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The Book of Laman
From the ForwardThe central conceit of The Book of Laman—telling the story of 1 Nephi from Laman’s perspective—seems like a perfect device for a funny book. Indeed, Bob Lewis used it precisely this way in his satirical 1997 novel, The Lost Plates of Laman. Here we see all of the jokes implied the first time we hear that Laman is the narrating the Book of the villain becomes the hero, and the hero becomes an insufferable know-it-all, the archaic language is peppered with anachronisms and modern values, and the devotional content of the original text is sacrificed on the twin altars of mocking Mormon weirdness and having a grand time.But Mette Harrison’s Book of Laman is not funny. It does not try to be funny. It doesn’t use intentional archaisms to make fun of the Book of Mormon’s language; rather, it tells its story in a non-distracting modern style. The characters are not simply reversed. Nephi is sometimes an annoying brat, but he is also a real prophet who sees and speaks for the Lord. Laman is neither a comic book villain nor a long-suffering ironist. He is a flawed human being struggling to live well and usually coming up short. And in some of the book’s very best scenes, he is touched unexpectedly by grace and God.Harrison’s characters are the sorts of people who might actually have existed in history. She does not naturalize the miracles in the Book of Mormon—there really are angels and visions and smiting and all the rest—but she humanizes the actors. And this is important, as it corrects for a reading bias that plagues Latter-day Saints. Simply we want the Book of Mormon to be history, not fiction, but we expect the people in it to act like characters in a (not very good) novel and not as the kinds of people who have actually ever existed.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 24, 2017
21 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Mette Ivie Harrison
68 books436 followersMy name is pronounced "Metty" like my mother's "Betty." It is Danish, and we were all named after ancestors. I guess by the time they got to number nine (out of eleven), it was getting tricky. So I got the funny Danish name no one knew how to prounounce. In Denmark, it should be "meta" like "metaphysical." It's from the Greek for "pearl." And no, it's not short for anything. Not even Mediterannean.
My first book, THE MONSTER IN ME was accepted for publication in 1999 and was published in 2002. My second book, MIRA, MIRROR was published in 2004. The latest book, THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND , was published in 2007. A sequel, THE PRINCESS AND THE BEAR, came out in April of 2009.
I now live in Utah with my husband and 5 children, ages 5 to 14. I write during nap time, or at 4 in the morning, or while the broccoli for dinner is burning. Whenever I get a chance. I love to write the kind of books that I love to read. And I love to discover what is going to happen next, just like a reader would. I also do some racing in triathlon.
from http://www.metteivieharrison.com/myli...
My first book, THE MONSTER IN ME was accepted for publication in 1999 and was published in 2002. My second book, MIRA, MIRROR was published in 2004. The latest book, THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND , was published in 2007. A sequel, THE PRINCESS AND THE BEAR, came out in April of 2009.
I now live in Utah with my husband and 5 children, ages 5 to 14. I write during nap time, or at 4 in the morning, or while the broccoli for dinner is burning. Whenever I get a chance. I love to write the kind of books that I love to read. And I love to discover what is going to happen next, just like a reader would. I also do some racing in triathlon.
from http://www.metteivieharrison.com/myli...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 20, 2018
I've followed Mette on Twitter for a couple of years, and I've always been impressed with her ideas and perspective.
When I heard that she had written a book that provided a different perspective to the storyline of the Book of Mormon, as first told by the rather self-righteous and oft annoying Nephi, I was excited to see how she would approach it.
Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in this retelling. I felt that it read like a young adult fiction (of which I am generally not a fan, so take that into account). The characters lacked depth and the descriptions felt anachronistic, like the author took for granted that these peoples from 600 BC would have the same religious structures, as well as the same colloquialisms and relationship behaviors that we have today. I sensed that she didn't do much by way of researching cultural standards of the time.
As it was published by a smaller organization, I shouldn't critique it as harshly, but I found many errors that an editor should have caught.
I would have liked it to have a similar tone and style as The Book of Mormon, that would have perhaps existed had Laman also kept his own record. I would have liked to see real application of Jewish law and standards of the time. This would have required more than I think this author was prepared to give, as she simply wanted to provide a new alternative for others to imagine. This idea had the potential of being an outstanding alternative guide for reasoning that scripture, while inspired by God, is still written by men (I won't go into the lack of women writing scripture), who each have motivations, biases, and failings.
There were moments that definitely gave me pause and opened up a better understanding of how it might have been in the original story. For example, I gained a new appreciation for Nephi's energies in building a boat to cross over to the Promised Land.
A Mormon who enjoys YA fiction might enjoy this book. It didn't meet my hopes for it.
*Side Story:
I ordered my copy from Amazon, and it didn't show up for weeks. When I finally got ahold of someone in customer service, it was a man somewhere in South Asia, and I could tell he was very intrigued with the book. He kept asking me, "Is this a religious book?" I surmised he had somewhere been exposed to the Book of Mormon and recognized the name or cover image. I responded, "Well, it's based off of a religious text, but this is NOT a religious book. It's just a fictional story." He kept insisting, "But it's a religious book!" He was adamant about this, so I finally said, "Yes."
