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The 19th Wife [Paperback]

David Ebershoff (Author)

3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (112 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Publication Date: 2 Jan 2009

Jordan returns from California to Utah to visit his mother in jail. As a teenager he was expelled from his family and religious community, a secretive Mormon offshoot sect. Now his father has been found shot dead in front of his computer, and one of his many wives - Jordan's mother - is accused of the crime.

Over a century earlier, Ann Eliza Young, the nineteenth wife of Brigham Young, Prophet and Leader of the Mormon Church, tells the sensational story of how her own parents were drawn into plural marriage, and how she herself battled for her freedom and escaped her powerful husband, to lead a crusade to end polygamy in the United States.

Bold, shocking and gripping, The 19th Wife expertly weaves together these two narratives: a pageturning literary mystery and an enthralling epic of love and faith.

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Bold, shocking and gripping, The 19th Wife expertly weaves together these two narratives: a pageturning literary mystery and an enthralling epic of love and faith.

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Product details

Paperback: 608 pages
Publisher: Black Swan (2 Jan 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0552774987
ISBN-13: 978-0552774987
Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 19.2 cm

Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (112 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 64,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's David Ebershoff Page

David Ebershoff, born in 1969 in California, is the author of four books of fiction, including The Danish Girl, The Rose City, and Pasadena. His most recent novel is the international bestseller, The 19th Wife. He has won a number of awards, including the Rosenthal Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Lambda Literary Award, the Ferro-Grumley Award for excellence in gay and lesbian literature. His books have been translated into eighteen languages to critical acclaim. Two of his novels are being adapted for film and television. Ebershoff has taught creative writing at New York University and Princeton and currently teaches in the graduate writing program at Columbia University. He is an editor-at-large at Random House and lives in New York City.

Product Description

Review

"The multiplicity of perspectives serves to broaden Ebershoff's depiction not only of polygamy, but also of the people whose lives it informs. And this gives his novel a rare sense of moral urgency" (The New York Times Book Review)

"A marvellous evocation of pioneer life... But his sympathy is with Eliza Young and other women trapped in what the Mormons termed 'celestial marriages'" (Daily Mail)

"Beautifully written... genuinely enthralling" (Literary Review)

"Engrossing... vivid... packed with historical illumination, unforgettable characters... the greatest triumph is the way all this material illuminates the larger landscape of faith" (Washington Post)

"Intelligent, compelling, with several decent twists" (Guardian)

Review

Gripping and beautifully written.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars

3.7 out of 5 stars

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Hugely entertaining, particularly the historical sections 15 May 2009

By unlikely_heroine VINE VOICE

Format:Paperback

This novel has received mixed reviews but I thoroughly enjoyed it and found "The 19th Wife" to be two diverting stories in one. In modern-day Utah, Jordan Scott, a young teenager excommunicated from a heretical Mormon sect that still engages in polygamy, tries to unravel the mystery of his father's murder in order to free his mother, who has been accused of the crime. Interspersed in this story is a fictionalised account of the life of Eliza Ann Young, the "19th wife" of the nineteenth century Mormon leader, Brigham Young. Eliza Ann was notable for speaking out against polygamy and her efforts are part of the reason the Mormons eventually abandoned the practice.

For me, the historical sections were the real "meat" of this book, fascinating in their detail and very well-executed. Eliza Ann Young's voice comes across very strongly and her struggle for independence, autonomy and dignity is highly readable. I found the modern strand of the story, curiously, to be less convincing and "real"; Jordan is not the living, breathing character that Eliza Ann is, although he is likeable enough. The contrast between the skill with which the historical sections are written, and the slightly clumsy narrative of Jordan, almost suggested to me that Ebershoff wanted us to think that Jordan was something of an unreliable narrator - at various places it seemed as if we were being spun a yarn by this young man rather than being told what really happened.

It is also true that the murder mystery is less involved and less satisfyingly resolved than it might have been, which seems to be a result of the "Jordan" sections being somewhat underwritten. Read more ›

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254 of 268 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and about more than it appears to be... 22 Jan 2009

By C. Ball TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is somewhat misleading. From the cover and the blurb on the back you'd think it was a murder mystery set within a Mormon sect, which in a way it is, but it's much more than that. It's set in two times periods: the modern day, in which Jordan, a young gay man excommunicated from a fanatical Mormon sect that still practices polygamy, attempts to solve the murder of his father, a murder that his mother, the 19th wife, is accused of committing; and the mid 19th century, where it follows the life of Ann Eliza Young, a real life figure who was the 19th wife of Brigham Young and sister of the man who founded the First breakaway sect that Jordan and his mother are a part of, her divorce from Brigham Young and her crusade against the practice of polygamy. It's much more about the destructiveness of polygamy than it is a murder mystery, and it's well worth reading.

