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Daughter of the Saints: Growing Up in Polygamy
"Probably the best book ever written about polygamy. Neither an apologia nor an exposé."― Salt Lake City Tribune
"I am the daughter of my father's fourth plural wife, twenty-eighth of forty-eight children―a middle kid, you might say."
So begins this astonishing and poignant memoir of life in the family of Utah fundamentalist leader and naturopathic physician Rulon C. Allred. Since polygamy was abolished by manifesto in 1890, this is a story of secrecy and lies, of poverty and imprisonment and government raids. When raids threatened, the families were forced to scatter from their pastoral compound in Salt Lake City to the deserts of Mexico or the wilds of Montana. To follow the Lord's plan as dictated by the Principle, the human cost was huge. Eventually murder in its cruelest form entered when members of a rival fundamentalist group assassinated the author's father.
Dorothy Solomon, monogamous herself, broke from the fundamentalist group because she yearned for equality and could not reconcile the laws of God (as practiced by polygamists) with the vastly different laws of the state. This poignant account chronicles her brave quest for personal identity. Originally published in hardcover under the title Predators, Prey, and Other Kinfolk .
"I am the daughter of my father's fourth plural wife, twenty-eighth of forty-eight children―a middle kid, you might say."
So begins this astonishing and poignant memoir of life in the family of Utah fundamentalist leader and naturopathic physician Rulon C. Allred. Since polygamy was abolished by manifesto in 1890, this is a story of secrecy and lies, of poverty and imprisonment and government raids. When raids threatened, the families were forced to scatter from their pastoral compound in Salt Lake City to the deserts of Mexico or the wilds of Montana. To follow the Lord's plan as dictated by the Principle, the human cost was huge. Eventually murder in its cruelest form entered when members of a rival fundamentalist group assassinated the author's father.
Dorothy Solomon, monogamous herself, broke from the fundamentalist group because she yearned for equality and could not reconcile the laws of God (as practiced by polygamists) with the vastly different laws of the state. This poignant account chronicles her brave quest for personal identity. Originally published in hardcover under the title Predators, Prey, and Other Kinfolk .
416 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
May 10, 2008
This is the best polygamy memoir I have ever read. OK, that's a pretty small niche, I know, but I have read a fair share of them. Unlike other recent books--such as Carolyn Jessop's Escape or Irene Spencer's Shattered Dreams, Daughter of the Saints is not a book about someone who has escaped the clutches of evil polygamists. Unlike Jessop, who grew up in the coercive and abusive FLDS community, Dorothy Solomon grew up in the Apostolic United Brethren, a much more moderate, urban group whose members blend in with Salt Lake society much more and coerce underage girls into unwanted marriages much less.
Solomon's portrayal of her father and the religious community that he led is neither scandalous nor idealized. She portrays her father as a good man who loved her, but who she also resented. It shows the polygamous lifestyle as one that is difficult under even the best circumstances and that people live more as a sacrifice required for celestial glory than as a kind of life that is desirable in this world.
To me, the most interesting part of the book concerns her father's murder by agents of the radical polygamist leader Ervil LeBaron and her own successful struggle to prevent the actual murderer--a plural wife named Rena Chynoweth--from profiting from her own book about the murder written after she had been acquitted of the crime.
As the events at the FLDS Yearning for Zion compound in Texas continue to unfold, it is important for people to realize that modern polygamists are not all cut from the same cloth. Though the Allred family was not exactly ripped from the set of Big Love, it had very little in common with the compound-based, authoritarian families we see every night on the evening news.
Solomon's portrayal of her father and the religious community that he led is neither scandalous nor idealized. She portrays her father as a good man who loved her, but who she also resented. It shows the polygamous lifestyle as one that is difficult under even the best circumstances and that people live more as a sacrifice required for celestial glory than as a kind of life that is desirable in this world.
To me, the most interesting part of the book concerns her father's murder by agents of the radical polygamist leader Ervil LeBaron and her own successful struggle to prevent the actual murderer--a plural wife named Rena Chynoweth--from profiting from her own book about the murder written after she had been acquitted of the crime.
As the events at the FLDS Yearning for Zion compound in Texas continue to unfold, it is important for people to realize that modern polygamists are not all cut from the same cloth. Though the Allred family was not exactly ripped from the set of Big Love, it had very little in common with the compound-based, authoritarian families we see every night on the evening news.
January 26, 2009
I, took, am a "Daughter of the Saints." In my case, however, I'm a several-generations-removed extremely wayward daughter. While I didn't grow up in polygamy, nor even in the LDS church, I did grow up (because of my family's history) with an abiding interest in the history of the LDS church and in contemporary literature dealing -- however peripherally -- with LDS issues. Lately, that interest has come to encompass polygamy and different branches of fundamentalist Mormon churches that practice polygamy -- those groups that believe themselves to hold fast to the doctrines as revealed to Joseph Smith, unadulterated by later revelations.
After watching the news this past summer, with the raids on one fundamentalist compound in Texas, I have come to firmly believe that polygamy should be legal (and because I believe that sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, I think polyandry should be legal, too). I argue that groups -- like the group in Texas -- who choose to live outside the law because of their religious beliefs on polygamy, cannot then depend on the law for protection, leaving their members vulnerable to all kinds of abuse. The apocolyptic "us against the world" mindset that Dorothy Allred Solomon detailed so vividly in Daughter of the Saints: Growing Up in Polygamy means that these groups or congregations are isolated, often uneducated, and fundamentally at the mercy of their charismatic leaders, who too often seem to use their power for what I would describe as "ill." If polygamy were legal and polygamist Mormons (and Muslims, and Buddhists, and etc.) lived openly among the rest of us, then the most vulnerable of the believers might have a fighting chance of making the decision to call the cops or CPS in response to abuse, and would not fear that such a call could rain down destruction and raids upon the community as a whole.
I was saddened to read much of Daughter of the Saints. The Allred family's decision to live in polygamy and their adherence to fundamentalist beliefs had horrible consequences for many of the children, the wives, and also for the patriarch -- consequences that I think could have been avoided had the family been able to live openly in society as a family. Solomon tells her family's story with sympathy and grace, in this very well-written book.