When I heard that she had written a book that provided a different perspective to the storyline of the Book of Mormon, as first told by the rather self-righteous and oft annoying Nephi, I was excited to see how she would approach it.
Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in this retelling. I felt that it read like a young adult fiction (of which I am generally not a fan, so take that into account). The characters lacked depth and the descriptions felt anachronistic, like the author took for granted that these peoples from 600 BC would have the same religious structures, as well as the same colloquialisms and relationship behaviors that we have today. I sensed that she didn't do much by way of researching cultural standards of the time.
As it was published by a smaller organization, I shouldn't critique it as harshly, but I found many errors that an editor should have caught.
I would have liked it to have a similar tone and style as The Book of Mormon, that would have perhaps existed had Laman also kept his own record. I would have liked to see real application of Jewish law and standards of the time. This would have required more than I think this author was prepared to give, as she simply wanted to provide a new alternative for others to imagine. This idea had the potential of being an outstanding alternative guide for reasoning that scripture, while inspired by God, is still written by men (I won't go into the lack of women writing scripture), who each have motivations, biases, and failings.
There were moments that definitely gave me pause and opened up a better understanding of how it might have been in the original story. For example, I gained a new appreciation for Nephi's energies in building a boat to cross over to the Promised Land.
A Mormon who enjoys YA fiction might enjoy this book. It didn't meet my hopes for it.
*Side Story:
I ordered my copy from Amazon, and it didn't show up for weeks. When I finally got ahold of someone in customer service, it was a man somewhere in South Asia, and I could tell he was very intrigued with the book. He kept asking me, "Is this a religious book?" I surmised he had somewhere been exposed to the Book of Mormon and recognized the name or cover image. I responded, "Well, it's based off of a religious text, but this is NOT a religious book. It's just a fictional story." He kept insisting, "But it's a religious book!" He was adamant about this, so I finally said, "Yes."
March 29, 2018
I'm a big fan of realizing so much history and scripture is told through a narrow lens, so I enjoyed this imagining of what it was like to be the older brother of a prophet. Having younger siblings who are way better Christians than I am, I've always identified with Laman anyway, and this book reinforced that for me. The more devout might bristle at the premise and tone, but to those readers: stay with it, read to the very end, and then read Harrison's afterword. The last paragraph of the afterword knocked me over with its truth, and does an excellent job of explaining why a book like this is necessary.
October 9, 2017
A fleshed out Laman and a stilted Nephi
I really enjoyed this book! It is neither exciting nor does it open new ground spiritually but it shows us people doing things for real reasons. It shows people making decisions because of their thoughts for good or ill. Bad judgment mixed with good throughout. And that includes in the behavior of Laman and Nephi.
Through it all however the lesson is that God loves us despite our follies even when they ascend to sinning. And we also see that even those great saints struggle with some weakness. "Every sinner has a future and every saint has a past" might be one way to say it but this even suggests that every sinner has some good and every saint has some sin now.
Reading her afterward helped me see the authors own way of learning the lessons in the book. Very good read, and well done with several characters in the plot. It made me want to check out some of her others books.
I really enjoyed this book! It is neither exciting nor does it open new ground spiritually but it shows us people doing things for real reasons. It shows people making decisions because of their thoughts for good or ill. Bad judgment mixed with good throughout. And that includes in the behavior of Laman and Nephi.
Through it all however the lesson is that God loves us despite our follies even when they ascend to sinning. And we also see that even those great saints struggle with some weakness. "Every sinner has a future and every saint has a past" might be one way to say it but this even suggests that every sinner has some good and every saint has some sin now.
Reading her afterward helped me see the authors own way of learning the lessons in the book. Very good read, and well done with several characters in the plot. It made me want to check out some of her others books.
April 8, 2018
This was a phenomenal first-year offering from BCC press. Harrison takes 1 Nephi and turns it on its head to produce a moving, plausible story of weakness, striving, redemption, and hope told from Laman's perspective. It's a beautiful tale for those who struggle at times with faith. Or who think that Nephi occasionally comes off a bit self-righteous, intentionally or not. I thoroughly enjoyed this take on a well known narrative. Harrison gives the reader much to think about and digest, and she offers a taste of redemption not only to the characters featuring in her book, but also to the reader.
As a new press, BCC does have a tiny room to grow--I did find a few typos. Also, I think the story could have benefited from a little more research and incorporation of ancient Jewish social customs, as well as middle east climate info. All in all, incredibly well done.
As a new press, BCC does have a tiny room to grow--I did find a few typos. Also, I think the story could have benefited from a little more research and incorporation of ancient Jewish social customs, as well as middle east climate info. All in all, incredibly well done.
September 13, 2023
I’m a sucker for the “POV of the villain” genre, so this is right up my alley. I thought the idea to have Lehi leave his family when Laman and Lemuel were young was brilliant. Making Nephi an arrogant brat who neglects his own family also works really well. There are a couple of instances where it’s not clear if the narrator (Laman) is supposed to be unreliable or if the story just contradicts itself, which kinda bugged me. Overall, I think the idea is better than the execution, but it’s worth your time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2017
3.5 stars. I liked this book more as a thought experiment than as, well, a book. The beginning set the stage so well, and I might have preferred to fill in the rest of the story on my own rather than read someone else's version (if that makes any sense).