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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Too long... 1 Mar 2009

By LittleReader VINE VOICE

Format:Paperback

I think this novel could have been vastly improved by being about 200 pages shorter.
It started off interesting and addictive - though I initially found the references to Mormons, Latter Day Saints and Firsts a little confusing, it was soon much clearer in my mind. There is no doubt that DE has a fluid, readable writing style and a flair for full and honest characterisation - that much I certainly did like.

Narrated by Mormon's, Ann Eliza Young, the 19th wife of the Prophet Brigham Young and various members of her family during the 19th Century and Jordan a Century later - an excommunicated homosexual trying to piece together the murder of his father while his mother awaits trial for it, the story is brimming over with Historical fact.

However, by the middle third of the book, I was flagging. It just went on and on and on far too long to hold my attention. I wish DE had been more succint in his tale as I know I would have savoured it. Instead, I was speed-reading in order to move on to something else.
A huge shame...

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131 of 141 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great murder mystery, but the historical section was a bit dry 5 Feb 2009

By Jackie

Format:Paperback

The 19th Wife is based around a polygamous Mormon sect. The book is split into two distinctive parts. The first begins in 1875 and follows Ann Eliza Young, the nineteenth wife of Brigham Young, the second Prophet of the Mormon Church. Unsatisfied with his treatment of her, she separates from him, and then leads a crusade to end polygamy in America.

The second is basically a murder mystery. Twenty-year-old Jordan discovers that his father has been murdered, and his mother is accused of shooting him. Jordan was expelled from the Mormon sect at the age of fourteen, when he was discovered holding hands with one of his step-sisters. He returns to Utah to visit his mother in jail, and begins to uncover many secrets within his polygamous family.

Other than the theme of polygamy there was nothing to link the two stories; as the book is a whopping 606 pages long, I think that it could have benefited from being split in two separate books. The writing styles were very different, and I think they will appeal to different people. I much preferred the modern, murder mystery, as it had more pace and intrigue. The character of Jordan was well drawn, and I had lots of empathy for him. The ending was reasonably satisfying, and this section works well as a thriller with a twist.

I found the historical section to be quite dry, and by the end of the book I had lost interest in it. The large number of footnotes, and other historical references were distracting, and it was difficult to know which sections were factually accurate, and which were fiction. The characters became lost in the data, and it became more like a text book than a novel.

Overall, there was a lot of interesting information about life within a polygamous family, but it lacked that special spark.

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› See all 112 customer reviews (newest first) on Amazon.co.uk

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Fact vs fiction

Great mix of fact and fiction, gives a really good background and understanding of the Mormon religion and the growth and emergence of the later day saints as to how they exist... Read more

Published 9 days ago by luv2spend

4.0 out of 5 stars Do read the 19th wife

If you like history and a modern story intertwined then I highly recommend this book. Davis Ebershoff does a fantastic job, no wonder he's been nominated for literary prizes. Read more

Published 13 days ago by Meritreya

2.0 out of 5 stars Far to long

It should have been two books not one and it would have been an easier and more pleasurable and satisfying read.

Published 29 days ago by martin hale

4.0 out of 5 stars good insight to mormonism

This shows the hypocritical ness of LSD in there truth and brain washing of their church members in both current and olden days.

Published 2 months ago by Brian fleming

5.0 out of 5 stars book

I was pleased with all aspects of this purchase: the product arrived promptly and was in excellent condition and met my expectations.

Published 2 months ago by Ms. S. J. Rolph

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating insight into life in a closed American religious community

Death comes to a leading man in this enclosed community shocking both those inside and those outside. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Christine Makin

5.0 out of 5 stars An exposure of regilous extremism.

A well constructed and very interesting read incorporating two different centuries. Thoroughly enjoyed and found it hard to put down

Published 7 months ago by Helen Bryant

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for me

I couldn't get going on this one - far too long. A friend loved & recommended it. Takes all sorts.

Published 9 months ago by Ms. J. Kirby

4.0 out of 5 stars The 19th Wife.

This is a good story and gives you an interesting insight how these people live, and makes me sure glad I am not one of them.

Published 10 months ago by Zillah Nicolle

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good

The second time I've read this one. This book combines three stories concerning the doctrine of celestial marriage, which was fundamental to the LDS church in the 19th century. Read more

Published 11 months ago by R. Vowles

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