After watching the news this past summer, with the raids on one fundamentalist compound in Texas, I have come to firmly believe that polygamy should be legal (and because I believe that sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, I think polyandry should be legal, too). I argue that groups -- like the group in Texas -- who choose to live outside the law because of their religious beliefs on polygamy, cannot then depend on the law for protection, leaving their members vulnerable to all kinds of abuse. The apocolyptic "us against the world" mindset that Dorothy Allred Solomon detailed so vividly in Daughter of the Saints: Growing Up in Polygamy means that these groups or congregations are isolated, often uneducated, and fundamentally at the mercy of their charismatic leaders, who too often seem to use their power for what I would describe as "ill." If polygamy were legal and polygamist Mormons (and Muslims, and Buddhists, and etc.) lived openly among the rest of us, then the most vulnerable of the believers might have a fighting chance of making the decision to call the cops or CPS in response to abuse, and would not fear that such a call could rain down destruction and raids upon the community as a whole.
I was saddened to read much of Daughter of the Saints. The Allred family's decision to live in polygamy and their adherence to fundamentalist beliefs had horrible consequences for many of the children, the wives, and also for the patriarch -- consequences that I think could have been avoided had the family been able to live openly in society as a family. Solomon tells her family's story with sympathy and grace, in this very well-written book.
May 27, 2008
This book opened my eyes to the sacrifices required to live polygamy. The complex relationships between the sister-wives, the mutiple demands on the father, and the children's certain neglect were all told with clarity, without being heavy handed in condeming. It seems the greatest victim in this lifestyle is honesty itself.
The example of the father trying to live a righteous life, giving of his time to his community unselfishly while at times neglecting his family, helped me to get rid of the many typical stereotypes prevalent in the media.
I recommend this to anyone interested in understanding the mindset of this way of life. The author has left the group, so obviously her perspective isn't in favor with her family, but it seems to be a cathartic effort for her, and and her opportunity to be as honest as possible.
The example of the father trying to live a righteous life, giving of his time to his community unselfishly while at times neglecting his family, helped me to get rid of the many typical stereotypes prevalent in the media.
I recommend this to anyone interested in understanding the mindset of this way of life. The author has left the group, so obviously her perspective isn't in favor with her family, but it seems to be a cathartic effort for her, and and her opportunity to be as honest as possible.
April 30, 2008
This was a very interesting book. It provides the history of the Allred family, how they became polygamists and how they practice modern polygamy. Being raised in Salt Lake these names and events were slightly familiar to me but it was fascinating to see how all the big name families (Rulon Jeffs, Kingstons, LeBarons etc.) intertwined. The author is the daughter of the past leader of the Allred family. Her father seemed like a good man who got a little off course. He really seemed to be focused on pleasing God but he still had several flaws as a man. That aside, there were so many issues that illustrated the adverse affects of polygamy. There were too many to list. Here are a few: 1. One man cannot provide emotionally or financially for many wives and children. Her father did seem to love them but because of the sheer number of them there was not enough of him to go around. 2. The women were trying to contribute to the common good but lost their individuality in the process. I think the children also had a difficult time figuring out where they fit in their large family. 3. The different families always seemed to be jockeying for power and authority since there is no clear leader amongst them all. Sometimes women and children are used in the process. 4. Because their way of life is illegal, the children are taught to avoid telling the truth at a very young age. And I could go on. It was nice to read after reading Escape only because although the lifestyle of the family in this book was oppressive and they did not seem happy, the Jeffs family made them seem almost mainstream.
January 4, 2012
What's it like to grow up in polygamy? Dorothy will tell you all about it. This is a page-turner. It's also extremely well balanced and thoughtful, not bitter, but trying to honestly describe her bizarre lifestyle. She goes into great detail tracing her family's history and involvement with polygamy (goes back five generations). Much of the book centers around her father, his mythological stature for her as a little girl, and his fall from grace as she ages and sees him as the human he is. She doesn't idealize him or demonize him and that is to her credit. I think this book could have used a little more work in terms of editing. Some sentences and paragraphs seemed cryptic or misplaced. Sometimes the chapters didn't seem to gel to one another. It will seem when you read it that parts have been written in another tone and inserted. As with many memoirs, some facts are repeated and some things feel a bit disjointed. But Ms. Dorothy is a keen observer, and this is a satisfying read, as she examines her father's relationship with his other wives as well as her own mother. You get the feeling she is trying to do everyone justice, but she is also trying to be honest about the darkness inherent in relationships that are based on a fundamental inequality.
July 16, 2018
I go through weird phases in terms of the things that capture my attention and, thus, the things that I read about. I cycle between obsessive fascination with killer whales and extreme sports; politics and rock ‘n roll; religion and dystopian fiction. One topic that I’ve come back to over and over again: polygamy and the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS). I can’t explain this preoccupation any better than all the others, but here we are… again.
Of all the books I’ve read about the FLDS, this is probably the first that wasn’t written with rage or hurt as the primary motive. Dorothy Allred Solomon was the 28th of 48 children, a daughter of her father’s fourth wife. She grew up in the heart of fundamentalism, as did other authors who’ve written similar memoirs, yet she seems to have more of a balanced outlook regarding her childhood. She points out the difficulties and evils she recognizes as part of her own experience and what she witnessed within her family and community, but she also acknowledges the good. She seems to have a genuine love for her family and a respect for the many people who raised her, which gives the entire book a surprisingly refreshing tone.
Maybe she was lucky and had enough positive experiences to outweigh the negative ones, or maybe she has a deeper understanding of the complexity of the human condition that provides her with additional humility, gratitude, and empathy… Either way, her writing speaks to her wisdom and the authentic truth of her experience with all its myriad blessings and curses.
There are plenty of memoirs and non-fiction pieces that will detail the many horrors that have plagued the FLDS community since its inception, but this is something else altogether. Something more mild, written in the spirit of love as opposed to vengeance.
Highly recommend!
Of all the books I’ve read about the FLDS, this is probably the first that wasn’t written with rage or hurt as the primary motive. Dorothy Allred Solomon was the 28th of 48 children, a daughter of her father’s fourth wife. She grew up in the heart of fundamentalism, as did other authors who’ve written similar memoirs, yet she seems to have more of a balanced outlook regarding her childhood. She points out the difficulties and evils she recognizes as part of her own experience and what she witnessed within her family and community, but she also acknowledges the good. She seems to have a genuine love for her family and a respect for the many people who raised her, which gives the entire book a surprisingly refreshing tone.