Still a really valuable addition to Mormon literature - I am loving BCC Press!
Still a really valuable addition to Mormon literature - I am loving BCC Press!
January 28, 2018
I really love interpretations of scripture from the view of someone other than the narrator, and I love thinking about the Nephi story from his brothers’ (or mother’s) perspectives. Unfortunately I think this lacked the depth and nuance I was hoping it would have.
July 19, 2018
I was looking forward to this re-telling of the first part of the Book of Mormon story from the perspective of the black sheep of the family because I’ve found that alternate re-tellings of a long familiar story can often be very illuminating.
The story held my interest, making me want to read all the way to the end. I think it works reasonably successfully as a re-telling of the story from the viewpoint of a different character, but I found many aspects of it to be unsatisfying.
I think Harrison's main objective in writing the book was to flesh out Laman's character and to explore ways in which he might be similar to many of us. The book succeeds to some degree on this count, and I enjoyed reading Laman's introspective internal dialogues / soliloquies.
One thing that surprised me was the great liberties the author took with certain aspects of the story, among them her portrayal of a Lehi as a drunk and a scoundrel earlier in his life. I certainly wouldn't say I was offended by this. It’s just that it seemed unnecessary to invent this detail, which is completely out of character with the character of Lehi I know from the text.
As for Nephi, maybe there really aren’t any redeeming traits which can be illuminated in his character. Certainly, Harrison found none.
I was also a bit put off by much of the dialogue. A lot of it seemed overly earnest to me, and I felt that injecting a bit of humor into the story could have helped a lot.
The story held my interest, making me want to read all the way to the end. I think it works reasonably successfully as a re-telling of the story from the viewpoint of a different character, but I found many aspects of it to be unsatisfying.
I think Harrison's main objective in writing the book was to flesh out Laman's character and to explore ways in which he might be similar to many of us. The book succeeds to some degree on this count, and I enjoyed reading Laman's introspective internal dialogues / soliloquies.
One thing that surprised me was the great liberties the author took with certain aspects of the story, among them her portrayal of a Lehi as a drunk and a scoundrel earlier in his life. I certainly wouldn't say I was offended by this. It’s just that it seemed unnecessary to invent this detail, which is completely out of character with the character of Lehi I know from the text.
As for Nephi, maybe there really aren’t any redeeming traits which can be illuminated in his character. Certainly, Harrison found none.
I was also a bit put off by much of the dialogue. A lot of it seemed overly earnest to me, and I felt that injecting a bit of humor into the story could have helped a lot.
May 9, 2019
An interesting idea but not a great execution.
I read a bunch of really positive reviews for this book when it was first published, and it’s been on my list for a long time. Unfortunately it was pretty disappointing. The characters don’t make a ton of sense; they’re not consistent, their arguments and conversations are often silly, and they just don’t feel like real people. The vast majority of the book is just Laman narrating everything, including statements that fall flat rather than meaningful descriptions in his own voice. The idea is great, and there are moments when I think I can see what Harrison had in mind. And there are some satisfying resolutions to character and plot issues. Overall, though, it feels like a rush job.
I read a bunch of really positive reviews for this book when it was first published, and it’s been on my list for a long time. Unfortunately it was pretty disappointing. The characters don’t make a ton of sense; they’re not consistent, their arguments and conversations are often silly, and they just don’t feel like real people. The vast majority of the book is just Laman narrating everything, including statements that fall flat rather than meaningful descriptions in his own voice. The idea is great, and there are moments when I think I can see what Harrison had in mind. And there are some satisfying resolutions to character and plot issues. Overall, though, it feels like a rush job.
July 29, 2017
Interesting twist with complex characters who ultimately find redemption through God's love.
January 16, 2020
This book was such a gem! Not a big fan of historical fiction, but Mette Harrison writes a deeply intellectual/soul searching narrative from a silenced view. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Poor Zoram though, he gets no love in this book either.
December 23, 2017
I think the author at one point called this Book of Mormon fanfiction, which I think is an apt description. I don't recommend this to Mormons who love the prophet Nephi and find 1 Nephi wholly inspirational, because I think this book will be too iconoclastic and not faith-promoting. These are the people who will think this book is attacking the Book of Mormon.
But that's not what this book is doing, at least not for those of us who have an increasingly hard time as we try to read the Book of Mormon more thoughtfully. The point of this book isn't to say that the Book of Mormon is uninspired or that Nephi wasn't a prophet. It doesn't make light of sacred things. Rather, it's a thoughtful exploration of the questions we generally shrug at in Sunday School--like, how could Laman and Lemuel see an angel and not believe? Why won't they just trust God?
Well, it's really easy to see the black and white of the situation a couple millennia later, when you've only got one perspective to draw from. This book wades into the gray area, and I have discovered that I definitely needed that gray area.
