"It's Not About the Sex" My Ass [Kindle Edition]

Joanne Hanks (Author), Steve Cuno (Author)

Book Description

With wit, humor and style, Joanne Hanks takes you on a wild ride through the insanity of the Mormon-based polygamist cult that was her life for seven years. Get ready to laugh. Get ready to be outraged. And get ready to see polygamy as no one has ever revealed it before.

Joanne tells their crazy story with humor, satire—and insight. You’ll share her angst over sharing her husband. You’ll meet her “sister wives,” a prophet calling himself a “celestial stud service” who seeks divine guidance on threesomes, and apostles who dress in weird robes to curse the White House. You’ll fume at gut-wrenching tales of racism, sexual abuse, fraud, and manipulation. And you’ll find out why no one remembers when Jesus destroyed the world on March 26, 2000.

“It’s Not About The Sex” My Ass is more than an entertaining read. It’s a cautionary tale about the power of delusional thinking, and a hopeful tale of one family that came to their senses and found the courage to leave.

Product Details

• File Size: 288 KB
• Print Length: 174 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1105997405
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B008Q4D6E4
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,194 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #19 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Mormonism
  • #26 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Mormonism

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Transparency and Honesty Is Good for All of Our Souls December 16, 2012

By S. L. Patterson

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Disclaimer: I know Joanne Hanks (my former quase-sister-in-law) -- But I sure didn't know ABOUT Joanne Hanks.

A few things I learned about Joanne from her book:

1) I knew that Jeff and Joanne Hanks had moved to Manti, Utah and that they became polygamists some 20 years ago. They were certainly the talk of extended family gatherings during those years, but hardly anyone ever said a bad word about them. How could they? Most of them were progeny of Mormon polygamists themselves, albeit several generations removed.

2) That Joanne has such a great sense of humor. I see it in her now-adult daughters, so I guess it had to come to them from somewhere. I was very pleased to see that Joanne can laugh about all of this afterwards (though I'm sure there wasn't as much laughter during, as she explains so well in the book).

3) That Joanne is so honest and forthcoming about her experiences in this underground, secretive world. The worst part of coming back out of something like this, is facing up to the fact that not only did you delude others, but you deluded yourself. How many of us have the courage to do that? Joanne does.

I would recommend this book for anyone wanting insight into the world of Mormonism. The larger LDS church denounces these so-called "apostate" groups, but the reality is that what happened to Joanne and her family during their sojourn is very similar to what was happening in mainstream Mormonism from its very beginnings to well into the 20th century.

One can certainly extrapolate the feel and reality of living "the law of celestial marriage" from this thoughtful and expressive tome written by one who knows -- and who is honest and transparent enough to share it with us.

Thanks, Joanne.... I think we have a lot more to talk about now! Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Impassioned, powerful and succinct. November 15, 2012

By KDS

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased the Kindle version of this book ... and read it straight thru. It was a most entertaining and poignant presentation and it uniquely accomplished the author's goal of "humor and satire". I wasn't prepared to burst out laughing several times and found it a wonderful alternative to the usual dour and sometimes boring presentations of similar books.

Impassioned, powerful and succinct and with a compelling imperative to discover genuine and rational purpose in life.

It also accomplishes much more than a simple delineation of the TLC cult. It proffers wonderful insights into how any of us can rationalize an inability to be rational.

I couldn't put the story down.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars it is ok February 20, 2013

By Good Weather

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The book is not bad. It does not drag, it is very easy reading. I like the author's ability to to joke and be sarcastic and not only about other people but about herself as well. But, it is always that 'but'. The author told us really quickly how she got into that mess of 'poligs' and how she got out . Details are lacking, her thoughts and feelings are missing. She did not elaborate about the life style . The title of the book is great and promising but that's where the promise to explain why it is about sex ends.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun interesting read December 19, 2012

By SFC Courtney

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is the first book I have read in years cover to cover nonstop. It's a very interesting and unique view of subculture and sociological aspects we tend to ignore in our day to day lives.
Highly recommended

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting insight December 2, 2012

By Don Smith

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you want to know the thinking inside the mind of a 'sister wife' then this book is it. No beautiful prose here. Just over-the-back-fence storytelling. I was engaged.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read on an interesting subject November 26, 2012

By Eric

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Being born and raised in Utah it is always nice to get a glimpse into the secretive world of those who hold tight to the original principles of the LDS church. Joanne Hanks did a good job in this book of giving readers her insight into what was going on in her head and what goes on in others peoples heads as they are involved in polygamy. Her humor is intact although you are able to get a feel that it masks a lot of pain. Thoroughly enjoyed this read on this interesting subject.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Window into a secret world October 1, 2012

By Dee

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The book is well paced and doesn't drag, which makes it an easy read. It's also told with a lot of humor. The author doesn't demonize the people she describes, so they stay real and don't become caricatures. It's a good portrait of group-think, and illustrates just how easy it is to go off the rails with a charismatic leader and some isolation. I do wish she had spent a bit more time talking about how she got out, at least in terms of what was going on in her head. It was easier to see how she got into her situation, bit by bit, but harder to see the internal process for getting out. Overall the book is an interesting insight into the dynamics of a small polygamist group.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Inside the mind of a cult member January 5, 2013

By Judith

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

How do intelligent people get sucked into cults led by false prophets? How did the author and her husband fall for the idea that polygamy was a great idea? The author answers these questions with great humor. Despite the light touch, the book is packed with interesting facts about what the various Mormon cults are thinking when they practice polygamy. However, this is not just another book by an unhappy "sister wife." There is insight into how people can believe incredible claims from their prophet. In this book, the prophet claimed to know the exact date of the end of the world. Their cult planned for this event, even renting a refrigerated tractor trailer truck and filled it with food for the banquet they planned to welcome Jesus back. The book also includes some interesting facts about how the Mormon founder Joseph Smith may have declared polygamy was the true way just because he had a roving eye that displeased his wife. This was a quick enjoyable read. There are no problems with the Kindle edition. You can even lend this one electronically to another Kindle owner.