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Summary: John & Rachel Lee are my grandparents
Review: As a descendent of John D. and Rachel Lee I may be more critical than the casual reader... the book is well-written and an interesting story but the problem with historical fiction is that it is based on history... if you know the facts, the fiction can be frustrating. At times I enjoyed the book immensely, I wept reading the 1st chapter which deals with my grandfathers execution. But I also became angry or frustrated at facts left out, changed or made up. The REAL story is so fascinating, there was no need to change it. I expect the author wanted to vent some of her anti-Mormon feelings, which is her prerogative - and she seemingly couldn't resist the urge to portray plural marriage as little more than a way for a man to bed as many women as possible. And she fails to explore the reasons behind the massacre to any extent, but then I guess that isn't really what the book is about.
Read this book if you want any interesting story about frontier life, but if you read it don't believe that you know anything about the people whose names she has borrowed. They were real people and I don't believe she captured their voices.
If this book interests you seek out some of the other better work - Juanita Brooks wrote several good books on the subject. And my grandfather's diaries go in and out of publication from time to time.
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Summary: Descendent seeking explanations.
Review: As a descendent of the first pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley, I am always curious about works that explore my roots. Although I am not a practicing Mormon, many of my hundreds of living relatives are. I'm sure this book presents one point of view among many, but I found it to be enlightening & informative. I read it in one long day and night. I found it both compelling in parts and ponderous in others. Interesting to me was that the ponderous parts dovetailed with the character's experience of their lives as more of the same, ponderous, and burdonsome. In this case, ponderous writing allowed me to more completely enter into their experience. This book is part of the history of "the church", but more of pioneer life in general. The is not Little House on the Prairie. This is the bare bones realities of living with next to nothing in very inhospitable climates. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the following topics: American history, American violence, incest in religious families, pioneer life, patriarchial families, etc. I appreciate the other reviewers comments and plan to do additional research on the Mountain Meadow massacre.
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Summary: Fascinating but little-known event in our nation's history
Review: As a professor of Western American History, I find the Mountain Meadows Massacre a fascinating subject. Judith Freeman has done a credible job with her research and fictional telling of this tragedy. If you want to read more about this event, one of the most powerfully written books on the subject is THE VEIL by Diane Noble.
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Summary: Fiction here is more accurate than most 'documented history'
Review: By using the tool of fiction, Judith is able to compose a narrative that hits some of the key points better than most documentaries could ever hope to accomplish.She has obviously researched the subject well, but is not afraid to fill in some blanks with reasonable conjecture. I read her book with intensity. It is certainly not to be a replacement of studying the documentation, but for painting an overview and setting a tone, it is a masterpiece.
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Summary: Interesting, but disappointing also
Review: I am a practicing Mormon, and while many of my religious peers would never be caught reading this type of book, since most of the LDS beliefs she presents as she 'bashes' them, I couldn't wait to dive into it. I was very disappointed in the fact that she gives so little information about the actual massacre, every thing she gives is so 'if-y' and, even if done fictitiously, I kept waiting to read more about the massacre, maybe from the women who dis-robed the bodies, or even more from the trial, anything to shed light on the subject to which I thought the book was about. Instead you will read much about (what the author portrays as) a sexually obsessed family and the need for their husband's approval. It was interesting, although again I will say, not at all what I expected. Let all readers beware it is a work of fiction, and in no way portrays Mormon doctrine as it is lived today.
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Summary: Red River flounders in short end of creek
Review: I attended a series of lectures partially funded by the Utah Arts Council. A liberal group of elitist decision makers that I have not always agreed with for reasons not to go into here. I saw Judith Freeman and was surprised by the clamor about her book. Just a few weeks earlier I met an extremely talented writer who had written a book called "The Ferry Woman". Published by Limerlost press. Ferry woman is a book written by a male author with remarkable insight into the thoughts of a woman. I will not go into Ferry Woman. You can check out the reviews. I found the premise Red River to be similar to the Ferry Woman . The story to move a bit slow at times and the story was written to attract more og a romance type audience. It is not a literary maserpeice by any means. In my view, I see this book as trying to be a sequal to the Ferry Woman. This is my opinion
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Summary: A history I never knew about
Review: I had this book on the shelf for many months before picking it up to read and I wish I'd picked it up sooner. It is the story of John D. Lee, a Mormon pioneer and leader in the 19th century, and his alleged involvement (and ultimate execution) in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. As I live in northern Arizona, I have met polygamous families and always been fascinated by their lifestyles, but I never knew anything about this event until now. Most interestingly, the story is told from the perspective of three of his nineteen wives. All had different stories (I liked Emma's the best) and perspectives of his involvement and of the Mormon lifestyle in general (at that time). It is obviously a novel, but based upon factual events and thoroughly researched history. I hesitated to read it at first as a Mormon friend of mine thought that the fictional tone of the story took away from the importance of the true facts, but it didn't. This book just whet my appetite to learn more about this period in time, the people who lived it and the tragic massacre that took place on Sept. 11, 1857. I can't wait to read more book about this time in western U.S. history.
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Summary: This book resembles other
Review: I have read The Wives Of Short Creek and The Ferry Woman by
Gerald Grimmett and feel as if i am reading those books when i flip these pages? Is it my imagination or has a big city publisher found a writer to compile a small town publishers books to create her own? Ferry woman will stay on my shelves, this book is yard sale bound.
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Summary: A work of fiction
Review: I have the privilege of having a long Mormon heritage. My family came west with Brigham Young and were among those sent to Arizona to settle. While this book is based on historical events and people, as Ms. Freeman points out, it is a work of fiction and should be read as such. It is beautifully written. It can invoke such strong emotions. It is not a book about the Mountain Meadows Massacre (undeniably a horrible incident that should never have happened or gone unpunished). It is a book about three very different women who were involved in a polygamous marriage to one of the most strong willed and charismatic men of the time. It is their stories of survive in a harsh place and in harsh times. Whether you agree with the doctrine of the Mormon church of the time is irrelevant. This is a wonderfully written book of three women who along with the other Morman women of the time changed the face of the west forever. This book is more than worth your time and effort to read. Just don't read it for history or a religion lesson
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Summary: I haven't read this but...
Review: I heard about this massacre about six months ago. I was quite astounded that we haven't heard more about it. I am writing to say to the people who are upset that this fictional account of historic persons and events is a long and honorable literary tradition. The relations of those portrayed in this novel are upset by the authors approach, would spend there time to better purpose really studying their family history and writing and publishing what their research revealed. Get off your duffs and prove to us the factual material didn't happen or if the novel grossly misrepresents in general the actual characters and events. I haven't delved deeply into this, but the belly-aching in some of these reviews seems to me preposterious. I have realitives who I love, but won't associate with because I find their beliefs and the actions stemming from said beliefs wrong, and in a few instantances, evil. Read the well-researched history books that claim to be completely historically accurate. See what you find and research to see if you agree. Dumping on an author because she researched an important man involved in a very immoral act and then extrapolating a novel or history from it, should be praised. This is how we think out and disacover different aspects of truth. In is not cut-and-dry, who anyone who has the books on "the Mormon Murders" should know this. Such unwaranted criticism, has convinced me add this book to what I will read on the massacre. Then I willcome back and rate it and explain my feelings.
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