Laman, our narrator, would be the first to admit that he is not as faithful or righteous as Nephi. But this book has shown me why his actions may be generally reasonable or at least understandable, and the ways in which most of us are more like him than Nephi. (And also why most of us might *want* to be more like him in some ways than Nephi.) Laman fails, and fails, and fails again, as we all do. But in spite of what he thinks, he cannot fall beneath the reach of God's love.
There were definitely some interpretational decisions I strongly disagreed with--if you read it, I'd love to discuss. (Frankly, I'd love to have a Sunday School series on this, but I have a feeling the Church would take exception to that idea.) And at times the writing (dialogue especially) is wooden, anachronistic, and not subtle enough for my taste. But overall, I found this an extremely helpful look at the way things might have been. It offers compelling potential explanations for why people behave the way they do--and what Nephi might have been leaving out in his interpretation of events. Highly recommended for the right kind of Mormon.
But that's not what this book is doing, at least not for those of us who have an increasingly hard time as we try to read the Book of Mormon more thoughtfully. The point of this book isn't to say that the Book of Mormon is uninspired or that Nephi wasn't a prophet. It doesn't make light of sacred things. Rather, it's a thoughtful exploration of the questions we generally shrug at in Sunday School--like, how could Laman and Lemuel see an angel and not believe? Why won't they just trust God?
Well, it's really easy to see the black and white of the situation a couple millennia later, when you've only got one perspective to draw from. This book wades into the gray area, and I have discovered that I definitely needed that gray area.
Laman, our narrator, would be the first to admit that he is not as faithful or righteous as Nephi. But this book has shown me why his actions may be generally reasonable or at least understandable, and the ways in which most of us are more like him than Nephi. (And also why most of us might *want* to be more like him in some ways than Nephi.) Laman fails, and fails, and fails again, as we all do. But in spite of what he thinks, he cannot fall beneath the reach of God's love.
There were definitely some interpretational decisions I strongly disagreed with--if you read it, I'd love to discuss. (Frankly, I'd love to have a Sunday School series on this, but I have a feeling the Church would take exception to that idea.) And at times the writing (dialogue especially) is wooden, anachronistic, and not subtle enough for my taste. But overall, I found this an extremely helpful look at the way things might have been. It offers compelling potential explanations for why people behave the way they do--and what Nephi might have been leaving out in his interpretation of events. Highly recommended for the right kind of Mormon.
August 9, 2017
The Book of Mormon begins with the story of Nephi and his family leaving Jerusalem and heading into the wilderness to find the promised land. Nephi's father Lehi has visions from God directing them. Despite significant spiritual experiences including being visited by an angel, Nephi's two older brothers Laman and Lemuel consistently question and fight against their father and Nephi, whereas Nephi and his brother Sam are righteous. Nephi is the narrator of this part of the Book of Mormon.
This novel imagines the story from Laman's point of view, including an interesting backstory for the family and filling in some gaps.
In general I have some complaints about the writing. The novel could have used some good editing--the timeline was confusing, and there were some missing words (maybe a problem with the e-book version?). And I find Harrison not the most talented or subtle of writers. In particular the episodes of Laman's violence toward Nephi seemed abrupt and unexplained.
However. I was deeply moved by the portrayal of Laman's redemptive experiences of God's love and grace, and by Harrison's afterword where she discusses the genesis of the novel. Harrison's Nephi is not without fault, which I find realistic. I also enjoyed her portrayal of a strong female character in Naomi, Laman's wife. Harrison asks serious questions about faith and works and redemption that made me think of these verses in the New Testament:
"But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick."
Luke 5:30-31
Well worth the read.
This novel imagines the story from Laman's point of view, including an interesting backstory for the family and filling in some gaps.
In general I have some complaints about the writing. The novel could have used some good editing--the timeline was confusing, and there were some missing words (maybe a problem with the e-book version?). And I find Harrison not the most talented or subtle of writers. In particular the episodes of Laman's violence toward Nephi seemed abrupt and unexplained.
However. I was deeply moved by the portrayal of Laman's redemptive experiences of God's love and grace, and by Harrison's afterword where she discusses the genesis of the novel. Harrison's Nephi is not without fault, which I find realistic. I also enjoyed her portrayal of a strong female character in Naomi, Laman's wife. Harrison asks serious questions about faith and works and redemption that made me think of these verses in the New Testament:
"But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick."
Luke 5:30-31
Well worth the read.
August 25, 2017
I truly wanted to like this book. The writing is crisp. The ideas are thought provoking, but I found myself continuing to rebel against how the characters were portrayed.
1. Lehi was never a drunkard. He never would have left his family for six years to fend for themselves as he pursued women and wine. I guess this is how the author wanted us to begin to empathize with Laman; his tough upbringing led to his lack of faith and skepticism. This was too much of a departure of the original text.
2. Tangential departures from the plot also struck me as wrong. Laman went to get the plates from Laban first because he drew the short straw. The author has Nephi take the lead throughout. Also the storm on the ship and the shock of Laman and Lemuel for refusing to build the ship run contrary to the original text.
3. Laman as an unreliable narrator - Laman is too sympathetic. Confused men don't beat their brother with a bat until he's almost dead, nor do they tie them up and try to kill them. I couldn't suspend my disbelief when reading Laman's innermost thoughts after his depraved acts.
