The 19th Wife tells the story of two young people from different time periods, each dealing with the repercussions of growing up in a polygamous society. In 1875, Ann Eliza Young, the titular “19th wife” of Mormon leader Brigham Young, has recently left her husband, her religion, and her community, embarking on a crusade to end the practice of polygamy. In 2007, a young man named Jordan Scott must return to the polygamous Mormon sect that disowned him years ago, in order to investigate his fathers’ murder. The two narratives interweave in surprising ways as both protagonists wrestle with the meaning of faith, power, and truth.
The 19th Wife is really two different books in one. Jordan’s story is a murder mystery, set among the red rocks of Southern Utah. This strand of the novel was fast-paced, funny, and a little bit heartbreaking. I actually read this while on a trip to Southern Utah, and I was struck by the way Ebershoff captures the bizarre and gorgeous scenery in the area. The other story is a historical fiction narrative, a fictionalized version of the real Ann Eliza Young’s memoir. Jordan’s story was enjoyable, but it was Ann Eliza’s story that kept me reading. I grew up Mormon, and it was fascinating to read an alternative, probably more truthful account of the history I was raised on. Ann Eliza is also a fascinating, complicated viewpoint character. The author depicts her as passionate, honest, full of righteous fury, but complicates things by presenting her as an unreliable narrator with her own perspective and agenda. The greatest weakness of this book was not in either of the two stories, but in the way they wove together. While they obviously had thematic connections, the stylistic differences were jarring and I never really felt like they came together as one book. Personally, I would have read Ann Eliza’s story on it’s own, but not Jordan’s story. If you’re a mystery fan, you might have the opposite take. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read if a bit disjointed.