Maybe she was lucky and had enough positive experiences to outweigh the negative ones, or maybe she has a deeper understanding of the complexity of the human condition that provides her with additional humility, gratitude, and empathy… Either way, her writing speaks to her wisdom and the authentic truth of her experience with all its myriad blessings and curses.
There are plenty of memoirs and non-fiction pieces that will detail the many horrors that have plagued the FLDS community since its inception, but this is something else altogether. Something more mild, written in the spirit of love as opposed to vengeance.
Highly recommend!
May 7, 2009
This book called to me from the library shelves. Of course the subtitle, "Growing Up in Polygamy," never fails to pull me in. I just can't leave the subject of polygamy alone. The book was so fascinating, I finished in three days.
The author did an excellent job of portraying the love she had for her family and some of the good memories she had growing up in this lifestyle, while still dealing honestly with a lot of the dysfunction and crazy things that happened in her family. I was heartsick much of the time that I read this. It seems like everyone in this situation suffers. The husband doesn't have enough time to go around with every wife and kid pulling them a different direction vying for his attention. (Clearly though the men suffer the least in polygamy.) The wives seem to have a hierarchy that would drive anyone to depression and nervous breakdowns like the author's mother had. Oh, the kids in this book. They were shuffled from Canada to Mexico and everywhere in between. They were moved from siblings, made to scrounge for food, had the pressure of getting excellent grades so they would not call attention and raids to their families, and had to live a in a constant state of lying even while their religion has strict commandments in regard to honesty.
I highly recommend this book. It is at your local library, on amazon or your local book store screaming at you to pick it up. Enjoy!
The author did an excellent job of portraying the love she had for her family and some of the good memories she had growing up in this lifestyle, while still dealing honestly with a lot of the dysfunction and crazy things that happened in her family. I was heartsick much of the time that I read this. It seems like everyone in this situation suffers. The husband doesn't have enough time to go around with every wife and kid pulling them a different direction vying for his attention. (Clearly though the men suffer the least in polygamy.) The wives seem to have a hierarchy that would drive anyone to depression and nervous breakdowns like the author's mother had. Oh, the kids in this book. They were shuffled from Canada to Mexico and everywhere in between. They were moved from siblings, made to scrounge for food, had the pressure of getting excellent grades so they would not call attention and raids to their families, and had to live a in a constant state of lying even while their religion has strict commandments in regard to honesty.
I highly recommend this book. It is at your local library, on amazon or your local book store screaming at you to pick it up. Enjoy!
September 26, 2008
The author grew up in a polygamist society. She is a great writer. Tells the story about all the facets, how it works and the ugly truths.
She did not pursue this lifestyle herself. Her book has helped women in these societies to get help.
Read with John Krakower's UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN.
She did not pursue this lifestyle herself. Her book has helped women in these societies to get help.
Read with John Krakower's UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN.
July 7, 2012
Loved this book! Read it on my honeymoon and could not put it down. It was the first of the polygamy books that I read and found it very insightful. It not only showed me the bad, but helped me see the good that she experienced as well.
October 23, 2017
Beautifully written
April 24, 2015
This book covers a topic that I hadn't planned on reading about but it was assigned in one of my book groups so I thought I'd give it a try. What this woman went through as a child of a Polygamous family was unsettling. The way her family was portrayed, especially of a fairly normal father, was refreshing. The only complaint that I had was that it felt like it ended earlier and then the author went back and told some stories about other people or previous times with other family members. I felt that she could have put those asides in the timeline but others in the group pointed out that those came to her after she wrote her first book and she added them not as her memoir but because she felt it was her responsibility to get their stories out there too since she was trusted with them.
There were a lot of poignant and lyrical qualities to the writing. Below are the passages I shared with my group when we got together to discuss the book.
Worth Quoting:
04/06 page 12 3.0% "My family's presence in Utah might best be compared to the deer herds that populate the Wasatch Mountains above the Salt Lake Valley. For the most part, we were shy, gentle creatures who kept to ourselves ruminants chewing on our private theology, who dealt with aggression by freezing or running."
04/06 page 20 5.0% "[My father had] been born ambidextrous, and enhanced the gift by learning to knit while studying to be a doctor, so that when he had to perform precise surgical tasks his hands would be quick and sure."
04/06 page 20 5.0% "It took wild rivers and streams to preserve native trout, he said, just as it took pure waters of fundamentalism to provide shallows and depths, hiding places and rapids for protecting and strengthening ancient bloodlines."
04/06 page 21 5.0% "The Word was the only hold he exercised on his wives, and the only legitimacy beyond his love that he could grant his children."
04/06 page 23 5.0% "Contention with the outside world was my family's constant challenge, a struggle that refined and distorted perception. We lingered in the shadow of secrecy, yet hungered for light."
04/06 page 35 8.0% "Since the purpose of the principle of plural marriage is procreation, not recreation, the law of chastity proscribes sexual relations when a woman is nursing, pregnant, menopausal - and when she doesn't want to conceive."
04/06 page 41 10.0% "It hadn't occurred to me that aunt emma would let me hold him, but she did. I remember that we exchanged a look and an understanding passed between me and aunt emma, who had never liked me. Something about having to share a loved one."
04/06 page 55 13.0% "With seven mothers, i had 7 sets of choices about how to be a woman."
04/07 page 72 18.0% "The Edmunds act of 1882 barred polygamists from voting or holding public office."
p72 In 1862, abraham lincoln had been under political pressure from his party platform, which promised to dance out the twin relics of barbarism, slavery and polygamy and in 1862, he signed the Morrill anti bigamy law even though it went against his grain. As president of the united states, Lincoln [planned to leave] the mormons alone. He told [the following story], when I was a boy on the farm in Illinois occasionally we would come to a log too hard to split, to green to burn and too big to move so we just plow around it. That's what I intend to do with the Mormons.
p81. Perhaps he told of Butch Cassidy, a Mormon boy gone wrong, who stole from good people for the thrill of being bad. Some have theorized that it was Butch Cassidy himself who played the part of the merchandiser named Miller. In any case, Byron Kansas counted himself lucky to be poor and alive instead of broke and dead. (From wiki; Born in 1866 in Beaver, Utah, as Robert LeRoy Parker to pioneers Maximillian Parker and Ann Campbell Gillies, Cassidy came from faithful Mormon stock. It is likely he was baptized into the Church at the age of 8, but by the time the time he was 13, he had stopped attending almost entirely.)
