The 19th Wife, David Ebershoff

Ask anyone who knows me what my odd obsession is and the answer will come rapid fire: Mormons.

Naturally, that led me to the mecca of Mormon literature: Under the Banner of Heaven, by Jon Krakauer. Krakauer intertwines three threads: the tale of a contemporary murder mystery involving fundamentalist Mormons, a comprehensive history of the Mormon religion, and a look at the different extremist sects that are flourishing in North America. The book is phenomenal, and I still can't stop recommending it.

So when I heard about David Ebershoff's The 19th Wife, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Mormon lit in general isn't the easiest to come by, and Mormon fiction is even harder.

But, to my disappointment, the book read exactly like Under the Banner of Heaven.

There are two storylines in the book. One is a contemporary murder mystery. (Sound familiar?) The 19th wife of a murdered man in a fundamentalist sect is accused of his murder. Her son, Jordan, is a "lost boy" excommunicated from the sect, and he is determined to prove his mother innocent.

The other storyline follows the 19th wife of Brigham Young, a major figure in the Mormon church. This wife, Ann Eliza Young, rebelled against the practice of plural (or "celestial") marriage. She is an actual historical figure though Ebershoff fictionalizes her tale. Peppered in are bits of accurate history of the church. (Again, sound familiar?)

So while this book was well worth reading, I can't help but ask why Ebershoff didn't take a more original approach to this subject. Surely he consulted Krakauer's work for research... Hm.

But if you are looking to learn more about Mormons and want to do so with something less dense than Krakauer but more serious than Big Love, definitely pick this one up.