but the topic intrigued me and the story got my dander up. I would say that Ebershoff's done his job as a writer -- getting the reader very involved. Personally, if he'd have left it with the story of Ann Eliza, I probably would have liked it better.
I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in the topic of polygamy, and if you liked this one, try Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven.

Last April, 533 women and children were removed from the Yearn for Zion Ranch of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints in west Texas. Author David Ebershoff must have found this an eerie coincidence with his polygamy rich novel "The 19th Wife" being prepped by Random House for an August release.

Ebershoff, author of "The Danish Girl," has composed an often brilliant novel consisting of two stories: the epic saga of Ann Eliza Young, the 19th wife of Brigham Young, who almost single handedly brought about the end of polygamy in America; and a story of a modern day plural wife accused of murder, and her excommunicated gay son determined to prove her innocence.

The story of Ann Eliza is a slice of nearly forgotten American history, thoroughly researched and detailed. "The 19th Wife" illustrates the evils of religious tyranny and how "celestial marriage" was a blasphemous rationalization of adultery. Great pains have been taken to depict the rise and fal of polygamy withing the Mormon church; from portraits of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, to testimonials from a wide assortment of Ann Eliza's friends, family and detractors. These characters are indelibly drawn and leap from the page into our memory. Scenes of the great western expansion and the trek of European immigrants to Utah remain vivid long after reading them.

I'll not provide a summary of the second story other than to say it too deals with the ill effects of polygamy, is set in a community not unlike Year for Zion Ranch, and features a truly memorable gay hero in Jordan Scott.

As good as this novel is I do have one caveat: while the historical material is never less than interesting, it plods along in comparison with the modern story, which, being a murder mystery is swiftly paced and instantly compelling. Ebershoff has failed to create an equal balance between the past and present stories. By swamping the reader with so much historical data in the first instance, he too frequently frustrates the momentum of the second; a classic cased where less would have been more. Still, "The 19th Wife" is an an impressive achievement and sure to make many year end "best" lists.

Though the release of The 19th Wife is well-timed due to the recent national exposure of the Texas FLDS sect, the strength of Ebershoff's storytelling stands on its own. He seamlessly weaves two stories into a cohesive whole. His mastery of his art is apparent in his ability to effortlessly transition between two very different voices separated by more than a century but connected by the thread of polygamy and the destructive force it plays in the lives of men, women and children. Ebershoff sprinkles subtle clues throughout his narrative about how these two stories will become one, but never gives too much. I found myself eagerly awaiting the turn of each page. This is a brilliant book. I would recommend it to any reader.

Beware - once you pick up this book you will not be able to put it down. Having Mormons in my family tree, I've grown up hearing basic stories of Joseph Smith, etc...but this book really shed more light on the historical aspect of the religion...questions were answered that I'd wondered about and the stories were all so entertaining, I couldn't get enough! What a talented author.

After the recent headlines of the polygamous cult in Texas, I bought this book out of curiousity. I've been reading several books lately on the subject of polygamy, trying to understand the reasoning, the faith, the beliefs behind it.

Initially, the "jumping back and forth" from present-day back to the 1800's was a little jarring, but soon I found I could not put this book down. The weaving of fact and fiction in this book has been done so well, it's like a beautiful tapestry that envelopes you completely with its story. After I finished reading, I found myself on the internet, trying to get more information about events that the author mentions in his book - what was true? What wasn't?

The book is a wonderful blend of history, humor, tragedy...and I think what amazed me most was that the author, a modern-day man, was so able to describe the feelings of an 18th-century plural wife. Wonderful book.

Readers who like The 19th Wife may also like Booth's Sister, by Jane Singer. It's also based on a true story, and heavily researched. Asia Booth was her brother, John Wilkes' mentor and soulmate. Booth's Sister follows their turbulent childhood and examines how he turned into an assasin while she was accused of being his accomplice.