Wives and Sisters (Mass Market Paperback)

by Natalie R. Collins (Author) "I WAS SIX YEARS OLD THE FIRST TIME I HAD AN INKLING GOD WOULD NOT always protect me..." (more)
Key Phrases: ward members, fake beard, Aunt Carol, Mark Peterson, Salt Lake City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A white-knuckles ride all the way. Expert depiction of a young woman’s struggle with the oppressive “family values” of one kind of fundamentalism. Newcomer Collins is a talent to watch.”–Kirkus Reviews

“By anyone's measure a gripping story, one that is hard to put down, and one that lingers in the mind long after.”—Indianapolis Star

“This is a book written with skill and passion and…it will resonate with women who have never set foot inside a Mormon church.”–The Washington Times

“The end of the book…was perfection itself. Wives and Sisters is clearly one of the year’s best books; riveting at times, painful at times, realistic always, and completely unforgettable. It not only makes you cry, it makes you think, which is my personal hallmark of an excellent read. Natalie R. Collins has emerged as one of the finest new authors I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.”–Rendezvous

“Don’t be surprised if you devour this book in one reading. Natalie Collins has captured the essence of a page-turner by giving us three dimensional characters, plenty of action and a healthy dose of controversy.”–Midwest Book Review

“Collins…draws readers in with her strong writing and compelling plot. An outstanding introduction to Collins’ fiction, Wives and Sisters stirs up emotions in the reader that will resonate long after he or she has closed the book.”–January Magazine

“Mormonism takes a decided hit in this heart-wrenching and suspenseful tale of religious piety gone awry…Wives and Sisters is a gripping tale oozing with skillful feminist commentary about the patriarchal nature of Mormonism…a spirited decision for a newcomer, and it earns her the status of a voice to watch.”–River Walk Journal

“Startling and compelling—I could not stop turning the pages.”—Tess Gerritsen, author of The Sinner

“A dark, powerful debut novel. Natalie Collins pulls no emotional punches crafting this searing tale.”—Lisa Gardner, author of The Killing Hour

“This is not a book that can be put down. It's so compelling, so dramatic, with strong suspense and mystery elements, that I had to find out what would happen. I normally don't read stories that involve stalking and crimes against women, especially involving sexual assault. They are painful and ugly. However, the women in this story take control of their lives and leave victimization behind. This book also speaks with authority about the LDS Church and especially tenets of the Church that continue to harm women. Fascinating details! It's written with a frightening intensity. I had to check the locks before I could go to sleep after finishing.”
–Perri O’Shaughnessy, New York Times bestselling author of Unlucky in Law

“Natalie Collins' Wives and Sisters is a journey through heartbreak, tragedy, and self-discovery with a courageous woman who dares to think for herself in a dogmatic society. This is a story for anyone who has ever questioned what they've been taught all their life; anyone who has ever doubted their self-worth, and everyone who loves to cheer on the underdog and watch them triumph in the end. You'll be glad you took this journey with her.”—Tina Wainscott, author of I’ll Be Watching You

“The most astonishing thing about Natalie Collin’s Wives and Sisters is not that it tells such a dramatic tale of betrayal, fundamentalism, denial, and abuse, but that it all rings so true. She perfectly captures the mixture of love, pain, and frustration that accompany surviving trauma in a society where victims are often silenced.”—Martha Beck, author of Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith

“Fans will be stunned by this tense thriller that condemns extremist religions and social moral behavior at the cost of any segment of society…this fine tale provides food for thought when the powerful use morality as weapons of mass destruction.”–Harriet Klausner

“Wives and Sisters is a raw, emotional story that never gives in to sentimentality. It puts a plain, unvarnished face on the secret workings of the human soul and the price of blind faith.”
–TheCelebrityCafe.com

“[An] amazing debut novel…There are a few things that make Wives and Sisters stand out. First off—though this is Collins’ first novel, the tempo and pace at which the narrative is presented is that of a very seasoned author. Past and present are intricately interwoven to create a tapestry of almost palpable suspense which moves along at a pace that keeps the reader turning page after page. The writing is tight—there is no fat in this novel, and there are no long, brooding soliloquies to slow down the action. Collins tells her story with an economy of words that one rarely sees with new writers…Wives and Sisters is an amazing achievement, and…a just read. Natalie R. Collins is an author that we shall be seeing great things from in the future.”
—ReadersRoom.com