---
With all that said, this book is worthwhile. I'm glad it helped the author confront her own doubts and provided her solace. She's an excellent writer. Unfortunately, I found Laman's spiritual journey more confusing than uplifting.
1. Lehi was never a drunkard. He never would have left his family for six years to fend for themselves as he pursued women and wine. I guess this is how the author wanted us to begin to empathize with Laman; his tough upbringing led to his lack of faith and skepticism. This was too much of a departure of the original text.
2. Tangential departures from the plot also struck me as wrong. Laman went to get the plates from Laban first because he drew the short straw. The author has Nephi take the lead throughout. Also the storm on the ship and the shock of Laman and Lemuel for refusing to build the ship run contrary to the original text.
3. Laman as an unreliable narrator - Laman is too sympathetic. Confused men don't beat their brother with a bat until he's almost dead, nor do they tie them up and try to kill them. I couldn't suspend my disbelief when reading Laman's innermost thoughts after his depraved acts.
---
With all that said, this book is worthwhile. I'm glad it helped the author confront her own doubts and provided her solace. She's an excellent writer. Unfortunately, I found Laman's spiritual journey more confusing than uplifting.
July 25, 2017
Laman finally gets his say in this tongue-in-cheek (yet not comedic) revisiting of the Book of Mormon from its most understood character. The family dynamics of this dynastic lot of outcasts is familiar yet hidden in the original. Harrison invests in a backstory that parallels Joseph Smith's own familial background (although JS is in the Nephi role in this story). She also uses the story to pose questions about modern Mormonism, how the divine is perceived when one is a doubter, and the role of upbringing and life experience in one's perceptions of spiritual matters. It's a distinctly modern reading of Laman's experience, but with lots of things to think about.
February 22, 2018
Definitely not trying to be an accurate representation of what Laman would have experienced. Rather, this colorful and thoughtful tale explores the anguish and doubts of a son of God seemingly destined to live in the shadow of a prodigiously blessed sibling. The constant rebukes, the less than righteous habits, the misunderstood acts, the easy to spit sins... all of these add up to an emotionally charged story. There were a few unexplored facets to Laman that I felt the author should have included- even alluded to in earlier chapters, and just never followed up on.
January 9, 2018
I liked the idea of this book. I always love to hear a story from a different perspective and I loved seeing Laman experience God's redeeming love in this fictional retelling. I have no doubt he really did have similar moments. I struggled with how negatively Nephi, Lehi and having faith in God were portrayed throughout this story. I think it could have been just as effective without tearing them down in the process.
October 9, 2017
*includes spoilers*
As the afterword makes clear, this is a highly personal book for the author.
For anyone unfamiliar with the Book of Mormon, the Book of Laman covers the same ground as the first book of Nephi and the first five chapters, more or less, of the second book of Nephi. In Nephi's account, Laman is Nephi's oldest brother, and later his enemy - a feud that persists under those two names, off and on, for a thousand years. In the Book of Mormon, Laman is portrayed as a wicked, faithless man, who on several occasions tries to kill Nephi.
In Harrison's novel, Laman isn't quite as bad as Nephi sees him, though in Laman's own eyes Nephi may be right. From Laman's perspective, Nephi and their father Lehi are God's chosen prophets, but also imperfect people. Laman's Nephi may have OCD or reside on the autism spectrum; he's a challenge to live with, with poor people skills. His father Lehi, the prophet leading them away from Jerusalem before the Babylonian captivity, was very different from the drunken no-show Laman remembered as a father.
Mormons who have read First Nephi many times will be familiar with many of the events: trips to Jerusalem for brass plates, then wives; Lehi's dream; a broken bow; Nephi's ship building; mutiny on the sea. Here, Laman offers his perspective on the same events. There are clear departures from the scriptural account, which can be jarring ("Hey, what about...?") but they're close enough to keep you in the story.
This Laman is a tragic figure. Not unlike Salieri in AMADEUS, who ached to create music fit for God but was fated to watch the vulgar Mozart exercise that divine talent. Laman believes - knows - his brother is a prophet, but feels the distance between that God and himself. Sometimes it's a relief; often, it's a burden. Why not me? In spite of this, Laman continues the journey, supports his father, even supports his brother when he's serving his God at the expense of his own family.
I have mixed feelings about the book. I believe the Book of Mormon is an account of real people, and this interpretation of them doesn't fit my own. My Laman and Nephi might share some similarities, but there would be significant differences. Laman's sorrows are believable, but other characters aren't nearly as well rendered. As a first-person narrative, this isn't entirely surprising.
As the afterword makes clear, this is a highly personal book for the author.
For anyone unfamiliar with the Book of Mormon, the Book of Laman covers the same ground as the first book of Nephi and the first five chapters, more or less, of the second book of Nephi. In Nephi's account, Laman is Nephi's oldest brother, and later his enemy - a feud that persists under those two names, off and on, for a thousand years. In the Book of Mormon, Laman is portrayed as a wicked, faithless man, who on several occasions tries to kill Nephi.
