A Teenager's Tears: When Parents Convert to Polygamy

It was hard to put this novel down. It's sad to think that this same thing is really happening to real girls in real families. I wish I had the money to help all of them get out of cults like the one in the book so they could have a chance at a happy life. After reading many books on the RLDS, I still can't see why law enforcement and gov't can't put an end to all their illegal activities. Who will stand up and fight for the girls rights? I would highly recommend this book to any one doing a study on anything from cults to women's rights.

This is a fact based fictional book written by a former polygamist insider who was once a policeman in Utah. I feel he did a good job at portraying the struggles a young girl and her family would undergo in such a situation.Although do keep in mind, the real life model for this book was the least oppressive fundamentalist polygamist group in Utah, so although the books main character Emma went through a lot,she did not suffer some of the horrific incidents that have happened in other groups . The dialogue was down to earth, free flowing and unpretentious. The story was well paced and believable. He also has a deft working knowledge of the doctrines and operations of such groups. I recommend this book if you are interested in polygamy, Mormon Fundamentalism or just like fact based fiction.

This is a heart wrenching story of a beautiful young girl born into a middle class Mormon family whose father has made the decision for leave the comfort of their local LDS Ward, friends and family to embrace a lifestyle that will encompass lust, greed, abuse and mind control. Think for moment how you would feel if you came home one day to find that you were going to leave all that you knew and loved to be told you were going into a remote area to join a polygamist cult. Imagine that you will not be able to fulfill your dreams of college; marry the boy you love; not be able to ever think for yourself again. You will have to wear funny long dresses; wear no make up;a hairdo that even your grandmother would have a problem wearing; no TV, movies, boyfriends or girl friends of your choice. You may think this is a fictional story, think again, this story is true and happens more often you you can imagine. Yes, the characters are fiction but the lifestyle of polygamy portrayed is true. I know; I live in Southern Utah where several thousand polygamist live. There is rape and abuse in the form ofunderage "spiritual marriage" to men old enough to be their father, maybe even grandfather. It is a cult run by fear and threat. Not to obey is grounds for excommunication; your family given to another more worthy man; your mother given as a "wife" and as her daughter you would be given as his wife also. Your property and money that you earn is no longer yours to use as you want; It is communal. This is a story of one young womans courageous fight for her life and future. It is the story of a woman who loves her husband and has to make some hard choices and decisions that go against the prophets authority that states women are to submit to their husband or lose their eternal salvation and be dammed. Women are required to share their husband with one, two, three or more women called "sister wives"as is the case in this story. If you have even a little interest in the polygamist lifestyle this is a MUST READ!!