David ebershoffs the 19th wife appears at first to be a daunting novel, weighing in at close to 600 pages, including the authors note in the beginning. The 19th wife david ebershoff, 2008 random house 514 pp. A masterful novel set in the world of the mormon church, and in a strange modern polygamous sect, that intertwines a fictional memoir by brigham youngs nineteenth wife and a contemporary murder. Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, david ebershoffs the 19th wife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a brilliant novel of literary suspense. You can buy it, or download it in pdf form from ebershoffs website that is what i did. Despite these issues, the 19th wife is mostly wellwritten and wellresearched. My biggest complaints are that the book drags on too long, and the ending of the contemporary plot line feels anticlimactic. His fiction has won a number of awards, including the rosenthal foundation award from the american academy of arts and letters, the ferrogrumley award, and the lambda literary award.
As he says in his authors note, the real ann eliza young actually wrote two memoirs. It is 1875, and ann eliza young has recently separated from her powerful husband, brigham young, prophet and leader of the mormon church. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 514 pages and is available in hardcover format. Third marriage edit after her divorce from brigham young in 1875, 5 ann eliza married 53yearold moses r. A mustread book for fans of the kind of psychological thrillers that have been all the rage. He juxtaposes the world of modern polygamous families down on the remote utaharizona line with the life of a junior wife of 19thcentury mormon patriarch brigham young. This novel part historical fiction, part modernday murder mystery imagines the tribulations of two polygamist wives. I spent the last few days listening to the 19th wife.
Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, david ebershoff s the 19th wife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a novel of literary suspense. Fundamentalist sect member beckylyn is accused of killing her husband. Denning of manistee, michigan, 5 a nonmormon and wealthy logger known to have only. Ebershoff recreates chapters from ann elizas actual memoir called wife no. Her name was ann eliza, and she is a central character in ebershoffs book. There was an unequal focus on the current story vs. By the time she published her second book, she had fallen into obscurity. One of these women officially his 19th wife though the number was probably much higher rebelled. The book also inspired other novels with biblical settings and was adapted for the stage and. The research for the historical narrative started with ann eliza herself.
David ebershoffs novel the 19th wife scott simon talks david ebershoff about his new novel, the 19th wife. The greatest triumph is the way the 19th wife illuminates the larger landscape of faith. Aug 02, 2008 david ebershoffs novel the 19th wife scott simon talks david ebershoff about his new novel, the 19th wife. The 19th wife who brought polygamous cult leaders to justice rebecca musser with m. The greatest triumph is the way the 19th wife illuminates the larger landscapes of faith. The 19th wife shocked me, but not because of its content. 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. The 19th wife is a big book, in every sense of the word. The 19th wife i really enjoyed this book it was so good i would recommend it to any body and its great for travelling as i was it made the train journey feel quicker as i was so engrossed in the book. Inspired by the life of ann eliza young, the novel intertwines a historical narrative with a modernday murder mystery.
Based on your reading of the 19th wife, what kind of memoirist do you think the real ann eliza young was. Mormon elder brigham young and his rebel 19th wife, ann eliza. The 19th wife intertwines ann elizas story with that of jordan scott, a young man whose mother, beckylyn, was the 19th wife of a presentday polygamist leader in utah. According to the midnineteenthcentury edition of websters dictionary, marriage was the act of uniting man and woman, as husband and wife, for life. It would also become an important part of ann elizas legacy. The 19th wife has two plotlines, unrelated except that the mormon faith and polygamy figure in both.
Get my latest blog posts in your inbox once a week. May 08, 2006 woman in the nineteenth century, as margaret fullers 1845 book of that title implied, had good reason to be cautious about marriage. The washington post book world wonderfully lyrical. One, set in the 1800s, is a fictionalization of the true story of ann eliza young, nineteenth wife of brigham young. It offers historical and contemporary perspective on one of the worlds fastestgrowing religions and one of its oldest practices, and in the process it does that thing all good novels do. I teach in the graduate writing program at columbia university and was an and for twenty years worked at random. The first edition of the novel was published in 2008, and was written by david ebershoff. It is 1875, and ann eliza young has recently separated from her powerful husband. David ebershoff is the author of the novels the 19th wife, pasadena, and the danish girl, and a shortstory collection, the rose city. It has an interesting framework, going back and forth between the fictionalized autobiography of ann eliza young, one of the plural wives of the late mormon prophet brigham young and author of the 1876 memoir wife no. David ebershoff discusses his book the 19th wife youtube.