04/07 page 103 25.0% "I am grateful for the life that was given to me through [grandfather Harveys] peculiar practice. But Charlotte's agony and Evelyn's various humiliations have left a distorting effect on my view of him. Seen through the lens of these women's pain, Harvey already seems a fat cat in a bowler hat, a smooth politician showing up for this constituency and one way, and for that consistency in another."
04/07 page 160 40.0% "When my mother walked through the door of the White House, the sight of her children bathed and lullabied and sleeping soundly combined with the heavenly fragrance of hot gingerbread to assure her that even though the serpent had stung, something of Eden had been preserved."
04/07 page 167 41.0% "A fierce wind shook the tent and snapped a corner beam. As the tent tilted, the flap ripped away on one side, revealing a girl of about 12 chained among goats in the corral. The girl was curled in a fetal position around the post to which she was tethered and never looked up when aunt Melissa finally let out a cry that keened along the wind and frightened the little children playing at the well."
04/07 page 172 43.0% "The United order was God's plan and not to be confused with communism, she said, which was Satan's counterfeit of the divine order. She explained that the communist government controlled everybody; people weren't allowed to exercise their free agency as we did in democracy."
04/07 page 191 47.0% ""The older ones were born before your father went to prison. If the authorities found out about you, he'd have to go back." How can I describe the nausea that crept through me then, the confirmation of what I'd feared; that my being alive could send my father to prison?"
04/07 page 199 49.0% "He got caught snitching the first slice of double layer cake from Aunt Ada's tent and aunt Ada wouldn't talk to him until after our picnic, although she was his sixth wife and in no position to be uppity."
04/07 page 200 50.0% "Jake's eyes were like a lake that lets you see to the bottom. He already seemed to know himself and not to mind what he saw."
04/07 page 213 53.0% "My father recounted again why he had chosen to live the principle of plural marriage: he reminded us that we owed our lives, our excellence, our eternity to the principle. he reminded us about eugenic breeding, how a few God fearing, obedient men had been chosen to bring forth a righteous seed, giving every good woman her chance to be a mother in Israel."
04/07 page 222 55.0% "Most people did not know that Adam could claim a wife for every rib."
04/07 page 234 58.0% "I was a typical teenager, in the throes of unidentified hunger."
04/07 page 244 61.0% "As lifestyles fluctuated all over the country - people experimenting with communes, open marriage, and live-in relationships - more and more people joined our fundamentalist way of life, and more and more women voiced the desire to marry the spiritual leader of the group and thus become part of our family."
04/07 page 300 75.0% ""Don't you ever worry that the polygamist patriarchs are right and we're wrong...what if they really are headed for glory in the celestial kingdom, while we're earth bound in a monogamous state, locked forever in the terrestrial sphere? What if we wake up on the other side in the low class cabins, unable to visit the first class berths of loved ones who kept all the commandments?"
04/07 page 310 77.0% "That was the reassurance I needed. I took a breath and tears fell - of gratitude and relief and sorrow."
04/07 page 311 77.0% "I also knew that I wasn't committed to vengeance since I had learned bitter lessons from the war in Vietnam. That moment of guilty delight when Rena collapsed after the Sally show reminded me that revenge isn't sweet enough to justify the energy it takes and that it does not perpetuate life."
04/07 page 317 79.0% "Years later, the Goldman family called upon our case against Rena Chenawyth as a precedent for preventing OJ Simpson from making money through the death of their son, Ronald. This, more than anything, made me feel clean and strong and vindicated. We had proved ourselves as citizens."
04/07 page 322 80.0% "And so I am telling these stories. I do not know if I tell them for my loved ones or for the world or for myself. But I do know that it is wrong to pretend not to know, for knowledge implies responsibility - the ability of the individual to respond."
04/07 page 360 90.0% "Grandmother would dip her white head, then raise it. Too much to do. I had my own children, and when Charlotte died, with her seven that survived, I raised 16 in all. Don't make overmuch of babies, my girls. Babies don't always bring happiness and they always bring work."
04/07 page 370 92.0% "Alma notices that her heart still beats strong, and that the feeling of fullness has not left her. Illusions take up a lot of space. When they're gone, life flows in."
04/07 page 374 93.0% "To always be racing each other was not something Isaac or saul wanted, but competition and comparison were thrust on them as surely as the religion that has spawned us."
04/07 page 383 95.0% "Let us learn from Isaac's life and from his death how we let someone so precious slip away. Let us acknowledge that we did not love him like Christians, that we did not love him like a brother and that he was too pure to wear the cloak of our hypocrisy"
04/07 page 392 98.0% "Then, adopting the same soft urgency she used with birthing mothers, Erica coached Aunt Emma to slip her skin and give birth to her spirit. A beauty, a mystery beyond words to see my daughter midwife my mother's twin into eternity."
There were a lot of poignant and lyrical qualities to the writing. Below are the passages I shared with my group when we got together to discuss the book.
Worth Quoting:
04/06 page 12 3.0% "My family's presence in Utah might best be compared to the deer herds that populate the Wasatch Mountains above the Salt Lake Valley. For the most part, we were shy, gentle creatures who kept to ourselves ruminants chewing on our private theology, who dealt with aggression by freezing or running."
04/06 page 20 5.0% "[My father had] been born ambidextrous, and enhanced the gift by learning to knit while studying to be a doctor, so that when he had to perform precise surgical tasks his hands would be quick and sure."
04/06 page 20 5.0% "It took wild rivers and streams to preserve native trout, he said, just as it took pure waters of fundamentalism to provide shallows and depths, hiding places and rapids for protecting and strengthening ancient bloodlines."
04/06 page 21 5.0% "The Word was the only hold he exercised on his wives, and the only legitimacy beyond his love that he could grant his children."
04/06 page 23 5.0% "Contention with the outside world was my family's constant challenge, a struggle that refined and distorted perception. We lingered in the shadow of secrecy, yet hungered for light."
04/06 page 35 8.0% "Since the purpose of the principle of plural marriage is procreation, not recreation, the law of chastity proscribes sexual relations when a woman is nursing, pregnant, menopausal - and when she doesn't want to conceive."
04/06 page 41 10.0% "It hadn't occurred to me that aunt emma would let me hold him, but she did. I remember that we exchanged a look and an understanding passed between me and aunt emma, who had never liked me. Something about having to share a loved one."
04/06 page 55 13.0% "With seven mothers, i had 7 sets of choices about how to be a woman."
