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311 reviews for:
The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice
M. Bridget Cook, Rebecca Musser
4.01 AVERAGE
311 reviews for:
The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice
M. Bridget Cook, Rebecca Musser
4.01 AVERAGE
Once again, I'm struck with how hard these crazy cult leaders work. Warren Jeffs was high school principal, moral admonisher, leader and pedophiliac bigamist husband to his brainwashed brethren. I'm thinking he never had much time to reflect on what an amoral scumbag he was. It's strange how some people are so driven and work so hard to do evil.
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, FLDS, has a strong level of control through large swaths of the west. Rebecca was born within the fundamentalist cult lead by Warren Jeffs. At a young age, Rebecca was abused by her father's first wife, in response to rejecting the fact that he had a second wife. She was trained to work menial jobs and never completed high school. While still a teen, she was married to the 85 year-old prophet, Roulon Jeffs. She was his nineteenth wife, with many more to quickly follow. Even as his health declined, she was still expected to fulfill all of her wifely duties. When Roulon passed away, his son Warren took control of the group and continued to force the community to marry child brides, marriages that were abusive and take tithes from the already impoverished families. After Rebecca makes the tough decision to leave, she then begins helping the authorities to find her family members and eradicate the horrific expectations of Warren Jeffs.
This was a compelling story that gave insight into a national news story. While the writing wasn't stellar, this is a story that needed to be told.
This was a compelling story that gave insight into a national news story. While the writing wasn't stellar, this is a story that needed to be told.
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
This book was fantastic! It is a very long book, but it did not take me long to finish it. The author is a fantastic writer and she has had a crazy life. She helped bring a lot of FLDS leaders down and help them go to jail. Her story is amazing and I suggest it to everyone :)
"Rebecca Musser grew up in fear, concealing her family's polygamous lifestyle from the "dangerous" outside world. Covered head-to-toe in strict, modest clothing, she received a rigorous education at Alta Academy, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' school headed by Warren Jeffs. Always seeking to be an obedient Priesthood girl, in her teens she became the nineteenth wife of her people's prophet: 85-year-old Rulon Jeffs, Warren's father. Finally sickened by the abuse she suffered and saw around her, she pulled off a daring escape and sought to build a new life and family.
The church, however, had a way of pulling her back in-and by 2007, Rebecca had no choice but to take the witness stand against the new prophet of the FLDS in order to protect her little sisters and other young girls from being forced to marry at shockingly young ages. The following year, Rebecca and the rest of the world watched as a team of Texas Rangers raided the Yearning for Zion Ranch, a stronghold of the FLDS. Rebecca's subsequent testimony would reveal the horrific secrets taking place behind closed doors of the temple, sending their leaders to prison for years, and Warren Jeffs for life."
"Rebecca Musser grew up in fear, concealing her family's polygamous lifestyle from the "dangerous" outside world. Covered head-to-toe in strict, modest clothing, she received a rigorous education at Alta Academy, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' school headed by Warren Jeffs. Always seeking to be an obedient Priesthood girl, in her teens she became the nineteenth wife of her people's prophet: 85-year-old Rulon Jeffs, Warren's father. Finally sickened by the abuse she suffered and saw around her, she pulled off a daring escape and sought to build a new life and family.
The church, however, had a way of pulling her back in-and by 2007, Rebecca had no choice but to take the witness stand against the new prophet of the FLDS in order to protect her little sisters and other young girls from being forced to marry at shockingly young ages. The following year, Rebecca and the rest of the world watched as a team of Texas Rangers raided the Yearning for Zion Ranch, a stronghold of the FLDS. Rebecca's subsequent testimony would reveal the horrific secrets taking place behind closed doors of the temple, sending their leaders to prison for years, and Warren Jeffs for life."
At first I was annoyed by the black and white tendencies of this writing, every person in the early chapters was an angel or a devil. While I can understand that a fundamentalist upbringing in a doomsday cult might lead to this kind of world view, it still distracted me.
However, when moving into adult phases of her life about 50 pages in, the book becomes so utterly compelling that questions of style or writerly skill no longer rate. A fascinating autobiography from a remarkably strong woman.
However, when moving into adult phases of her life about 50 pages in, the book becomes so utterly compelling that questions of style or writerly skill no longer rate. A fascinating autobiography from a remarkably strong woman.
medium-paced
I love these stories, love reading about their getting out and starting a new life
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0/5.0
This book is a powerful testimony about living in and surviving a cult, namely the FLDS. Muesser’s story is powerful and the book is made stronger by her willingness to live in her own perspective when she was still in the cult and as she fled it and grew beyond it. It is an important story and is best viewed hearing her own narration on audiobook.
I hope you remember these stories, when you next wear red.
This book is a powerful testimony about living in and surviving a cult, namely the FLDS. Muesser’s story is powerful and the book is made stronger by her willingness to live in her own perspective when she was still in the cult and as she fled it and grew beyond it. It is an important story and is best viewed hearing her own narration on audiobook.
I hope you remember these stories, when you next wear red.
Trigger warning: many abuses including verbal, emotional, physical and sexual.
Rebecca is a strong woman who fled the FLDS and the horrific abuses she endured. She ended up being the star witness against many of the leaders and helped get justice. It was definitely not easy reading the abuser and the brainwashing of the women and young girls. Ok t makes you want to shake them and ask them why they stay but have to remember they are programmed at a very early age to be fearful of anything outside their community and to submissive at a cost. My heart breaks for them and hope that someday more will have the strength to leave.
Rebecca is a strong woman who fled the FLDS and the horrific abuses she endured. She ended up being the star witness against many of the leaders and helped get justice. It was definitely not easy reading the abuser and the brainwashing of the women and young girls. Ok t makes you want to shake them and ask them why they stay but have to remember they are programmed at a very early age to be fearful of anything outside their community and to submissive at a cost. My heart breaks for them and hope that someday more will have the strength to leave.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia