Hidden Wives [Paperback]

Claire Avery (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 8, 2010

Fifteen-year-old Sara and her beautiful sister, Rachel, are too young to legally drive a car—but are approaching spinsterhood in Utah’s secret polygamist Blood of the Lamb community. Having long since reached the “age of preparedness,” they will soon be married off to much older men chosen by the hidden sect’s revered Prophet.

As Sara, chosen to become her uncle’s fifth wife, grows more distraught over her impending incestuous marriage, she begins to scrutinize the faith she has followed blindly her entire life. But for Rachel, who will be married to one of the many powerful community leaders vying for her hand, disobeying the Prophet means eternal damnation. Her friendship with the newest member of the community, the young and handsome Luke, starts as an attempt to save his agnostic soul, but ends with the pair falling helplessly in love. When Rachel is forbidden to see him, her absolute faith in the Prophet is severely tested. 

When Rachel’s future husband is finally announced, violence erupts, and the girls must find the strength to escape the only life they have ever know…before it’s too late. 

Claire Avery has woven a stunning tale that could be ripped from today’s headlines. Shocking and empowering, Hidden Wives is a page-turning debut that will stay with the reader.

 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This undistinguished debut by the pseudonymous Avery (two sisters who were raised in a fundamentalist Catholic community) focuses on a horrifically oppressive Utah religious sect. Young female members of Blood of the Lamb, like sisters Sara and Rachel Shaw, are generally wedded by the age of 15, assigned to be sealed for all time and all eternity in a celestial marriage. Male members, by contrast, can only attain the highest level of heaven by taking at least three wives. Prophet Silver, the movement's leader, decrees that Sara must marry her father's half-brother, and singles out the attractive Rachel for his own special attention. Both girls, after exposure to the outside world, consider leaving the community. The violence, sexual abuse, and the predictable consequences of inbreeding aren't for the faint of heart, but readers should also be prepared for more melodrama than drama. Betty Webb does a better job with the contemporary polygamy theme in Desert Lost. (June)
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Review

"Avery's captivating story set in the world of polygamy depicts the struggles of two teenage girls deciding whether to follow beliefs ingrained in them from birth. A compelling plot, authentic characters, and a genuine love story make this a great read."--RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars)

"Though fiction, Hidden Wives reads like a first-hand, eyewitness account of polygamist lifestyle... a suspenseful page turner you can't afford to miss."--Irene Spencer, New York Times bestselling author of Shattered Dreams

"A poignant yet realistic tale of family love, loyalty, and dysfunction set in a ripped-from-the-headlines polygamist cult. This is no watered-down Big Love but a gripping foray into the realities of family ties that strangle. Hidden Wives is an engrossing insider's look into a world where faith is confused with religion, but where the powerful bond between two sisters and their search for justice succeeds in restoring faith in us all."--Karen White, award-winning author of The Lost Hours

"Hidden Wives is a compelling story that rivets the reader's attention from start to finish. With searing insight, Avery manages to capture the all too real horrors which girls and women must endure inside fundamentalist Mormon and Christian polygamist cults."--Andrea Moore-Emmett, award-winning author of God's Brothel

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1 edition (June 8, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765326892
• ISBN-13: 978-0765326898
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

CLAIRE AVERY is a pseudonym for Mari Hilburn, an attorney. Claire coauthored her first novel, HIDDEN WIVES with her sister, Michelle Hilburn. HIDDEN WIVES was chosen as a Doubleday Book Club and Literary Guild Alternate Selection. Claire has written a sequel to HIDDEN WIVES, which will be published in 2013. She's currently working on her third novel.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Debut! June 9, 2010

By Julie Merilatt VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I was completely mesmerized by the story of Rachel and Sara, two sisters raised in a polygamous fundamentalist Mormon sect. Though they have been immersed in the bizarre dogma of their religion their entire lives, circumstances eventually persuade them to make some serious decisions about remaining with a community that condones plural and often underage marriage. As events unfolded, I became more and more engrossed in every aspect of their lives. Sara wants nothing more than to continue her education and rebels at the prospect of marrying her uncle. Rachel is more timid and accepting of her situation despite finding happiness with a boy her own age. They endure an incredibly abusive father, hostile mothers, betrothals to considerably older men, and countless other horrific incidences that left me terrified for them. As I read, I had an insistent fear for their lives, but at the same time, hope that they would defy the strict conventions that they were raised to adhere to. There was solidarity between Sara and Rachel that demonstrated the connection between sisters and the need to support each other regardless.

The conclusion was satisfying and went in a different direction than I had originally anticipated. The last few chapters contained so many different vindicating elements and occurred so rapidly, I wish I had more content to absorb. There were a few things that I would have liked to see developed more, perhaps in an epilogue, but I enjoyed the novel as a whole so much that I cannot even find fault with the hurried conclusion after all that had transpired.