04/07 page 72 18.0% "The Edmunds act of 1882 barred polygamists from voting or holding public office."
p72 In 1862, abraham lincoln had been under political pressure from his party platform, which promised to dance out the twin relics of barbarism, slavery and polygamy and in 1862, he signed the Morrill anti bigamy law even though it went against his grain. As president of the united states, Lincoln [planned to leave] the mormons alone. He told [the following story], when I was a boy on the farm in Illinois occasionally we would come to a log too hard to split, to green to burn and too big to move so we just plow around it. That's what I intend to do with the Mormons.
p81. Perhaps he told of Butch Cassidy, a Mormon boy gone wrong, who stole from good people for the thrill of being bad. Some have theorized that it was Butch Cassidy himself who played the part of the merchandiser named Miller. In any case, Byron Kansas counted himself lucky to be poor and alive instead of broke and dead. (From wiki; Born in 1866 in Beaver, Utah, as Robert LeRoy Parker to pioneers Maximillian Parker and Ann Campbell Gillies, Cassidy came from faithful Mormon stock. It is likely he was baptized into the Church at the age of 8, but by the time the time he was 13, he had stopped attending almost entirely.)
04/07 page 103 25.0% "I am grateful for the life that was given to me through [grandfather Harveys] peculiar practice. But Charlotte's agony and Evelyn's various humiliations have left a distorting effect on my view of him. Seen through the lens of these women's pain, Harvey already seems a fat cat in a bowler hat, a smooth politician showing up for this constituency and one way, and for that consistency in another."
04/07 page 160 40.0% "When my mother walked through the door of the White House, the sight of her children bathed and lullabied and sleeping soundly combined with the heavenly fragrance of hot gingerbread to assure her that even though the serpent had stung, something of Eden had been preserved."
04/07 page 167 41.0% "A fierce wind shook the tent and snapped a corner beam. As the tent tilted, the flap ripped away on one side, revealing a girl of about 12 chained among goats in the corral. The girl was curled in a fetal position around the post to which she was tethered and never looked up when aunt Melissa finally let out a cry that keened along the wind and frightened the little children playing at the well."
04/07 page 172 43.0% "The United order was God's plan and not to be confused with communism, she said, which was Satan's counterfeit of the divine order. She explained that the communist government controlled everybody; people weren't allowed to exercise their free agency as we did in democracy."
04/07 page 191 47.0% ""The older ones were born before your father went to prison. If the authorities found out about you, he'd have to go back." How can I describe the nausea that crept through me then, the confirmation of what I'd feared; that my being alive could send my father to prison?"
04/07 page 199 49.0% "He got caught snitching the first slice of double layer cake from Aunt Ada's tent and aunt Ada wouldn't talk to him until after our picnic, although she was his sixth wife and in no position to be uppity."
04/07 page 200 50.0% "Jake's eyes were like a lake that lets you see to the bottom. He already seemed to know himself and not to mind what he saw."
04/07 page 213 53.0% "My father recounted again why he had chosen to live the principle of plural marriage: he reminded us that we owed our lives, our excellence, our eternity to the principle. he reminded us about eugenic breeding, how a few God fearing, obedient men had been chosen to bring forth a righteous seed, giving every good woman her chance to be a mother in Israel."
04/07 page 222 55.0% "Most people did not know that Adam could claim a wife for every rib."
04/07 page 234 58.0% "I was a typical teenager, in the throes of unidentified hunger."
04/07 page 244 61.0% "As lifestyles fluctuated all over the country - people experimenting with communes, open marriage, and live-in relationships - more and more people joined our fundamentalist way of life, and more and more women voiced the desire to marry the spiritual leader of the group and thus become part of our family."
04/07 page 300 75.0% ""Don't you ever worry that the polygamist patriarchs are right and we're wrong...what if they really are headed for glory in the celestial kingdom, while we're earth bound in a monogamous state, locked forever in the terrestrial sphere? What if we wake up on the other side in the low class cabins, unable to visit the first class berths of loved ones who kept all the commandments?"
04/07 page 310 77.0% "That was the reassurance I needed. I took a breath and tears fell - of gratitude and relief and sorrow."
04/07 page 311 77.0% "I also knew that I wasn't committed to vengeance since I had learned bitter lessons from the war in Vietnam. That moment of guilty delight when Rena collapsed after the Sally show reminded me that revenge isn't sweet enough to justify the energy it takes and that it does not perpetuate life."
04/07 page 317 79.0% "Years later, the Goldman family called upon our case against Rena Chenawyth as a precedent for preventing OJ Simpson from making money through the death of their son, Ronald. This, more than anything, made me feel clean and strong and vindicated. We had proved ourselves as citizens."
04/07 page 322 80.0% "And so I am telling these stories. I do not know if I tell them for my loved ones or for the world or for myself. But I do know that it is wrong to pretend not to know, for knowledge implies responsibility - the ability of the individual to respond."
04/07 page 360 90.0% "Grandmother would dip her white head, then raise it. Too much to do. I had my own children, and when Charlotte died, with her seven that survived, I raised 16 in all. Don't make overmuch of babies, my girls. Babies don't always bring happiness and they always bring work."
04/07 page 370 92.0% "Alma notices that her heart still beats strong, and that the feeling of fullness has not left her. Illusions take up a lot of space. When they're gone, life flows in."
04/07 page 374 93.0% "To always be racing each other was not something Isaac or saul wanted, but competition and comparison were thrust on them as surely as the religion that has spawned us."
04/07 page 383 95.0% "Let us learn from Isaac's life and from his death how we let someone so precious slip away. Let us acknowledge that we did not love him like Christians, that we did not love him like a brother and that he was too pure to wear the cloak of our hypocrisy"
04/07 page 392 98.0% "Then, adopting the same soft urgency she used with birthing mothers, Erica coached Aunt Emma to slip her skin and give birth to her spirit. A beauty, a mystery beyond words to see my daughter midwife my mother's twin into eternity."
October 11, 2022
"I am the daughter of my father's fourth plural wife, twenty-eighth of forty-eight children—a middle kid, you might say."
In this memoir of growing up in polygamy, there are some interesting bits--how the family was always in fear of arrest, how the wives and children interacted, how time was split between the families. However, too much of the book seemed to be written just for this family. It was as if the book was self-published (it isn't, it is from Norton) to give a laundry list of a family tree, telling the history of who begat whom long before the author's generation. Or, it read like a diary entry that no one who wasn't mentioned in it would have an interest in it. I needed this book to be jazzed up a little for a consumer audience.
