Nauvoo: Mormon City on the Mississippi River

by Raymond Bial

In 1839, persecuted Mormons fled Missouri, across the Mississippi River, seeking freedom from violence. They hoped to find a safe haven on the banks of the river in an Illinois city that they called Nauvoo, “the city beautiful.”

The Mormons did not flourish for long in Nauvoo. In neighboring cities some grew resentful of the prosperity that Joseph Smith and his people were enjoying. Religious misconceptions further fueled hostility toward the Mormons. Would the oft-persecuted Mormons have to flee their city beautiful?

Through poignant writing and photographs of Nauvoo today, Raymond Bial tells the story of the city that many Mormons consider to be the wellspring of their religion.

48 pages, Hardcover

Published October 30, 2006

About the author

Author and photographer Raymond Bial (1948-2021) has been creating acclaimed books for children and adults for more than thirty years. His books have been published by Houghton Mifflin, Scholastic, Walker & Company, Marshall Cavendish, Crickhollow Books, and other fine publishers and university presses. Raymond also makes images on assignment, and his stock photographs have been used by book publishers such as National Geographic, advertising agencies such as Leo Burnett, and media such as PBS.

Raymond’s most recent books are Ellis Island: Coming to the Land of Liberty, which is an excellent companion volume to Tenement: Immigrant Life on the Lower East Side; The Shaker Village, a lovely collection of color photographs depicting the simplicity and grace of this remarkable utopian community; a lovely paperback edition of Where Lincoln Walked published in honor of the bicentennial of the birth of this great president; Dripping Blood Cave and Other Ghostly Stories, the third volume in a popular series of ghost stories for young readers; and Rescuing Rover: Saving America’s Dogs, which has been selected for the Junior Literary Guild Book Club. Rescuing Rover is currently receiving high praise across the country.

Chigger, his most recent novel, is receiving fine reviews from readers, young and old alike. Anyone who likes to root for the underdog will love this sweet story of an unforgettable girl.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it sets out to relate the history of Nauvoo, Illinois, this recounting also serves as a good introduction to Mormonism for interested readers. I learned that Nauvoo is often considered to be the wellspring of the Mormon religion and that much of the city has been restored, including the rebuilding of the temple. The restored original homes and businesses are open to the public and the pictures display a charming appearance of a relatively unknown historical site.

I always enjoy reading books written by Raymond Bial; he introduces readers to lesser known and written about peoples and their communities. He offers straight facts but also mixes in enough interesting details to make the subject accessible and engaging. But, with that said, I don’t think I would have enjoyed this as a kid. It’s a lengthy read and the subject matter wouldn’t have interested me. I would recommend this to history buffs and those looking to learn more about Mormon history.

[Brittney · Rating 3 out of 5]

After I read this book, I realized it was written by the father of one of my former students. If you want an outsiders perspective of Nauvoo and Mormons in the mid west - this book will give it to you. It does have an interesting summary of the Book of Mormon

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice primer about early Mormonism for kids.