In Harrison's novel, Laman isn't quite as bad as Nephi sees him, though in Laman's own eyes Nephi may be right. From Laman's perspective, Nephi and their father Lehi are God's chosen prophets, but also imperfect people. Laman's Nephi may have OCD or reside on the autism spectrum; he's a challenge to live with, with poor people skills. His father Lehi, the prophet leading them away from Jerusalem before the Babylonian captivity, was very different from the drunken no-show Laman remembered as a father.
Mormons who have read First Nephi many times will be familiar with many of the events: trips to Jerusalem for brass plates, then wives; Lehi's dream; a broken bow; Nephi's ship building; mutiny on the sea. Here, Laman offers his perspective on the same events. There are clear departures from the scriptural account, which can be jarring ("Hey, what about...?") but they're close enough to keep you in the story.
This Laman is a tragic figure. Not unlike Salieri in AMADEUS, who ached to create music fit for God but was fated to watch the vulgar Mozart exercise that divine talent. Laman believes - knows - his brother is a prophet, but feels the distance between that God and himself. Sometimes it's a relief; often, it's a burden. Why not me? In spite of this, Laman continues the journey, supports his father, even supports his brother when he's serving his God at the expense of his own family.
I have mixed feelings about the book. I believe the Book of Mormon is an account of real people, and this interpretation of them doesn't fit my own. My Laman and Nephi might share some similarities, but there would be significant differences. Laman's sorrows are believable, but other characters aren't nearly as well rendered. As a first-person narrative, this isn't entirely surprising.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2023
I wanted so badly to like this book. There are certain passages that are amazing--particularly Laman's experiences with God--but the overall mass of typos and mismatched characters (at one point Laman does something "with Laman" and the second Laman never appears again, for one example) hurts me. The prose is only inspiring when the voice of God speaks, and there are significant anachronisms and tonal difficulties, but it's not a bad book. I would recommend it as a library checkout more than a purchase.
Of course, there are characterizations I disagree with. It's possible Laman was written as an unreliable narrator on purpose, but that would undermine Harrison's characterization of him as a very reasonable and relatable character. Overall, it's decently well done as far as characters go--they are dynamic, at the least. Harrison overly relies on "tell, not show" in my opinion, and, again, is far too modern in setting and custom. Also, I'm disturbed by the main negative influence in Laman's life being his wife.
It's a quick read, I did it in about an hour or two. Some interesting perspectives, but not executed well. I think it might have actually worked better as a semi-satire (as is normal for Laman's POV in fiction) or abstracted out into an "inspired by" sort of story (such as Orson Scott Card's work in Memory of Earth). It also may have been worth it to have the story be a smaller scope (one or two episodes as opposed to a response to all of First and Second Nephi, or to have involved multiple narrators. There are also a few plot and timeline things that either indicate a lack of regard for the scriptural account, scholarship, or editors. Again, this very well could have been intentional, but if there were ways to flag or signal those intentions it would have been better executed.
Of course, there are characterizations I disagree with. It's possible Laman was written as an unreliable narrator on purpose, but that would undermine Harrison's characterization of him as a very reasonable and relatable character. Overall, it's decently well done as far as characters go--they are dynamic, at the least. Harrison overly relies on "tell, not show" in my opinion, and, again, is far too modern in setting and custom. Also, I'm disturbed by the main negative influence in Laman's life being his wife.
It's a quick read, I did it in about an hour or two. Some interesting perspectives, but not executed well. I think it might have actually worked better as a semi-satire (as is normal for Laman's POV in fiction) or abstracted out into an "inspired by" sort of story (such as Orson Scott Card's work in Memory of Earth). It also may have been worth it to have the story be a smaller scope (one or two episodes as opposed to a response to all of First and Second Nephi, or to have involved multiple narrators. There are also a few plot and timeline things that either indicate a lack of regard for the scriptural account, scholarship, or editors. Again, this very well could have been intentional, but if there were ways to flag or signal those intentions it would have been better executed.
August 22, 2018
I was really excited to read this book because I found the concept of writing this well-known (to those familiar with the Book of Mormon) story from Laman’s perspective so interesting. I agree that there is more to Laman than the villain he is often seen as. However, I didn’t really love the way it is presented here. Yes, Laman’s character is more deeply developed to be multi-dimensional and realistic, but I felt it was at the complete sacrifice of Nephi’s character, who she makes very one-dimensional and unrealistic, in my opinion. The writing style wasn’t my favorite either, it was just way too much internal dialogue. I understand that’s a way for us to see into Laman’s thoughts and feelings, but for me it made it boring to read. I also found myself cringing at how often I found grammatical or structural errors in the text. There are a couple liberties that the author takes with the plot of the text, even totally changing it at times, which I didn’t personally like or think served the purpose of the book well. Overall, I don’t regret reading it because I did gain a new perspective. I appreciate what a great personal meaning it has to the author as well, which she describes in her afterword.
December 29, 2018
The Book of Laman is a fascinating retelling of a story most Mormon (LDS? who knows what to call them anymore) folk know well: the beginning chapters of the Book of Mormon. But this time the story is told from the perspective of the man who, for all intents and purposes, is the "villain" of the first few books of the original document (his name's Laman if you haven't caught that yet).
