THE 19th WIFE
David Ebershoff
Random House
Fiction
ISBN: 9781400063970
Fiction and historical nonfiction intertwine in this hefty page-turner revolving around two wives. Ann Eliza Young was once the 19th wife of Mormon leader Brigham Young before she denounced him publicly. Her fictional counterpart is BeckyLyn, the mother of narrator Jordan Scott. BeckyLyn is the 19th wife and accused murderer of Jordan's fundamentalist cult polygamist father.
As the story opens, Jordan is finally living contentedly in Los Angeles after being one of the "lost boys" ousted from Mesadale, the Utah compound composed of fundamentalists calling themselves Firsts (as Jordan notes, Firsts aren't Mormons; they are a splinter group who left when the Mormon Church denounced polygamy). Jordan's parents kicked him out of the compound supposedly for holding the hand of one of his many sisters. Jordan knows, though, that young men are routinely exiled so the older men will have no competition in marrying the young women.
Jordan happens to read a Utah newspaper online and is shocked to see his own parents featured on the front page. His polygamist father has been shot to death. His mother, BeckyLyn (his father's 19th wife), is in prison awaiting a murder trial. Jordan packs up his dog, Elektra, and drives his old van to visit his mother. BeckyLyn insists she is innocent. Jordan wants to believe her but can't help feeling skeptical since all evidence points to her. However, he drives out to Mesadale to see what he can find out. When he reaches his old home, he notices the everyday sights of the community: a truck packed with one man's five wives, the enormous warehouse-like makeshift homes of polygamist families, and the group's Prophet's police force.
As Jordan investigates, he talks to his mother's sister wives and to his own far-flung siblings, some of whom he has never met. He discovers a fascinating underground railroad, joins up with an unexpected companion and falls into romance (Jordan is gay, but his orientation is --- refreshingly --- not an issue). He also gathers clues that point him toward a belief in his mother's innocence, but how can he prove that someone else killed his father?
Chapters depicting the story of Ann Eliza Young's life in the 19th century are skillfully braided into Jordan's tale. Ann Eliza was a unique character: gorgeous, intelligent, dramatic and flawed. As a first wife in a devout Mormon family, Ann Eliza's mother had believed in the principle of celestial marriage and yet was devastated when her husband acquired more wives.
Mormon leader Brigham Young was taken with the vibrant young Ann Eliza, who was determined not to be a part of his enormous polygamous household. However, he managed to manipulate her into marrying him. Her unhappiness with the marriage turned to anger after he used and abandoned her. Ann Eliza left the church and began divorce proceedings against him. She wrote two tell-all autobiographies and toured the country as a speaker to expose the ugliness of polygamy. The American public turned Ann Eliza into a celebrity.
Some readers may be initially drawn to THE 19th WIFE because of the media coverage of the Texas FLDS Yearning for Zion Ranch, but they will find themselves compelled to turn pages thanks to the fascinating braided plots peopled with sympathetic characters. The historical factual tale and the fictional crime story are separately gripping; together, each plays off the strengths of the other, with the present-day Jordan adding welcome breeziness and levity. The modern murder mystery concludes in a satisfying and unexpected manner, while Ann Eliza Young's story leaves readers with lingering questions. This entertaining and thought-provoking read is highly recommended.
--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)
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