Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs

Extremely well written story and compelling. Really goes in depth into her story and escape, I felt on the edge of my seat throughout the book, truly tragic circumstances but overall shows hope and strength are unbeatable.

Elissa Wall gives readers insight into what it was like being a child bride, growing up Polygamous, and escaping that world. It's a brilliant, emotional first-hand account of a life of terror, and escaping that and the notorious leader, Warren Jeff's.

It's amazing how a story so unlike your own has the ability to pull out such stong emotions from the dark depths of your soul. Wonderful book, couldn't put down.

I read "Stolen Innocence" right after Escape and both were equally fascinating and equally riveting. But then I got to thinking. Which story is more catastrophic? I thought about this for a very long time because I couldn't really decide; each was such a vulgar and violent story of an FLDS bride. After second thought though I've come to the conclusion that "Stolen Innocence" is even more horrendous and hurtful (if you've read "Escape" then you'll know that this new book is truly tragic.) You know, in my life I've read about many ugly vulgarities. Sometimes I really think that humanity is dead and our fellow (wo)man doesn't care about each other. But the book "Stolen Innocence" is genuinely the most repugnant and vicious story that I've ever read. Because of that, the book was also one of the most fascinating and detailed autobiographies that I've read. Most of "Stolen Innocence" was all about the systematic and thought-out rape and sexual abuse of a minor. Ms. Elissa Wall was married off to a grown-man at the young age of only 14! The author describes how she begged everyone who would listen to at least give her "2 more years." Once she was married she was the repeated victim of severe rape and sexual abuse at the hands of her 20 year-old husband, who, by the way, was also her biological cousin. And, I have to ask, what kind of sorry excuse, what kind of waste of human life would do such a thing to a little girl? Even wild animals aren't this barbaric and cruel. In great detail the author also courageously details how she begged her husband not to rape her. However, Elissa was raped repeatedly because this cult, the FLDS, only considers girls their property! When Ms. Wall got the strength to speak to their "prophet," Warren Jeffs, this pig actually condoned what her husband did to her and even started blaming her! Can you believe that there is honestly a religion in the USA that would allow little girls to be married off and then forced into violent sexual abuse and raped, over and over again? It is disgusting and shocking and shameless, to say the very least. And I cannot believe this has gone on and continues to go on. Elissa taught me that her story in and of itself isn't exactly unique. Girls are forced into sexual assault all the time and their "church," the FLDS, even condone this and promote this! What is unique about the author is that she had the courage to get out of this sulfurous-pit and she had the conviction to report her abuse to the authorities. Like a prisoner sentenced to a life of hard-labor, Elissa tells how no one came to her rescue as she was trapped in this loveless marriage. No one. Not her mother, not her father, not her step-father. Nobody. Everyone was afraid of going against this Hltler-like tyrant, Warren Jeffs. Ms. Wall even states how he was like a god to them because this was all they were taught to believe. And that is probably what is fundamentally wrong with this cult. Because no one was ever allowed

This book is a first person account of a stifling, controlling and sometimes horrifying and criminal community of Mormon fundamentalists. The Fundamentalist Church of the Latter Day Saints is rooted in fear of the "end of times", which always seems to be just around the bend. As we discover in the book, the "religion" or cult is very controlling of women, holding their salvation over their heads for ransom. This utter devotion by some of the women leaves many of the children who hit their teens and feel something is wrong - out in the cold, literally. My anger at Elissa's mother was raging at times. I wanted to shake her shoulders at times. I couldn't sacrafice my children to starvation, rape and other dangers just so I could be rewarded in the next life - and this women had FOURTEEN kids to mess up with - and she did with most of them, in my opinion. Elissa tried to take a forgiving Zen-like approach to the outrage anybody should feel towards her mother, but I am less forgiving I suppose. I bought this book on a Friday and finsihed by early Sunday afternoon. I couldn't put it down I was in such disbelief at the torments that Elissa faced and how boldy they objectified, controlled and used women. It's archaic to say the least. Elissa's inner moral compass kept telling her somthing was wrong and she should follow her heart, and she did. That's something we have in common. The co-author probably had a lot to do with how well written the book was since Elissa didn't get much of an education. You did get the distinct impression she was telling her side of the story and I was nearly cheering out loud that she finally had a voice. The author is also now helping others who want to escape this oppressive and controlling way of life. There were several editing errors - from a period in the middle of a sentence to the wrong tense and the wrong word, in the case of "peak" which should have been "peek" - I was actually surprised at the number of errors. In any other book I probably would have stopped reading at the fourth or so error in a non-fiction book. The material in this book was so compelling I couldn't stop reading it.

I couldn't put this book down. From the very beginning I was captivated by Elissa Wall's story of childhood lost and countless heartbreaks. She offers her readers an amazing "behind the scene" look at polygamy in the United States under Warren Jeffs and brings new light to the plight of the women and children still living within its confines. Elissa is a brave young lady and this book offers readers a unique opportunity to glimpse into the her life as a young girl in the FLDS.