Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Escape by Carolyn Jessop


I borrowed this book from a friend and it was a fairly quick read.  It is the true account of Carolyn’s (the author) life and growing up in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   She was raised in the faith in a polygamist family and openly shared the stories of her life growing up and adulthood in the church.  At 18 she was married to a man that was nearly a stranger and also 32 years older than her.  She continues to recount her life as she went on to have multiple sister-wives and eight children of her own.  The story is chilling at times as you learn about the cruelty and abuse Carolyn and her family experienced.  The story twists as she realizes the extreme danger that she and her family is in and thus starts her plan for escape from her high powered and controlling husband.  Some of the book felt a little bit repetitive to me but I also realize that the cruelty and abuse she experienced happened constantly throughout her entire life, thus it is a strong theme in the book.  I have read a few different books about the fundamentalist church but this self-account of her experience was new and eye opening.  If you have any interest in the workings of the fundamentalist church or the lifestyle they lead then I would definitely recommend this book.

 426 Pages

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