Harrison does a lot of awesome things well, here, the first and foremost being the humanization of Laman, making him incredibly sympathetic and multifaceted. The only reason this book isn't getting a five from me, in fact, is because it fell into some lengthy sections of what felt like little more than summary of events explained in the original document. Overall, however, a fantastic read, although mostly for anyone who is or has been Mormon.
Harrison does a lot of awesome things well, here, the first and foremost being the humanization of Laman, making him incredibly sympathetic and multifaceted. The only reason this book isn't getting a five from me, in fact, is because it fell into some lengthy sections of what felt like little more than summary of events explained in the original document. Overall, however, a fantastic read, although mostly for anyone who is or has been Mormon.
August 4, 2017
Obedience is the first law of heaven. We often hear this (fallacy) comment over the pulpit. However, although being obedient to God is a key to salvation, who should we be obedient to? Why? Who is God, and what does it mean when one sibling is chosen by God and others are not? How do the other siblings feel? No Prophet of God is perfect. They are just like you and I except they claim to be God's earpiece. How would it be to be the older sibling of a prophet of God? This novel does the important task of humanizing characters Mormons know well and allows us to start having important discussion s about God, Is God bound to us just like we are to him/her? What purpose does obedience have in our lives? Was Nephi a lousy leader? and well, many more.
October 4, 2017
This book will give you empathy not just for the characters in the Book of Mormon, but for the Laman and Lemuels in your own life as well.
Things I didn't like:
- It reads like it was written from the perspective of a teenage boy.
- Laman's internal monologue doesn't always match his actions (especially regarding his violent outbursts)
- The violence at times seemed over the top
While this book clearly presents an unorthodox take on the Book of Mormon stories I grew up with, it ended up much more faith affirming than I had imagined.
Things I didn't like:
- It reads like it was written from the perspective of a teenage boy.
- Laman's internal monologue doesn't always match his actions (especially regarding his violent outbursts)
- The violence at times seemed over the top
While this book clearly presents an unorthodox take on the Book of Mormon stories I grew up with, it ended up much more faith affirming than I had imagined.
June 25, 2018
Wow. This was a REALLY good book that added major depth to people from the Book of Mormon. It gave a good look at what Laman and Lemuel might have been like - real people who struggled, rather than one dimensional whiners. I especially liked that it portrayed Laman as someone who did believe in God, but had a hard time trusting Him.
June 20, 2018
Such an interesting perspective. Although this book is a work of fiction, it opened my eyes to Laman and what he possibly could have been thinking/feeling during the leaving of Jerusalem and the journey to the Promised Land.
January 21, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
Good but inconsistently so. The final several chapters were quite moving.
(The less than wholly favorable portrayal of Lehi would cause some to pause. Recall, however, the mighty repentance of Saul/Paul and others who became mighty exhorters. Also it's just fiction/one interpretation)
Good but inconsistently so. The final several chapters were quite moving.
(The less than wholly favorable portrayal of Lehi would cause some to pause. Recall, however, the mighty repentance of Saul/Paul and others who became mighty exhorters. Also it's just fiction/one interpretation)
September 21, 2017
I like the author's perspective that God loves everyone and is more expansive and inclusive than traditionally understood
July 16, 2018
I was pretty excited about this book. The idea behind the book (telling a well-known story from the antagonist's perspective) is popular these days, and I think it's an important perspective to take with Nephi's story. I think we can all relate more to Laman & Lemuel than we'd sometimes like to admit.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The Laman presented in this story is quite the diplomatic guy, trying to mitigate between the self-righteous Nephi and the family members who hate him and want him dead. Sometimes Laman participates in trying to teach Nephi a lesson (which could have left him dead but luckily didn't), but it's for Nephi's own good. That's fine and all, but I feel like, by changing Laman so drastically, Harrison missed an opportunity to really give the real Laman a voice. Instead, she gave a softened-down Laman a voice, which, to me, kind of defeats the purpose of the book. I see a much more realistic Laman-Nephi relationship in Orson Scott Card's "Memory of Earth" (if you can get over God being substituted for a computer).
Additionally, some crucial scenes in the book just weren't very well written. One second Laman is thinking "How can I get Lemuel to stop beating Nephi up" and the next second he's joined Lemuel and beating Nephi to within an inch of his life, and the reader is left confused as to how the transition happened. It didn't really make sense for the Laman of this book to behave that way, but I guess Harrison had to include it because that's what Laman did in the Book of Mormon.
On the plus side, the book does help put you in the situation of seeing just how crazy some of God's commandments must've seemed, and that obeying them was no small thing. "Really Nephi, you're going to build a boat and put your wife and kids on it and cross the ocean?" Can't say I blame Laman and Lemuel for trying to stop him. Harrison also does a decent job of showing that prophets can be prophets, despite their weaknesses, which may be large stumbling blocks for those close to them. For example, she portrays Lehi as a recovering alcoholic and Nephi as excessively annoying.
