History, murder, and wives galore!

The 19th Wife is a rather creative fictionalization of Mormon history, specifically concerning polygamy. But author David Ebershoff takes special care not to draw conclusions or make judgments.

The novel interweaves two stories, that of Ann Eliza Young (an actual historical figure) and also that of Jordan Scott, a modern day ex-communicated fundamentalist Mormon.

We first meet Jordan. At 14 he was kicked out of the “Firsts”, a secular fundamentalist off-shoot of the Latter-Day-Saints who still practices polygamy as divine direction. After making his way on his own for several years Jordan is suddenly called back to his old life when his father is murdered and implicates Jordan’s mother, his “19th wife”, in his last words.

Then we meet Ann Eliza. She was the “19th wife” of the infamous Brigham Young. After fleeing this life, she wrote a book, Wife No. 19, denouncing polygamy and had some influence on the Mormons' moving away from this practice. Ebershoff fictionalizes Ann Eliza’s story but also weaves in actual history, including some indications that her story may not have been entirely accurate.

Through both of these stories we see the ways polygamy might be horrible for the people who practice it, but also how it might be an important, albeit challenging, aspect of religious practice for those who believe it is their salvation.

Though it seemed to run a little long, and often got bogged down in detail, I found this book very interesting. I learned a great deal about Mormon history and some of the quite amazing things these people did in shaping American history. If you like your history with a good dose of fiction (or vice-versa) check out The 19th Wife!

To find this book in the Library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org

Reviewed by Lori M.