Customer Reviews

The Secret Story of Polygamy

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While this isn't the most exhaustive in-depth book on polygamy (more specifically, polygyny) out there, it is an adequate resource if one is just starting to learn about the issue. The meat of the book is about the trial of Mary Ann Kingston, a teenage girl from one of the most infamous polygamous clans in Utah, who ran away after her father brutally beat her for daring to try to leave her husband, who was also her uncle. Mary Ann was his 15th wife, and not the only blood relative he was married to. Her own parents are also halfsiblings, far from the only incestuous coupling in this huge local polygamous empire. When she brought her father and uncle to court for their crimes, it really got the national spotlight onto this issue, demonstrating that in the majority of cases, polygamy in this country at least isn't about what consenting adults choose to do or personal religious beliefs, but rather about power, control, abuse, fraud, fear, and horrifying crimes, one of which, incest, frequently results in children with severe deformities or handicaps. There's also a fair bit of attention paid to Tom Green, a polygamist who proudly admitted to his lifestyle on television multiple times, and who married most of his wives when they were teenagers and over half his age. Another case that forms the basis of Ms. Tracy's argument against polygamy is that of Andrea Johnson, a 15 year old who died of untreated toxemia and gave birth to a baby with cerebral palsy (the father was her halfbrother), a direct result of the extreme secrecy and crimes of these groups. There are also chapters on the general history and evolution of the various types of polygamy (polygyny, polyandry, and polyamory) and the history and treatment of polygyny in Mormonism.

However, this book just doesn't feel extraordinarily in-depth. There are a lot of good points made about how dangerous and damaging polygyny is to these women and their children, but a lot of times it feels more like she's not being as specific as possible, like having more extensive analysis or synthesis of the material. And for a book supposedly based around the Kingston trial, there just isn't a whole lot of information presented from enough of the sources, such as the doctors, police, and social workers who dealt with the case too. The writing itself is also crawling with embarrassing errors--grammatical, orthographical, punctuational, typographical. A couple of times she even gives the wrong year for certain events, writing 19xx when clearly she meant 18xx. She also repeatedly calls the Utah newspaper The Deseret News 'The Desert News.' At times it seems as though barely a page passes by without at least one such mistake. Where was the editor? And while I'm not Mormon myself, I couldn't help noticing that there were some inaccurate, even offensive, statements about that faith. For example, she doesn't seem to make enough of a distinction between mainstream Mormons and the fundamentalists who commit these vile crimes, people who really are condemned, not just officially, by the LDS Church. While it's true the religion does have a long and complicated relationship with polygamy, and it did take awhile for it to fully be stamped out even after it was first officially forbidden, today only these secluded enclaves of fundamentalists still sanction it, let alone practice it. There are also some statements that would have seemed a lot less offensive had there been some more specifics, like when she says that Mormonism is considered a cult in a passage about other Christian groups who practice polygamy. Is she saying it's considered a cult by just these other fringe groups or by everyone? She also says that the FLDS groups believe Joseph Smith had revelations from God; unless she specifically meant about polygamy, don't all Mormons believe he had Divine revelations? I also thought the section on the supposed double standard was in somewhat bad taste, particularly when Ms. Tracy was discussing Deborah Laake's book, which revealed some rituals that are supposed to be private, like the description of the Temple wedding ceremony. Just about all religions have beliefs and rituals which seem strange, premodern, or illogical to outsiders; it's all a matter of perspective. Every religion has the right to decide what to keep private and whether it's going to have a more liberal or conservative outlook in certain areas.

It's a shame, since with a lot more supporting details, scholarly analysis of these cases, and religious sensitivity, plus a much more attentive editor, this book could have been a lot more polished and professional, and made the case against polygyny even more compelling and insightful.

I thought that this was a fascinating book that pulled together a lot of bits and pieces of information that I have heard about here and there. I have rather mixed feelings about polygamy. On one hand, I have a fairly anarchistic view of private social arrangements. I would be willing to consider allowing polygamy, and various other unusual (in the USA) customs, as long as everyone participates voluntarily. This makes it clear that one cannot count upon that happening; not only are some women virtual prisoners, subject to rape, but the law is often reluctant to intervene when they do seek help. Some of the groups are deliberately incestuous. And I was just thrilled to learn that the polygamists see Welfare as a godsend to enable them to lie and support themselves at public expense.

Tracy is clearly against polygamy, and she recounts some frightening and tragic stories. She does recount some of the views of pro-polygamy women, and concedes that the Joseph family works fairly well.

Needed information about a rarely discussed topic.

This is, obviously, a fascinating subject & the author's research appears to be adequate. However, there is hardly a sentence which does not include at least one error in spelling, grammar, words, or dates. For instance, dates which should begin with "18" often begin with "19." The author does not seem to have a clue when to use the word "principle" and when to use "principal." She has no idea when to use "it's" & when to use "its." For anyone who cares about decent writing, this is a hard book to read. Overuse if Spellcheck may be part of the problem but real ignorance is also a problem. Whatever became of editors?

This book was a quick, easy read. I thought it did a good job interleaving the history of polygamy in the U.S. with recent events in that area. It offered an interesting look into the lifestyle.

One problem I saw with the book was that it did repeat itself several times throughout the book. Also, it had the feel of an anti-polygamy slant, rather than perhaps a more neutral tone.