Oh well. For what it's worth, I suppose I'd recommend the book to a junior-high aged kid who views life a bit too black-and-white-ish. Might be helpful.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The Laman presented in this story is quite the diplomatic guy, trying to mitigate between the self-righteous Nephi and the family members who hate him and want him dead. Sometimes Laman participates in trying to teach Nephi a lesson (which could have left him dead but luckily didn't), but it's for Nephi's own good. That's fine and all, but I feel like, by changing Laman so drastically, Harrison missed an opportunity to really give the real Laman a voice. Instead, she gave a softened-down Laman a voice, which, to me, kind of defeats the purpose of the book. I see a much more realistic Laman-Nephi relationship in Orson Scott Card's "Memory of Earth" (if you can get over God being substituted for a computer).
Additionally, some crucial scenes in the book just weren't very well written. One second Laman is thinking "How can I get Lemuel to stop beating Nephi up" and the next second he's joined Lemuel and beating Nephi to within an inch of his life, and the reader is left confused as to how the transition happened. It didn't really make sense for the Laman of this book to behave that way, but I guess Harrison had to include it because that's what Laman did in the Book of Mormon.
On the plus side, the book does help put you in the situation of seeing just how crazy some of God's commandments must've seemed, and that obeying them was no small thing. "Really Nephi, you're going to build a boat and put your wife and kids on it and cross the ocean?" Can't say I blame Laman and Lemuel for trying to stop him. Harrison also does a decent job of showing that prophets can be prophets, despite their weaknesses, which may be large stumbling blocks for those close to them. For example, she portrays Lehi as a recovering alcoholic and Nephi as excessively annoying.
Oh well. For what it's worth, I suppose I'd recommend the book to a junior-high aged kid who views life a bit too black-and-white-ish. Might be helpful.
February 28, 2024
It's hard for me to give this book an overall rating. Certain elements were top notch:
(*) Laman and Nephi's unguarded discussion about the killing of Laban. (This passage alone makes the book worth it's price IMO)
(*) Laman's spiritual experience in the sandstorm where he feels that God loves him completely even though God can't rely on him
(*) Laman's remorse at the Nephi's midnight departure
(*) Framing Nephi as unflinchingly obstinate in his devotion to God makes it completely believable that he could do many might miracles and yet fail to keep the family together. The subtitle of this book could be "How My Brother is Both a Prophet and a Jerk".
Others were good, but a bit underdeveloped:
(*) Lehi's family is completely unprepared for a desert journey. While this would certainly be the case for my own family, most novelizations I've read frame Lehi or Laman as some sort of caravaneer to justify how they could survive the harsh conditions.
(*) That the company drank animal blood when they couldn't find water?!? This is a direct violation of the Mosaic and Noahic covenants. I get that desperate times call for desperate measures, but I suspect Nephi would have struggled with this idea.
A few were poor:
(*) The pacing was so fast (or equivalently the prose so rough), especially early on, that Laman's resentment of Lehi seemed a bit contrived. I felt like I was being told that Laman resented his dad, and not shown why.
(*) The character development was very uneven. Laman and Nephi get the most; Lemuel, Sam, Naomi (Laman's wife), and Esther (Nephi's wife) get noticeably less. The sons of Ishmael don't even get names. I get that this works with the limited perspective Harrison was writing from, but I wished for more insight into these other characters (particularly Naomi).
(*) Laman and Nephi's unguarded discussion about the killing of Laban. (This passage alone makes the book worth it's price IMO)
(*) Laman's spiritual experience in the sandstorm where he feels that God loves him completely even though God can't rely on him
(*) Laman's remorse at the Nephi's midnight departure
(*) Framing Nephi as unflinchingly obstinate in his devotion to God makes it completely believable that he could do many might miracles and yet fail to keep the family together. The subtitle of this book could be "How My Brother is Both a Prophet and a Jerk".
Others were good, but a bit underdeveloped:
(*) Lehi's family is completely unprepared for a desert journey. While this would certainly be the case for my own family, most novelizations I've read frame Lehi or Laman as some sort of caravaneer to justify how they could survive the harsh conditions.
(*) That the company drank animal blood when they couldn't find water?!? This is a direct violation of the Mosaic and Noahic covenants. I get that desperate times call for desperate measures, but I suspect Nephi would have struggled with this idea.
A few were poor:
(*) The pacing was so fast (or equivalently the prose so rough), especially early on, that Laman's resentment of Lehi seemed a bit contrived. I felt like I was being told that Laman resented his dad, and not shown why.
(*) The character development was very uneven. Laman and Nephi get the most; Lemuel, Sam, Naomi (Laman's wife), and Esther (Nephi's wife) get noticeably less. The sons of Ishmael don't even get names. I get that this works with the limited perspective Harrison was writing from, but I wished for more insight into these other characters (particularly Naomi).
January 6, 2020
I really enjoyed this fictional retelling of the story of Lehi's family. I have often wondered what the perspective of Laman and Lemuel might be. Laman and Lemuel were, in the traditional telling, obedient although grudgingly so. The perspective of a flawed man, Laman, who has doubts but in the end wants to do the right thing was refreshing. My only criticism is that Lehi comes off as kind of nuts and Nephi overbearing. I would have liked to see a more sympathetic treatment of Lehi and Nephi. The book is well written and thought-provoking.
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