The author's apparent knowledge of the religion and its customs was impressive. There were so many other contributing factors that made this an incredible book; the solid writing, the attention to detail, the genuine characters, the pacing, and even the dialogue were all exceptional. Cheers to a brilliant debut!

I received a complimentary copy of Hidden Wives by Claire Avery from the author. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars UnPutDownAble! June 16, 2010

By Sonia VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Approximately a mile and a half from a town in Utah called Centennial, lies a commuity called Blood of the Lamb in which men are the gods of their households and women are disposable. The "prophet" of this community claims he receives instructions directly from his god and therefore his words are infallible. He has 50 wives. His "apostles" are the richest in the community and they also have many young wives. The more common men in the community have about three or four wives a piece.

Sara and Rachel come from such a household. They have four mothers and one very abusive father. But he is "god" of his house and his word is law.. At 16 years of age, Sara and Rachel are waiting their betrothals. Sara is dismayed to discover she must marry her own uncle. Rachel is beautiful and of course, seventeen different men receive "testments from god" that they are designated to be her husband. Thus, her fate remains in the balance. May the richest "man of god" win.

Sara find herself "buried in truth" (I'm not going to explain that terminology cause it would ruin the story) and begins to think for herself. Does she want to marry her uncle and have deformed babies? No. She wants an education. She wants to read books. She is a headstrong girl and finds herself meeting a young boy from outside the community, a black boy. Here's the deal: Blood of the Lamb community claims that black people are animals.. they are spawn of Satan. (Have you ever heard a more smelly pile of bull crap?) Irvin is his name and he begins to open Sara's eyes even more. There may be a future outside Blood of the Lamb community for her .. Will it involve Irvin?

Rachel is not quite as strong as Sara and she is completely brainwashed by this cult. She will do anything she is told despite her strong her love for a new young man, Luke. With seventeen men claiming "god" wants her to be their wife and 4 of them high ranking apostles, Luke doesn't stand a chance. When Luke speaks his mind and attempts to fight for Rachel, things go sour. Will Rachel ever see the light or is she destined to become wife number 51 to some dirty old brainwashed man?

Sara won't leave without Rachel and women are disposable. Could they even get away if they tried.. without losing their lives? The ending is surprising. Let's just say the you-know-what hits the fan!

An amazing, thought evoking novel. It shocked me to the core. I couldn't decide whether to laugh, cry, scream or gasp half the time. It is well written and really makes one ponder religion and how much people will exploit it. Def one the best reads of 2010.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Life-Changing! Gut-Wrenching! Phenomenal Writing! July 9, 2010

By Lisa Michelle Smart

Format:Paperback

Claire Avery's Hidden Wives presents a piercingly emotional landscape through Sara and Rachel, two sisters coming-of-age in The Blood of the Lamb community - a fundamental polygamist sect in Utah. At 15 and 16-years-of-age, Sara and Rachel are bordering on spinsterhood. Most "girls" receive their marriage confirmations as early as 13-years-of-age through the "law of placing." The more wives a man has, the more likely he will attain the status of a god in the afterlife. It does not take long for the reader to realize the caustic effect of this practice: bride shortages. With the shortage of brides comes the unspeakable acts of child marriages, incest, rape, and violence. One of the most difficult parts of the book to read was the birth of a child as a result of an incestuous relationship - absolutely heartbreaking. Yet it is in these most mordant moments that we also see unmitigated acts of kindness, forgiveness, love, and authenticity. The most liberating and pivotal moments in the novel for me, are when Sara decides to take books from the local supermarket and return them after she has read them. I envisioned Sara reading Jackie Collins, Candace Bushnell, and Jennifer Weiner. It is through this small act of defiance that Sara sets herself apart from the rest of her community. She begins to question status quo and realizes that there is an entirely different world that exists outside the Blood of the Lamb Community. While this act of defiance almost costs Sara her life, it also leads her to meet a young black man who suffers from echolalia. I had not realized what this was prior to reading this book and think the writers are brilliant in their creation of this character. When I first began reading the dialogue between the characters...I thought the repetition of last parts of sentences would be quite distracting...it was actually some of the most beautiful writing I have ever read. By the time I made it three-fourths of the way through the novel, I was tense, grinding my teeth, holding my breath....I think the readers needed the "bat" scene. I am even appalled at my own reaction to the scene in the book...I literally said out loud, "one more time for the cheap seats in the back!" I am mortified to even admit I said this, but there you have it...a genuine emotional response that shocked even me! I am so thankful to have come across this book and have been able to think of little else since completing it this morning at 4 AM. I recommend this book to EVERYONE; it truly is one of those books that will stay with you long after you have read the last word. Life-changing, gut-wrenching writing!