In this memoir of growing up in polygamy, there are some interesting bits--how the family was always in fear of arrest, how the wives and children interacted, how time was split between the families. However, too much of the book seemed to be written just for this family. It was as if the book was self-published (it isn't, it is from Norton) to give a laundry list of a family tree, telling the history of who begat whom long before the author's generation. Or, it read like a diary entry that no one who wasn't mentioned in it would have an interest in it. I needed this book to be jazzed up a little for a consumer audience.
May 26, 2015
Author Dorothy Allred Solomon is one of forty-eight children born to her polygamous father and is descended from four generations of polygamy. In this work of non-fiction, she presents a family biography and also a memoir of her childhood and insights of growing up in a world where men where encouraged to take multiple wives.
As expected, Solomon shares some sad tales of poverty and violence from her childhood. Her siblings are forced to live on carrots for a month at a time and are hounded by federal authorities, which leads to the family being scattered, an unbearable stint of poverty in Mexico, and her father being imprisoned for a period of time. Indeed, her family became recognizable thanks to their family making the press; "Soon photos of my family dominated double pages of Life magazine" (161).
Yet though Solomon has chosen to live a monogamous life and certainly portrays the negatives to polygamous lifestyles, she seems to work hard to portray an accurate portrait of her family. She seems very fond of her father, whose fault she seems to believe was in trying to get to everyone what they needed and thus spreading himself far, far too thin. Aside from poverty, the greatest sadness of the lives of his wives and children is that they never got enough personal attention from their patriarch, Rulon. When her father is shot and killed, the whole family mourned and her true affection for her father shines through this book, even as the author acknowledges his faults.
Particularly interesting to me were the sections where Solomon details her family history, including her Grandfather Harvey, who left detailed records of the period in his life when he chose to take a second wife, despite his first wife's anguish: "Her grief was something I will never forget and so great that I told her I would not cause her such sorrow" (99). Yet he ultimately did, spawning multiple generations of wives experiencing grief and sorrow as their husbands turned to more and more wives.
My greatest frustration with this book is that it seemed poorly organized. It jumps around in time and is lacks details on some major points. I wasn't sure in what time period the author was born until I looked her up, since it's never made clear. I also wasn't sure how Grandfather Harvey is related to her exactly - the details of her family tree seem murky at best, although that is partly understandable because of the breadth of each generation of her polygamous family tree. Other sections are just plain vague, summarizing large periods of the family by breezy sentences like, "Some sons were blessed and others disowned. Some daughters were greeted with a kiss, others with a reprimand. After the seeming conclusion of the book, it begins again with scattered stories the author wanted to include but which don't fit into the flow of the narrative at the beginning. I know she had many family members to tackle, but as a reader, I felt as if this book would have benefitted from more firm editing and shaping of the narrative flow.
As expected, Solomon shares some sad tales of poverty and violence from her childhood. Her siblings are forced to live on carrots for a month at a time and are hounded by federal authorities, which leads to the family being scattered, an unbearable stint of poverty in Mexico, and her father being imprisoned for a period of time. Indeed, her family became recognizable thanks to their family making the press; "Soon photos of my family dominated double pages of Life magazine" (161).
Yet though Solomon has chosen to live a monogamous life and certainly portrays the negatives to polygamous lifestyles, she seems to work hard to portray an accurate portrait of her family. She seems very fond of her father, whose fault she seems to believe was in trying to get to everyone what they needed and thus spreading himself far, far too thin. Aside from poverty, the greatest sadness of the lives of his wives and children is that they never got enough personal attention from their patriarch, Rulon. When her father is shot and killed, the whole family mourned and her true affection for her father shines through this book, even as the author acknowledges his faults.
Particularly interesting to me were the sections where Solomon details her family history, including her Grandfather Harvey, who left detailed records of the period in his life when he chose to take a second wife, despite his first wife's anguish: "Her grief was something I will never forget and so great that I told her I would not cause her such sorrow" (99). Yet he ultimately did, spawning multiple generations of wives experiencing grief and sorrow as their husbands turned to more and more wives.
My greatest frustration with this book is that it seemed poorly organized. It jumps around in time and is lacks details on some major points. I wasn't sure in what time period the author was born until I looked her up, since it's never made clear. I also wasn't sure how Grandfather Harvey is related to her exactly - the details of her family tree seem murky at best, although that is partly understandable because of the breadth of each generation of her polygamous family tree. Other sections are just plain vague, summarizing large periods of the family by breezy sentences like, "Some sons were blessed and others disowned. Some daughters were greeted with a kiss, others with a reprimand. After the seeming conclusion of the book, it begins again with scattered stories the author wanted to include but which don't fit into the flow of the narrative at the beginning. I know she had many family members to tackle, but as a reader, I felt as if this book would have benefitted from more firm editing and shaping of the narrative flow.
May 16, 2010
Daughter of the Saints, discovered in a pile of practically liberated books at our local thrift, captured my attention with a review on the back cover from the Boston Sunday Globe that states: ”Solomon succeeds so admirably where Krakauer fails.” Ahh…now here’s a lure as I’ve read pretty much everything Jon Krakauer has written in books including Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith. UBH begins as a murder mystery and ends with Jon (and me) exploring the fascinating history/mystery of the Latter Day Saints. It is, as all of Jon’s works are, emotionally moving and intellectually provoking. So with thought and curiosity peaked, I plunged into Daughters.
The author, Dorothy Allred Solomon, grew up in a polygamous breakaway family of the LDS Church. Her father had 7 or 8 primary wives and near the end of his life added a (seemingly endless) number more. Dorothy was one of 48 children sired by her father. She both admired and feared him.
I appreciate most about this book the family history reflected in Solomon’s heartfelt words yet what immediately confuses me is why any (young, resourceful) woman would choose this lifestyle. Women were drawn to the author’s father and his religiously polygamous lifestyle as beautiful moths to the flame. For a polygamous male one can envision quite a number of satisfying benefits… but for women, outside of support and a sharing of duties (of which there are many), there is suffering, endless sacrifice, and little honor.
As I finish reading through the last sorrowful wanderings of this polygamous family, I am ultimately brought back to the initial back of the book review. Jon’s UBH provides provocative investigative detail whereas Dorothy’s Daughters provide painful personal memories. The author is a strong woman, who has experienced much sorrow and hardship. It is hoped that she may, along the pathway, find comfort and peace in the Lord.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rulon_C....
