The book is said by some to be one of the angrier apostate mormon books. This comment is directed to all believing, questioning or curious members of the lds faith. She tells the truth regarding polygamy and masonry. The 19th wife intertwines ann elizas story with that of jordan scott. One of these women officially his 19th wife though the number was probably much higher rebelled. She spoke out against the suppression of women and was an advocate for womens rights during the 19th century. Ann eliza youngs book of tells how false doctrines crept into the early mormon church. Wife number 19 by ann eliza young, chapters 110 chapter i.
Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, david ebershoff s the 19th wife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a brilliant novel of literary suspense. Expelled and an outcast, ann eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the united states. Ann eliza young nee webb was one of brigham youngs many wives and later a critic of polygamy and a u. Ann eliza young, 19th wife of brigham young library of congress. In 1868 brigham young, at age sixtyseven, married ann eliza webb. The 19th wife by david ebershoff the new york times. Her name was ann eliza, and she is a central character in ebershoffs book. The autobiography was the basis for irving wallaces 1961 biography the twenty seventh wife and for david ebershoffs 2008 novel the 19th wife. The book zion in the courtsa legal history of the church of jesus christ of. Lds scholar jeffery johnson, writing on brigham young and his wives, explained. She was the 19th, or possibly 27th, wife of brigham young, the second.
One is the real historical figure ann eliza young, who was decades younger. And at the other extreme of this books spectrum, mr. Young escorted ann eliza home to her fathers house after the wedding ceremony and slept alone in his room. Ebershoffs book is a novel which parallels the stories of a modernday fictional 19th wife of a polygamist and the historical 19th wife of brigham young, who. It is 1875, and ann eliza young has recently separated from her powerful husband, brigham young, p. Far from bringing him closer to his characters, it muffles his novels drama. Ebershoff the danish girl brilliantly blends a haunting fictional narrative by ann eliza young, the reallife 19th rebel wife of mormon leader brigham young, with the equally compelling contemporary narrative of fictional jordan scott, a 20yearold gay manwith the topic of plural marriage and its shattering impact on women and powerless children in todays headlines. It is 1875, and ann eliza young has recently separated from her powerful husband, brigham young, prophet and leader of the mormon church.
Ann eliza considered herself young s 19th living, conjugal wife, counting those who stayed with him in the beehive and those he had established nearby in the multigabled lion house or other living quarters. Ann eliza young september, 1844 december 7, 1917 also known as ann eliza webb dee young denning was one of brigham young s fiftyfive wives and later a critic of polygamy. Inspired by the life of ann eliza young, the novel intertwines a historical narrative with a modernday murder. What are your impressions of ann eliza young, and how do those impressions change over the course of the novel. Brigham youngs wives and his divorce from ann eliza webb. Much of the 19th wife is supposed to come verbatim from her real memoir of that name, and it.