A review by lisawreading
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

4.0

"The 19th Wife" is a fictional account of both Ann Eliza Young, 19th wife of Mormon prophet Brigham Young, and the protagonist, Jordan Scott, a "lost boy" of a fundamentalist sect of Latter Day Saints. The story revolves around Jordan's search for the truth after his mother is accused of murdering her husband, to whom she is but one of perhaps two dozen wives living in a polygamous subculture. Woven throughout Jordan's story are diaries, news articles, and various other historical documents (fictional, of course) pertaining to Ann Eliza's upbringing in the 1800's, tracing the history of early Mormonism and culminating in her marriage to and divorce from Brigham Young. The modern and historical stories are both fascinating, although the alternating structure of the books makes it difficult to fully become involved in and follow either story. "The 19th Wife" is intriguing and certainly kept my attention; however, I would recommend the non-fiction "Under the Banner of Heaven" over "The 19th Wife" for anyone looking for a book that covers Mormon history and modern day fundamentalism. Reading "The 19th Wife" after "Under the Banner..." felt a little redundant to me.