The author, Dorothy Allred Solomon, grew up in a polygamous breakaway family of the LDS Church. Her father had 7 or 8 primary wives and near the end of his life added a (seemingly endless) number more. Dorothy was one of 48 children sired by her father. She both admired and feared him.
I appreciate most about this book the family history reflected in Solomon’s heartfelt words yet what immediately confuses me is why any (young, resourceful) woman would choose this lifestyle. Women were drawn to the author’s father and his religiously polygamous lifestyle as beautiful moths to the flame. For a polygamous male one can envision quite a number of satisfying benefits… but for women, outside of support and a sharing of duties (of which there are many), there is suffering, endless sacrifice, and little honor.
As I finish reading through the last sorrowful wanderings of this polygamous family, I am ultimately brought back to the initial back of the book review. Jon’s UBH provides provocative investigative detail whereas Dorothy’s Daughters provide painful personal memories. The author is a strong woman, who has experienced much sorrow and hardship. It is hoped that she may, along the pathway, find comfort and peace in the Lord.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rulon_C....
November 13, 2014
I didn't quite know what to make of this book. The author clearly had issues with the way her father ran certain aspects of the household, and definitely suffered poverty due to his irresponsibility. However, at the end of the book you find that her father gave her permission to write his biography only if she portrayed the family as "good and saintly people".
The author does devote the last few chapters to certain sad and disturbing elements within the family (including a possible murder of a sibling), but I'm not sure what the ultimate message is. At the time of the writing of the book, she was devoting her time to communication seminars for individuals presumably to try to help those still "living the Principle" and other Mormons.
I can't help but think that a lot of harm done by this lifestyle is due to its illegal nature. The author gives numerous examples where harm was done to the children (in the way of crushing poverty, isolation, etc) only because of the need to keep the lifestyle a secret. This was a major factor in Rulon's death, as he was never protected by the FBI due to their prejudice against polygamists. I wish the author would have connected those threads more clearly.
Also of note, although the author left the lifestyle, she is still a member of the LDS church, and her narrative contains a lot of mysticism such as the claim that her father recorded the exact date of his death 2 years earlier in a journal, and lots of accounts of meeting dead relatives in dreams.
The author does devote the last few chapters to certain sad and disturbing elements within the family (including a possible murder of a sibling), but I'm not sure what the ultimate message is. At the time of the writing of the book, she was devoting her time to communication seminars for individuals presumably to try to help those still "living the Principle" and other Mormons.
I can't help but think that a lot of harm done by this lifestyle is due to its illegal nature. The author gives numerous examples where harm was done to the children (in the way of crushing poverty, isolation, etc) only because of the need to keep the lifestyle a secret. This was a major factor in Rulon's death, as he was never protected by the FBI due to their prejudice against polygamists. I wish the author would have connected those threads more clearly.
Also of note, although the author left the lifestyle, she is still a member of the LDS church, and her narrative contains a lot of mysticism such as the claim that her father recorded the exact date of his death 2 years earlier in a journal, and lots of accounts of meeting dead relatives in dreams.
January 31, 2011
the book started really strong, and read like fiction (true, i did pick it up after a recommendation in 'lonely polygamist"'s acknowledgements), but the deeper, and more personal solomon got, the more it seemed like she distanced herself from the events.
her family history (generations before she was born) to about age 5 (when she is made to run with her family) is extremely strong, but a lot of the after events seem to wander and stray. for instance, (SPOILER ALERT) i had to reread a section a number of times to make sure she was actually raped, the language was so vague and far away.
still, an insiders' view into a polygamist family's life is always fascinating, even if the author is bound to keep her family appearing "saintly and good." after the main story ends, there are several short stories about specific siblings at the end that further some of the horrors she had alluded to earlier, and stray from painting the family as strictly 'saintly,' but detract from the gestalt. with 47 siblings, i know it's impossible to keep track of them all, but bringing in two or three at the end wasn't enough--much of the primary story could have been written by a resentful only child, or one with just a sibling or two vying for attention, but maybe that's the part of the message afterall.
her family history (generations before she was born) to about age 5 (when she is made to run with her family) is extremely strong, but a lot of the after events seem to wander and stray. for instance, (SPOILER ALERT) i had to reread a section a number of times to make sure she was actually raped, the language was so vague and far away.
still, an insiders' view into a polygamist family's life is always fascinating, even if the author is bound to keep her family appearing "saintly and good." after the main story ends, there are several short stories about specific siblings at the end that further some of the horrors she had alluded to earlier, and stray from painting the family as strictly 'saintly,' but detract from the gestalt. with 47 siblings, i know it's impossible to keep track of them all, but bringing in two or three at the end wasn't enough--much of the primary story could have been written by a resentful only child, or one with just a sibling or two vying for attention, but maybe that's the part of the message afterall.
October 11, 2009
I would give this 3.5 stars if I had the option. I liked that the book was quite different than anything else I've read on the subject- Escape and Stolen Innocence My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs, for instance, are basically only about the authors experiences themselves while this is much more in depth. Solomon goes back several generations and teaches the reader about things that the more personal accounts don't.
I was surprised it took me as long as it did to get through- this wasn't something I couldn't put down- but I was interested the whole time. Solomon definitely has a certain flow to her writing.
I was surprised it took me as long as it did to get through- this wasn't something I couldn't put down- but I was interested the whole time. Solomon definitely has a certain flow to her writing.
May 25, 2009
I couldn't put this down, but that's my usual when it comes to the FLDS. I tend to think this book was pretty even-handed. Written from a daughter's perspective where she shares her love and admiration for her mostly even-handed father (Dr Rulon C Allred). However, she alludes to some of the inevitable neglect a child may experience when one of 30+ kids. And of course, no one's perfect. Poor decisions were made. Power struggles, egomania, corruption and just plain crazy invade even the best organizations sometimes. I'm also surprised how turbulent this woman's youth was--largely because they were running from the law. I don't quite understand how consensual polygamy itself is so different (in the eyes of the law) from screwing around on your wife and having a lot of love-children. Heck, it's arguably more honest. Learned something, and couldn't put it down.
May 25, 2008
I really was not sure I wanted to read this book. I thought I had learned all I wanted to know about polygamy with the book “Escape”. I skim read the first 100 pages or so, and by then I was sucked into the story.
