Customer Reviews

Saints

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card is one of my all-time favorites. And I thoroughly enjoyed all the sequels. I consider him one of the finest science fiction writers of all time. Little did I suspect that he has also written excellent historical fiction.

"Saints" (first published way back in 1984) begins in Manchester, England, in 1829, in the midst of the horrors of the industrial revolution. A family falls on hard times and you quickly get caught up in their day-to-day struggles for survival. But no sooner do you think you are reading a latter-day version of Dickens, then the Latter Day Saints appear. Young Dinah Kirkham and her mother and brother convert

to Mormonism and emigrate to America -- extraordinary events that the author makes seem inevitable, from his thorough build-up of the characters and their circumstances. Dinah becomes the focus of the book, which follows her from age 10 to age 100, marrying Joseph Smith, and later Brigham Young. She becomes so real, so believable, so necessary to the history of the Mormon Church, that when you are done reading the novel, you'll be impelled to do one Google search after another, looking for evidence that such a woman really lived. The author also succeeds remarkably in making the strangest beliefs and practices of the Mormon Church -- including polygamy -- seem natural and inevitable: psychologically "true".

I normally read Card for his science fiction and fantasy, so I expected to be rather uninterested in Saints. Also, I am not religious at all, and books which focus on religion tend not to interest me. However, even though it took me a while to get into it, I completely loved this book. I was willing to completely accept and believe in the religious views of all of the characters, and become completely absorbed in the story. Orson Scott Card does in Saints what he does in all of his science fiction and fantasy-- he tells a story you believe, about characters you truly feel for, who become, in some way, a part of your life. If you are a fan of Card, this book is worth reading, even if you normally only read science fiction or fantasy.

I was looking for a book by Orson Scott Card (having never read one before) and this was the only one available at the library that day.

I imagine most people looking for this book are either OSC fans or Mormons (or interested in Mormons.) Not only have I never read any other Orson Scott Card, but I also am not a Mormon and know very little aside from the bare basics about the rise of the Mormon religion. However, as one who enjoys historical fiction, in that regard I am qualified to give an opinion.

As a piece of historical fiction, the book is very well-written, with attention to details and his characters are complicated and true to themselves, seeming not to be re-hashings of characters created centuries ago, and not simply having the motivation of propelling the story. The book seems written to deceive - or at least blur the lines between fiction and reality, making you wonder how much if the story is indeed true, how many of these people did in fact exist.

The book is essentially in two parts. The first half tells the story of the Kirkham family and the odds they face - the father deserting them to fend for themselves in lives of poverty in 1820's Manchester, the three children each finding their own destiny, the eldest son rising to prominent engineer through his own sweat and determination, the youngest son having successes handed to him thanks to his family's endurances, and daughter Dinah struggling to be an independent woman in a society ruled by men.

At the midpoint of the book, the family is split over the arrival of Mormons, one of whom converts half the family in one night. Any true believer has to go to America to build the new city, so half the family wrenches itself from the other half, tearing mothers from children and brothers from sisters and husband from wife in a heartbreaking time all due to conversion.

In the second half of the book, the author examines the struggle of accepting and living with the Mormon principle of polygamy, called plural wives or celestial marriage. At no time did I truly understand the concept as they did, but it was engaging to me to try to understand how this crept up and sustained itself (and against what threats, inside and outside the Mormon city.) Dinah, the heroine of the story, falls in love with Joseph Smith, founder and leader of the Mormon faith, and he has already secretly taken a few other wives. Dinah is friends with Joseph's first wife, Emma, who does not approve of "celestial marriage" and so is in the dark about Joseph's other marriages. Once the cat starts to come out of the bag, Dinah becomes a vocal advocate of "celestial marriage", even convincing her brother Charlie's wife to give Charlie her own sister to marry as a second wife.

I did not feel that the author was trying to convert the reader or defend a principle, only to investigate how it is possible that a strong and independent woman could advocate polygamy, and how the advent of the new idea might have arisen and been accepted into a society of people we might recognize if we had been there to see them.

Card is never better than when writing from the heart. This book would seem to be the definitive proof of that theory. The levels of this book, its range and versatility, amaze me every time I read it. If you know Card from his science fiction, you will be rewarded by reading this. The characterization, plot, and story are up to his usual high standards. (If you fall into that group, and have no prior knowledge of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, you may find here an introduction to the subtext running through much of his work.)

Some have criticized this book for its irreverent look at the founders of the Church. To them I would reply that reading this book helped bring me back to the Church. Reading it was like sitting at a grandparent's knee and learning my own history. I felt moved to borrow a copy of the Book of Mormon from an astonished childhood friend and re-read it. I loved reading about Dinah, but more than anything I was moved by Card's portrait of Joseph Smith. I think his story, and his vision, are even more powerful when viewed through the context of his humanity. The Prophet was a man, with a singular vision, a marvelous sense of purpose, and a miraculous relationship with God. In this book, Card reminded me of these things, and in so doing, helped give me a deeper understanding of my faith. Even if I am the only reader to be moved in this way, I would say that my return to my faith makes a bit of irreverence well worth the price.