Marital exits and marital expectations in nineteenth. Ebershoff demonstrates abundant virtuosity, as he convincingly inhabits the voices of both a nineteenthcentury mormon wife and a contemporary gay youth excommunicated from the church, while also. Aug 04, 2008 the 19th wife intertwines ann elizas story with that of jordan scott, a young man whose mother, beckylyn, was the 19th wife of a presentday polygamist leader in utah. Mormon polygamy grabbed the national spotlight in 1875 when prophet brigham youngs 19th wife, ann eliza, divorced him, wrote an expose about plural marriage and set out on a lecture tour. David ebershoffs timely new novel, the 19th wife, mixes fictionalized excerpts from youngs memoir with a contemporary murder mystery that takes place in a mormon sect very similar to the yearning for zion ranch that was in the news so much this spring. A television movie adaptation aired on lifetime on september, 2010, starring matt czuchry, patricia wettig, and chyler leigh. David ebershoffs the 19th wife is a book that expertly reveals the lives of the women and children in a polygamous society and points out precisely how blind faith can backfire on a persons life. It is 1875, and ann eliza young has recently separated from her powerful husband, brigham young, prophet and leader of. Aug 31, 2008 one of these women officially his 19th wife though the number was probably much higher rebelled. 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 divorced him and became an ardent foe of polygamy. The washington post book world part history class, part expose, part love story, the 19th wife is thoroughly addictive. After reading the 19th wife by david ebershoff, i had to read this book.
After her divorce from brigham young in 1875, ann eliza married 53yearold moses r. I admit to cringing when i saw the size, sure that it would be awhile before i would get to any of my other books. Pdf the 19th wife book by david ebershoff free download. Expelled and an outcast, ann eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the united states. The nineteenth wife by david ebershoff 514 pages it is 1875, and ann eliza young has recently separated from her powerful husband, brigham young, prophet and leader of the mormon church. The book that she wrote, wife number nineteen, was it considered to be. I never felt completely immersed into the world in which david ebershoff is trying to bring me into. The book is so well written that i had to continually remind myself that it is fiction. It became a bestselling american novel, surpassing harriet beecher stowes uncle toms cabin 1852 in sales. Faith, i tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never eas.
Apr 10, 2009 a masterful novel set in the world of the mormon church, and in a strange modern polygamous sect, that intertwines a fictional memoir by brigham youngs nineteenth wife and a contemporary murder. The dominant voice belongs to a reallife figure, ann eliza young. Mr ebershoff weaved 2 tales a hundred years apart, yet related. The book was fantastic, but the movie really fell short. It is 1875, and ann eliza young has recently separated from her powerful husband, brigham young, p.
Queenie, another wife in the polygamist sect, doesnt believe beckylyn is capable of such violence and desperate to prove her innocence reaches out to her excommunicated son jordan for help in freeing his mother. New york times janet maslin there is a man who explains how he. The 19th wife by david ebershoff books the guardian. A tale of the christ is a novel by lew wallace, published by harper and brothers on november 12, 1880 and considered the most influential christian book of the nineteenth century. Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, david ebershoffs the 19th wife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a novel of literary suspense. Interesting, insightful, and thoughtprovoking, ebershoff is a talented author, capable of weaving together various narrators, letters, articles, research papers, and even a wiki link all penned by the author seamlessly and with great authenticity. Stub icon, this article related to a book about the latter day saint movement is a stub. Inspired by the life of ann eliza young, the novel. To expand on his concept, he alternates the first person account of ann eliza young, who was in fact the 19th wife of mormon prophet brigham young. My books have been translated into more than thirty languages and honored by the the american academy of arts and letters, the lambda literary foundation, and the american library association. Out magazine has twice featured me on its annual out 100 list of influential lgbt people. The 19th wife of mormon patriarch brigham young, she divorced her husband.
Author ebershoff has focused on the issue of polygamy, or plural marriage, which was a tenet of the faith for several decades in the mid to late 19th century. Denning of manistee, michigan, a nonmormon and wealthy logger known to have only one arm. Faith, i tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain. It sweeps across time and delves deeply into a world long hidden from sight. I first heard about ann eliza young several years ago while editing a book for the modern library. The main characters of this historical, historical story are brigham young, jordan scott.
Jordan is 20 years old, gay and living in pasadena, with a decent job and a dog. Bustle my husbands wife nicely fits into the psychological suspense genre thats riding a slipstream of popularity, thanks to the success of gone girl and the girl on the train. The 19th wife online media of northern illinois libraries. Jan 02, 2009 ebershoffs book the 19th wife is a wellresearched and inciteful read about the consequences of celestial or plural marriage a mb d the devastating effects it has on women, children and men. With chyler leigh, matt czuchry, alexia fast, jeff hephner. One, set in the 1800s, is a fictionalization of the true story of ann eliza young, nineteenth wife of. Ebershoffs book the 19th wife is a wellresearched and inciteful read about the consequences of celestial or plural marriage a mb d the devastating effects it has on women, children and men. I will keep an eye out for other books by this author. Ebershoff also reflects on his experience editing literary lion norman mailer. Free download or read online the 19th wife pdf epub book. If a husband died, or proved a poor provider, or was abusive, there were few ways a woman could earn a respectable living except as a governess or teacher, or by taking in boarders.
Woman in the nineteenth century, as margaret fullers 1845 book of that title implied, had good reason to be cautious about marriage. Wife number 19 by ann eliza young, chapters 110 chapter i. The autobiography was the basis for irving wallaces 1961 biography the twentyseventh wife and for david ebershoffs 2008 novel the 19th wife. An enchanting seventeenthcentury epic of grand passion and adventure, this debut novel tells the captivating story of one of indias most legendary and controversial empresses a woman whose brilliance and determination trumped myriad obstacles, and whose love shaped the course of the mughal empire goodreads. Marriage in the nineteenth century uu world magazine.