A review by abeeni
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer

dark informative slow-paced

3.0

Krakauer presents a narrative that contrasts the murders of Brenda and Erica Lafferty with the history of Mormonism itself, drawing on Mormon, non-mormon, and former mormon scholars and witnesses to events he describes. Krakauer presents a balanced view of religion as something natural to humans and even fanatics as perhaps not mental illness, but a natural extension of beliefs one is raised on. He further emphasizes the power of religion to create both kind, warm peoples - as many Mormons are - and violent fanatics. In a sense he reveals that religion is like any human creation, bound to be used for “good” or “evil”. However the organization of the text is sometimes hard to follow and I would have appreciated some sort of list of names at the beginning of the book. There are dozens of names, often from large families which isn’t Krakauer’s fault, but a reference point would have provided clarity. I would have also appreciated some sort of timeline for events, I understand the choice to jump between the Lafferty’s and Mormonism’s history, but it often made the order of events jumbled in my head. 

If you’re looking for intrigue and a more true crime focus, I’d recommend skipping the book and watching the mini-series. The series isn’t perfect in its portrayal of events, but does represent the power of faith and focus on the true crime aspect. 
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