Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith [Paperback]

Linda King Newell (Author), Valeen Tippetts Avery (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press; 2 Sub edition (June 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252062914
• ISBN-13: 978-0252062919
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #354,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

165 of 168 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Authors Reflections March 15, 2009

By Linda K. Newell

Format:Paperback

It has been 25 years since Valeen tippets Avery and I completed the manuscript of Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, published by Doublday, Inc. in 1984. University of Illinois Press released a revised second edition in 1994, which enabled us to make a number of correctons, mainly associated with documents that were forged by Mark Hoffman. Since its first release, Mormon Enigma has seen steady sales--about 1000 copies a year. Hopfully it will remain a mainstay in Mormon history in the forseeable future.

So after all these years, I decided to read, for the first time, the reviews of the book posted on Amazon.Com--twenty-three to date. Most of them were kind; a few had erroneous information which I wish to correct here.

A review by "A Customer" titled "Enlightening Scholarship," June 16, 2001, said that one of the authors is LDS and the other RLDS (now Community of Christ Church). I am LDS and so was Val (she died suddenly on April 7, 2006.)

Angele Dawn Bissonette in her August 21, 2006, review stated that one of the authors was ecommunicated. Neither of us were excommunicated. The powers that be in the LDS church, however, were not happy with the book, saying that "it is a non-traditional view of Joseph Smith." To discourage the sale of the book they banned us from speaking in any LDS Church meetings or even in any Church buildings on anything having to do with LDS Church history. When the press picked up the story, sales of the book tripled. The ban lasted about a year--from May 1985 to May 1986. At that time I received word that we were no longer under any restrictions.

The most startling misconception titled "amazon.com has it wrong," April 6, 1999, came from another person identified as "A Customer." The review stated that before the manuscript was finished "Linda King Newell developed personal problems and was unable to continue working on the book. Valeen Avery finished the book and completed all revisions to appease the publisher." This is just not true. I was the primary researcher for the book and the writing was divided equally. We worked together to rewrite each others narratives until the prose emerged as a seamless whole. Each one of us did have different "down" times. I had major surgery and Val broke her right(write)arm and some ribs in a car accident. Neither of us stopped working on the book during our recoveries. When our editor at Doubleday told us we had to cut the 1000 page manuscript by one third, we both went through the entire manuscript to accomplish that, trading sections back and forth. In the end a flip of a coin determined whose name went first.

I appreciate all the kind words that so many readers have contributed in these reviews. Thank you all.

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic documents give credibility, rich historic detail. November 6, 1999

By P.J. Frost

Format:Paperback

After reading many books which either sugar-coated or demonized the early Mormon experience, I found the extensive use of authentic documents (letters, diaries, news articles, church & public records) in the work to be refreshing. The authors seemed to have no other agenda than to discover and reveal Emma's actual experience. Emma is portrayed with a wide spectrum of human qualities, overlain with a strong, consistent spiritual vision. Peering into her husband/prophet's life, through her perspective, seemed to give a fair, historically accurate, and unromanticized, view of a man who has inspired strong emotions, devotion and criticism. I recommend it. The view of life during the decades of Emma's life was carefully drawn and gives appreciation for the challenges of people in that time and place.

67 of 72 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Woman August 26, 2001

By Geoffrey L Smith

Format:Paperback

This biography is well researched and shows what a great and strong woman Emma Smith was. It was especially interesting to see how she dealt with the polygamy issue with Joseph Smith and also to see how well she raised her children after his death. The only reason that I marked this book down a little was because the first third of the book was a little difficult to get through. In this part of the book it seemed to me that I was reading a biography of Joseph Smith, rather than Emma. As a footnote, it was also interesting to note some of the trials the authors have faced from church leaders due to their writing this book. They seemed to have gotten into a little trouble for sharing some of the less flattering aspects of Joseph Smith's and Brigham Young's actions. If anything, the authors treaded lightly in these areas and could have been much more blunt in sharing their character defects in regards to their treatment of Emma. But kudos to the authors for being willing to write what they did.