It was fascinating to learn about another, gentler, polygamy group and the struggles they had within and outside their community. Surprisingly, the author was still accepted and loved by her family, even though she chose not to live "the principle."
This book was insightful and inspiring in some ways, and disturbing and depressing in others. Over all, I was glad I read it.
(This Allred family lived near where I grew up and we used to tell stories about what happened behind those walls… like we knew anything.)
It was fascinating to learn about another, gentler, polygamy group and the struggles they had within and outside their community. Surprisingly, the author was still accepted and loved by her family, even though she chose not to live "the principle."
This book was insightful and inspiring in some ways, and disturbing and depressing in others. Over all, I was glad I read it.
(This Allred family lived near where I grew up and we used to tell stories about what happened behind those walls… like we knew anything.)
October 6, 2008
A non-sensationalist look at the inside of the Rulon Allred polygamist clan...written by one of his daughters who chose monogamy and the mainstream LDS Church. I liked the fact that the author was able to express love for and pride in her heritage while at the same time espouse truth as found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This book made me want to be less judgmental. It also made me more aware of my own polygamous heritage. It really intrigued me that Rulon Allred believed, for the most part, in the same gospel principles that I do...with the big exception of not being able to accept the 1890 Manifesto. I'm grateful that my own polygamist ancestors did accept it and move on as best they could.
This book made me want to be less judgmental. It also made me more aware of my own polygamous heritage. It really intrigued me that Rulon Allred believed, for the most part, in the same gospel principles that I do...with the big exception of not being able to accept the 1890 Manifesto. I'm grateful that my own polygamist ancestors did accept it and move on as best they could.
May 20, 2009
My fascination with polygamous cults continues with this memoir/biographical account of one woman's life in the Allred Group of Utah. It amazes me how this type of lifestyle persists in America even in the 21st century. Subscribers believe their faith is founded on the tenets of love and family and the Golden Rule. Escapees of the sects argue that the belief is a shroud for oppressing women. This book is a reminder that there's so much deceit and crime and even "blood atonement" for apostates (non-believers) as well as people that are deemed unworthy of the principle. It just reaffirms my belief that evil is not the foundation of religion, but it certainly is how people choose to interpret it.
May 1, 2014
This book was very well written. You can tell that she loves her family. This isn't a pro or con look at polygamy it is simply her life story. It is like most lives real, sad, happy, and genuine. I like how she was honest. The narrative unfolds and is a beautiful story of a family. I enjoyed it and in fact couldn't put it down read it in about 3 sittings which says a lot since it is about 400 pages. I have read many books on Mormon life, polygamy, and FLDS. I will say this one paints the nicest picture to date. It paints a family that felt compelled to live this way and to do so living as close to the principle as possible.
September 6, 2012
I'd add a half star more if that was possible. Surprisingly, this was a very enjoyable read. It was recommended to me by a friend last year and I've had it on the shelf that long. I don't have much interest in the subject, though I do have Mormon friends and relatives. I realized that I enjoy memoirs, however, and this was a good one. Very rich with history. I think the author did a good job with remembered dialogues, in that they sounded plausible and not contrived. I stayed awake late finishing it last night, not wanting to put it down until I reached the end. If you like memoirs, this is a good one.
June 4, 2008
I am continually surprised by how beautiful this book is. This is not just a polygamy memoir, it is a masterpiece.
I'm having fun reading about places I've been to in this book. She talks about fishing in Big Cottonwood Canyon, and I can see the paths she is talking about in my head. I haven't enjoyed reading a book this much since I read Tipping the Velvet. With the gorgeous writing, local relevance, and focus on nature, I feel like this book was custom-made for someone like me. What a thrill!
I'm having fun reading about places I've been to in this book. She talks about fishing in Big Cottonwood Canyon, and I can see the paths she is talking about in my head. I haven't enjoyed reading a book this much since I read Tipping the Velvet. With the gorgeous writing, local relevance, and focus on nature, I feel like this book was custom-made for someone like me. What a thrill!
February 25, 2011
Poetically written, a cross between chronologically and thematically organized. Lots of interesting insight into the personalities and the experiences of polygamy. It's not polygamy-bashing, even though the author was raised in a polygamous family & decided to live monogamously - which I appreciated, because I like to make up my own mind.
Overall a really interesting true insight into modern-day polygamy (the experiences of someone in my parents' generation).
I recommend the book if you're interested in the topic.
Overall a really interesting true insight into modern-day polygamy (the experiences of someone in my parents' generation).
I recommend the book if you're interested in the topic.
June 10, 2014
I would consider this one of the best books I've read about fundamentalist Mormonism and the polygamist lifestyle. Religion fascinates me, and fundamentalism fascinates and scares me. Not living too far from Utah, I find myself intrigued by Mormonism and its transition throughout history.
This book does not sensationalize polygamy and if you're looking for salacious details about child brides and whatnot you won't find it here. What you will find is a thoughtful account of familial and cultural experience voiced from a group that is characteristically silent about itself.
This book does not sensationalize polygamy and if you're looking for salacious details about child brides and whatnot you won't find it here. What you will find is a thoughtful account of familial and cultural experience voiced from a group that is characteristically silent about itself.
January 25, 2014
I find polygamy fascinating for a lot of different reasons and I really wanted to learn from this book and get more insight, but I found the way it was written hard to penetrate. There are some lovely images and words used but I often felt I wanted her to stop writing prettily and start writing clearly. I'm sure I missed an awful lot because I just got bored of the overly descriptive build-up to it and began skimming.
October 30, 2007
I learned that I would never be interested in polygamy. The women got the worst of it by far, but the children practically grew up without a father because he had to spread his attention so far. This is so interesting, but painful to see the women so neglected! I rated it with 4 stars because it was so interesting, but when it comes down to it I didn't like what I learned.
January 8, 2011
Picked this up when I got curious about the mormon religion. Granted this is about a woman who grew up in an outcast branch of the faith, she was the 28th child of 48 children of a polygimous family. She mostly tells the story in the way she remembers it with very little embellishment and a lot of honesty and truth, especially towards the end. Well worth the read for the insight.
August 4, 2008
Solomon has a unique voice in that she is a monogamous woman who grew up in a polygamous household. She tells a very even-handed story, detailing both the positive and negative aspects of her childhood. She doesn't demonize anyone in her family, but it is clear that she felt the polygamy to be unfair to the children and the mothers.
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