"Saints" is a novelization of the life of one of the wives of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). The book follows Dinah from her childhood of poverty and misery in England through her involvement in the early Mormon movement in the United States. Card manages to make it seem plausible that a smart, tough, self-reliant woman like Dinah could accept Mormon "plural marriage." The one part of her life that I didn't fully understand was Dinah's conversion to Mormonism in the first place, which is, of course, crucial to the story.

I was fascinated by Card's characterization of Joseph Smith. You can't quite decide whether he's a raving egomaniac on a power trip or whether he truly believes he's heard the voice of God and is determined to be faithful no matter how difficult it may be or how crazy God's commands may seem. Or maybe it's some of each. It seems to me that a lot of strong religious leaders are like this, and maybe there's no sure way to tell what's really motivating them. Card also leaves open the interpretation of Dinah's treatment of her children: Is it a painful but necessary consequence of acting faithfully, or an inexcusable abdication of responsibility, or some of each?

"Saints" is an engaging story and a powerful study of the faithful life. Also recommended: "Stone Tables," Card's novelization of the life of Moses.

If you read Orson Scott card for his Science fiction, I admit this is probably not the book for you. But I read him for his depth of character and skill for telling a story of epic proportions. I am not Mormon, but I love a good historical tale and I was so intrigued with this story that I actually searched out a Mormon to see how true it was! To learn that there is much actual history to this story only gratifies me more. Dinah, the main character, became like a sister to me and I rejoiced and remorsed with her. She taught me a lot of things about strength of will and even had some "magical" talents like many other of Card's characters. I abhor polygamy, but for Dinah I was willing to suspend even this hatred of that patriarchal institution. When we watch any movie or read any fiction, we go into it expecting to supend disbelief as long as the artistry is there. With Orson Scott Card in Saints, the artistry is definitely there. I've read this book twice, and once more to go over the really great parts.

I had already read the first two "Alvin" books by Card when I found Saints. This book was an amazing read. I suspended the rest of my life to complete it. I am a strong Christian though not a Mormon. I don't think a reader's religious preference should take away from what a marvelous job Card does creating believable characters and a story based on historical facts. I think it is fascinating to learn where the roots of religious convictions come from. It helps us to better love each other no matter what we believe.

I loved this book! I have read it three times now, and each time find something new to enjoy about it. I had to laugh at the reviewer who found it somewhat unsettling for non-Mormons. I think that it's probably more unsettling for Mormons, due to the characterization of some of the early church leaders. However, I actually enjoyed the way Card gave these people human qualities. They may have been prophets, but they were also people, and nobody's perfect. In fact, it was the reality of these particular characters that made me love the book so much in the first place. I also enjoyed the way he had his characters deal with the issue of polygamy. Card has taken a very difficult practice for church members to understand, on an emotional level, and given some perspective as to why people chose to participate in it. This book is not for everyone, though. If you are a Mormon who thinks The Work and the Glory by Gerald Lund is the definitive novelization of early Church history, this is not for you. But if you are open to a somewhat more realistic approach to that era, you will enjoy Saints. And if you are a non-Mormon looking for an interesting historical fiction, again, this is for you.

I know a lot of Orson Scott Card fans will be out of their comfort zone reading this book. Well, so be it. I think it is a magnificent introduction to the history of the Mormon church. Other reviewers have criticized it for not having enough "lovable" characters.

How "lovable" are real people? That's who you feel you have gotten to know in this book. Fictional characters mingle with historical characters, and Card has been honest enough to make them ALL as complicated as people really are. Joseph Smith is not portrayed as a sinless martyr, he is portrayed as a human being, with human failings. This doesn't take away from his great accomplishments -- his accomplishments are so great precisely BECAUSE he was fallible.

And the character of Dinah is a triumph. Perhaps her strength of character isn't "lovable" to some. But for those of us who look for well-rounded, realistic female characters in books, Dinah is GREAT! She is independent, strong willed, and follows the strength of her convictions even when it means personal sacrifice. She is symbolic of the many real women who joined the Mormon church despite severe persecution.

"Saints" is a long book and a complicated book. It is not a "light read." But it is a WORTHWHILE read -- and will also give you some insight into Orson Scott Card not only as a writer but as a member of this uniquely American church, the Church of Latter-Day Saints. (Hence the title.)

I know some readers have been disturbed by certain scenes in this book. I can't imagine why, unless they would be disturbed by historical nonfiction about the same time period, since everything that happens is essentially historically accurate, albeit with fictionalized characters. Orson Scott Card has said (I'm paraphrasing from "A Storyteller in Zion") that he wanted to write a book that would be accessible to any reader, without the reader having to decide whether to personally believe in the same faith as the characters, as long as the reader understood that the characters themselves absolutely believed in the truthfulness of mormonism. I think he succeeded, and personally, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I finished the book with my own faith strengthened, not diminished. Also, its nice to read an LDS Novel in which the early leaders of the church talk and act like real life human beings, as I'm sure they really did, instead of sounding like every word they ever spoke, even in casual conversation, was prepared beforehand for public oration and inclusion in the journal of discourses.