“Well-written, fast-paced, Natalie Collins’ Wives and Sisters is suspense filled satisfaction with a bone-chilling, thought provoking similarity to recent events….[It] tugs at the heart and pulls at the mind. Author Natalie R. Collins, with the skill of the masters, splashes truth, and warnings against dangers of concealing truth, onto the pages of this must read thriller.”
—WritersAndReadersNetwork.com

“The author brings authentic color and gripping detail to her book which underscores the very real mentality of protecting the Church at all costs.”—Tucson Citizen

“Natalie R. Collins has perfected Utah’s voice….[Readers] may also sense the attraction of this place nestled at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains and even understand at a visceral level why it is so important that religion and government be kept completely and forever separated. That, for any reader, should put Wives and Sisters at the top of their bedtime reading list for 2005.”

—Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This is the Place, for BookPleasures.com

Product Description

Decades ago, young Allison Jensen and her best friend Cindy were separated in the woods. Cindy disappeared forever. Allison survived amid a web of small-town secrets and lies that greeted every anguished question she asked about that fateful afternoon.

Years later, Allison has come home to the bedroom community of Farmington, Utah—back to the devout tyranny of her father, back to the close-knit society she rejected, and back to the conspiracy of silence that has plagued her with nightmares of guilt and loss.

Out of her patchwork memory, the truth is emerging. So is Allison’s rage—and her hunger for justice. Now, in a courageous and terrifying voyage of self-discovery, it’s up to Allison to avenge the guilty…

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (March 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312933665
• ISBN-13: 978-0312933661
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #80,072 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On the mark!!, October 15, 2004

By	Kathleen Jones (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Wives and Sisters (Hardcover)

I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of this book a year ago before its release. The story is so intense, it has stayed with me over a year later. It is a mystery that does have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. But even more, it is a compelling story of a woman struggling to shed the confines of the cult mentality she grew up with. To find herself and who and what she really is without the dictated guidelines of a religion that controls peoples nearly every thought and action. Growing up in the religion that this story depicts, and being lucky enough to have left it like the character in the book, I felt very connected to the main character in the book. This is a story for anyone who has ever questioned the dogmatism they were taught growing up.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW, November 7, 2004

By	CAT KELLEY "CAT IN KENTUCKY" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wives and Sisters (Hardcover)

I had pre-ordered Natalie's book from Amazon just prior to a two-month out of state trip, & Wives & Sisters was waiting for me when I got home. The night of my return from Hawaii, I just conked out on the sofa from fatigue. The next morning, I picked up Natalie's book -- and I couldn't put it down!!

Having been a Mormorn child & teenager myself, & leaving the church at 18, I was immediately caught up in the story & the fascinating characters. So much of her story was devastatingly familiar to my own years in the church. The abuse, the secrets, the coverups, the lies, the large, angry, loud, domineering father -- it literally gave me chills.

I have just ordered Natalie's other book Sister Wives from Amazon, & look forward to another spellbinding story!!

All you big bookstores out there -- you'd be smart to stock Natalie's books -- they are definitely going to be bestsellers!!

CAT KELLEY
Kentucky

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read , November 8, 2004

By	Karin Tabke "rabid reader" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Wives and Sisters (Hardcover)

Wives and Sisters by Natalie R Collins, changed me. I'm not sure how yet, but it has. It made me cry, it made me cheer, it made me say, no, don't go out there, stay where it's safe! It pissed me off, and as one scene in particular unfolded, I didn't want to read on because I knew I would cry. I sucked it up and continued reading. I'm glad I did. As the last few chapters loomed, I didn't want to read on to the last page, not because I was ready to get off the emotional roller coaster ride Ms Collins strapped me into, but because I wasn't ready to say good-bye to the protagonist Allison. Without sounding like every other reviewer regarding this book, I have no recourse but to echo them, it was compelling, it was riveting, it was disturbing. W&S is about love and hate and compassion, it's about loss and redemption. It's about coming to terms with family, God and one's own inner demons. This book is about surviving.