Mormon Odyssey is the captivating story of Ida Hunt Udall, a plural wife of David K. Udall, an early Mormon leader in Arizona. Her story is told through her memories of her early life; her journal; her "birthday book, " in which she made annual entries from 1873 to 1905; selected letters; and Maria Ellsworth's own interpretive material. Born in 1858, Ida Hunt Udall began her Mormon odyssey when she was quite young, pioneering with her family in Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. With the coming of the anti-Mormon crusade focusing on polygamists, Ida was forced to go into hiding soon after her marriage in 1882. She vividly describes her marriage, her life on the "underground" and the prison experiences of her husband as reported to her in letters she copied into her journal. Maria Ellsworth, Ida's granddaughter, weaves these materials into a compelling tale of hard work, courage, sacrifice, and devotion to a family, a religion, and a cause that defined her being and gave meaning to her life. She includes details of Ida's life based on the journals of Ida's sisters, family recollections, and historical documents. Mormon Odyssey provides a "window" on polygamy, with all its conflicts and disappointments, as well as its rewards. Here are keen insights into pioneer life in Arizona from the 1880s to 1915. The book will appeal to those interested in family history, Mormon history, frontier history, and women's history.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Embellishing her maternal grandmother's journal with her own commentary and with the recollections of friends and relatives, freelance writer Ellsworth presents a portrait of Ida Hunt Udall (1858-1915) that approaches hagiography. Although Udall hid from U.S. marshals for months at a time and had to endure the jealousy of and favored treatment to her "co-wife" by their husband, a Mormon leader, she remained a loving wife and mother who was deeply committed to polygamy, a Mormon practice of the period. Unfortunately, Ellsworth does not provide enough background information about the Mormon religious commandment of "celestial" or plural marriage, about how widely plural marriage was practiced and why it was practiced, or about why the leadership eventually banned these unions. Udall's complaints against her husband seem to be given short shrift due to her own self-abnegation and perhaps to Ellsworth's censorship; the editor notes: "I hope that nothing I have written here will detract from the harmony in the Udall family my grandmother worked so hard to achieve." While scholars may appreciate its insider's view of late-19th-century Mormon culture, this account has little appeal for the general reader. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In journals and letters edited by her granddaughter, Udall tells of her life as one of the wives of Mormon bishop David K. Udall. In addition to the usual harsh conditions of pioneer life, she also shouldered the burden of going underground to protect her husband from polygamy charges. The book opens with memoirs detailing her experiences up to age 16. Interesting entries from her "Birthday Book" give short summaries of her life each year. These early writings combine with her and her relatives' journals to create a portrait of a good, courageous woman who made many sacrifices. The book's historical significance comes from the information it contains about polygamy, Mormon struggles with the government, and life in the Mormon towns of Utah and Arizona. A good purchase for libraries where there is an interest in Mormons.
- Dorothy Lilly, Grosse Pointe North H.S. Lib., Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Dorothy Lilly, Grosse Pointe North H.S. Lib., Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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