An enjoyable read, especially for lovers of historical fiction...
The 19th Wife is an intriguing, insightful, captivating and educational example of historical fiction at its finest. The novel weaves together the stories of two women, both of whom are their husband's 19th wife in differing examples of pleural/celestial/polygamous marrages and cultures.
Perhaps just as interesting as the storylines themselves is the manner in which the stories are told from varying viewpoints/perspectives: the gay narrator Jordan who was excommunicated from the Firsts of Mesadale, Utah and whose mother is awaiting trial for allegedly killing her husband; Ann Eliza, Mormon Prophet Brigham Young's 19th wife (although her real "number" is debatable) who led the crusade to rid the Mormon church of its polygamous ways; a research student's Masters thesis on the evolution of the Mormon Church and its connection to celestial marriage; varying news articles and wikipedia entries, court documents, secret jail diaries, etc. While some may not prefer this method of storytelling, I found it greatly enhanced my understanding, appreciation and love of this book as a whole. It felt like I had personal access to historical documents and research, as opposed to just learning about their lives from the traditional narrational perspective.
Without going into too much detail, I would HIGHLY recommend this book for those who enjoy historical fiction, those interested in different religions/cultures, those with little or no knowledge about the Mormons or Firsts (like myself- it was really insightful!), bookclubs, and anyone taking religious studies, womens studies or history courses.
