Judith Freeman's RED WATER is a beautifully rendered fictionalized
account of one Latter-Day Saint family and the tragic event that
haunted their lives and threatened the peace of the early Mormon
church. Freeman's novel centers on the Mountain Meadows Massacre,
an actual event in which 120 men, women, and children en route to
California were horribly murdered by a Mormon militia and their
Native American allies. One man, John D. Lee, was tried for this
crime and in 1857, 20 years after the massacre, confessed and was
executed by firing squad. RED WATER tells the story of three of his
almost 20 wives. John D. Lee, known as "Father" to the women he
married, remains somewhat of a mystery throughout the novel, as do
the details of the massacre and his involvement in it. Instead, the
novel focuses on the wives and the trials they suffer as well as
the comforts they find in their polygamous family.

The novel is divided into three sections, each dedicated to one
wife and each as stylistically different as the women's
personalities. The first section, "Emma," is a beautifully told
first person narrative told by the 18th wife of John D. Lee. Emma,
Lee's "English bride," left her home country to settle on the
American frontier with the Saints. Her love for Father was
passionate and her faith strong. However, her spirited and
self-assured personality often led to conflicts with the other
wives. In Emma, Freeman has created a character whose strength,
intelligence, and loyalty are as compelling as her weaknesses and
flaws. Emma's tale is the majority of the book and covers the
largest expanse of time and distance.

The next section, "Ann," tells of Lee's youngest wife, who had left
him years earlier and who now finds herself chasing the thieves who
have stolen her horse across mountains and mesas and through
outpost towns. As she travels, she remembers her life with the Lee
family, including her friendship with Emma, her marriage to Father,
and the three children she left behind when she fled for a life of
adventure and self-reliance. Perhaps Lee's most rebellious wife,
Ann is eccentric and has sought out her own happiness. She is also
the most interesting character, as her independence and cynicism
put her at odds with the polygamous lifestyle she found with
Lee.

"Rachel," the final section, is a brief series of diary entries by
one of Lee's first wives (actually the sister of his first wife).
Rachel is the last wife standing by Lee during his trial and
imprisonment, the one who shares his final, desperate days. Now
impoverished and shunned by the Mormon community and abandoned by
the other wives, she is bitter and lonely. She is forced to
confront her bleak prospects after Lee's execution when Emma
arrives hoping to take custody of Ann's daughter, who Rachel has
been raising. Stubborn and proud, Rachel struggles to maintain her
dignity and relies on her faith in the face of adversity.

RED WATER is a well-written, engaging and poetically composed
novel. The characters are interesting and compelling; their sorrows
bitter and their triumphs bittersweet. Despite its harsh depiction
of the jealousies, emotional neglect, and sexual tensions present
in this family and the oppressive interpretation of the religion by
John D. Lee, the novel is not an indictment against the Mormons or
the Mormon religion. In fact, the Lee family is seen as renegade
and is excommunicated from the church. The polygamous situation of
the Lee family is difficult to empathize with, but Freeman handles
it with grace and respect. Respect is especially shown for the
women who obey the tenets of their faith. The novel carefully
examines the way in which greed, violence, and the desire for power
are often disguised as religious zeal and fervor. Most importantly,
RED WATER explores the many manifestations of love and faith and
what happens when both are challenged.

RED WATER is a quietly powerful and emotional tale. Freeman has
presented a beautiful and often heartbreaking fictionalized account
of a real family. Even before his imprisonment, John D. Lee was a
less than ideal husband. Emma, Ann, and Rachel each respond to him
in very different ways. While the Mountain Meadows Massacre and
John D. Lee drive much of the action and create much of the
tension, this story is about the women who were left to pick up the
pieces of their lives as their community turned its back on them.
Each wife had to forge her own personal and spiritual path, and RED
WATER is the record of their choices, struggles, successes, and
dreams.