Customer Reviews
Nightmare - By: Rofrano, 25 Jul 2008 
This is a truly frightening book, which shows the appallling lengths people subvert so-callled religion for their own ends, but also an extremely gripping one. You see how brainwashing can lead people into believing the most terrible tosh. Thankfully Carolyn managed to escape, but there are hundreds more left behind without hope of a decent life (and part of the problem is that they don't reallly know what a decent life is). Perhaps even more amazing & disgraceful is the apparent collusion of the USA authorities in alllowing such practices to continue.
A different life - By: Ms. Heather A. M. Moore, 13 Jun 2008 
This book opened by eyes to the damage forced religion can do
Carolyn had a lot of courage to escape from the clutchs of this extreme brand of Mormanism. I think Carolyns book will help people understand what dangers are out their for women & children in these types of communites. I think the book is a heartfelt read though I would have liked to know if Carolyn kept up some parts of her religion in the less restictive Salt Lake City. This book is a must for anyone who belives in religious freedoms I am glad Carolyn got a lot of help & support when she started her new life.
Couldn't put this one down - a gobsmacking read - By: Mrs. M. L. Ash, 05 May 2008 Having heard Carolyn Jessop on Radio 4 earlier this year I was intrigued to read her book. This is not one of the run of the mill battered wife books - far from it. What shines through is the bravery & courage of one woman who in the face of seemingly insummountable odds, continued to fight for her life & those of her children too - she never gave up - never. It is also an honest insight into a way of life so far removed from modern day America. One of those books I couldn't put down, totallly captivating. I hope that some of the women currently dealing with the challlenges at the YFZ ranch in Texas have the courage to read her words & follow her lead to a better life. And, I hope this makes the American authorities sit up & do more to help the victims of this awful regime.
Page turner - By: L. A. Steele, 01 May 2008 Hi, i was unsure about this book when i bought it but had heard some good reviews. All i can say is wow what a page turner, i couldn't put it down. its a complete eye opening experience from start to finish.
Would recomend
An amazing story of bravery and endurance - By: Julia Flyte, 11 Apr 2008 Carolyn was born & raised in the Fundamentalist Church of the Latter Day Saints (a religious sect which is in no way connected to the Mormon Faith). At the age of 18 she was forced into marriage to Merril Jessop, a leader within the FLDS & a man who was older than her father. At that time he already had 3 wives & 33 children. In time she would become one of 7 wives & bear him 8 children of her own. Her life was very restricted. She had to turn over any money that she earned to her husband & was dependent on what little he gave her to support herself & her children. She couldn't do anything without her husband's permission - not even callling an ambulance if her child was sick. In the FLDS culture, a man's wife is his property & he can do whatever he wants to her. Abuse is frequent.
In this environment, Carolyn had few friends that she could trust. The other wives were not her friends but her competition for their husband's favour, because even if they didn't love their husband, he had the ability to improve the quality of their lives. Also, members of the FLDS community were actively encouraged to spy on one another. But even though life is immensely difficult, most women stay because they are conditioned from birth to believe that the outside world is corrupt & evil & that they will be doomed to Hell if they leave. (It was interesting to me that they did have some exposure to the outside world: Merril had outside business interests & also took his wives on occasional holidays to other parts of the US. Carolyn also had access to the internet through her work.)
When Carolyn finallly does escape, the tension is almost unbearable. I found the final chapters of the book especiallly interesting & moving, when Carolyn is describing what happened to her family after they left the compound. She found it immensely difficult to adapt to being alllowed to do fun things with her children after having been conditioned her entire life to believe it was a sin to enjoy yourself. Even something simple like going to McDonalds was terribly stressful for her. The adjustment to having the freedom to make her own decisions was not an easy one. Her children also struggle in their different ways with the change from the life that they have always known.
The reason that I have given this book only four stars is that I felt that the writing let it down. Carolyn's story feels like it just kind of poured out of her in a carthatic jumble of "this happened, & then this happened". This is perfectly understandable given what she went through, but a better co-author or editor would have pulled it more into shape. At times she repeats things she's already told us, while other parts get confusing (there are, after alll, so many family members to keep track of). So it's not the most well written book that I have read this year, but it's still an amazing story & it could well be the book that I will remember the most vividly. Carolyn's bravery is astounding & very moving.
