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The Colony: Faith and Blood in a Promised Land Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 403 ratings
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On the morning of November 4, 2019, a caravan of women and children was ambushed by masked gunmen on a desolate stretch of road in northern Mexico controlled by the Sinaloa drug cartel. Firing semi-automatic weapons, the attackers killed nine people and gravely injured five more. The victims were members of the LeBaron and La Mora communities-fundamentalist Mormons whose forebears broke from the LDS Church and settled in Mexico when their religion outlawed polygamy in the late nineteenth century. The massacre produced international headlines for weeks, and prompted President Donald Trump to threaten to send in the US Army.

In The Colony, Sally Denton delves into the complex story of the LeBaron clan. Their homestead—Colonia LeBaron—is a portal into the past, a place that offers a glimpse of life within a polygamous community on an arid and dangerous frontier in the mid-1800s, though with smartphones and machine guns. Rooting her narrative in written sources as well as interviews with anonymous women from LeBaron itself, Denton unfolds an epic, disturbing tale that spans the first polygamist emigrations to Mexico through the LeBarons' internal blood feud in the 1970s and up to the family's recent alliance with the NXIVM sex cult, whose now-imprisoned leader, Keith Raniere, may have based his practices on the society he witnessed in Colonia LeBaron.

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  1. Listening Length
    9 hours and 21 minutes
  2. Author
    Sally Denton
  3. Narrator
    Ann Richardson
  4. Audible release date
    June 28, 2022
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
  7. ASIN
    B0B3KQ6M8X
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 9 hours and 21 minutes
Author Sally Denton
Narrator Ann Richardson
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date June 28, 2022
Publisher HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0B3KQ6M8X
Best Sellers Rank #167,123 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#76 in Mexican History
#545 in Mexico History
#833 in Murder True Crime

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
403 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book very interesting to read and well-researched. They also appreciate the excellent documentation.

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ReadabilityDocumentation
5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very interesting, surprising, and riveting. They also say it does not disappoint.

"...I was eager to learn more about what happened. This book does not disappoint unless you are looking for more details about the massacre itself...." Read more

"I found about the first half of the book to be very interesting. But regrettably it gets bogged down in the later chapters." Read more

"Riveting and shocking...." Read more

"Interesting history to help understand event. Good story." Read more

3 customers mention "Documentation"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the documentation excellent, providing a terrific overview of the origins and development of the Mormon movement. They also describe the book as an excellent historical book about the 2019 La Mora Massacre.

"...Great book with tons of information. By the way, I am a Mormon ex wife." Read more

"...She also provides a terrific overview of the origins and development of the Mormon movement and its ties to the murders and fundamentalist Morman..." Read more

"Well Researched and Excellent Documentation..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Karen
5.0 out of 5 stars THE COLONY goe's far beyond the tragic massacre
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2022
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As someone who is not a LeBaron or a Mormon, but has researched and written about the LeBaron Family (LOOKING FOR LEBARONS 2014), I was saddened when the massacre occurred at Colonia LeBaron, so I welcomed the news of Sally Denton’s new book THE COLONY. I was eager to learn more about what happened. This book does not disappoint unless you are looking for more details about the massacre itself. I enjoyed the book because it went far beyond the tragic incident on November 4, 2019.

THE COLONY includes in great detail the Mormon history from Brigham Young right up to the current day, which helps explain how this tragic event could have occurred. Ironically, if the author had waited just a little longer to publish her book, she could have included the news of the July 15 capture of drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was a character in her book. His capture has certainly raised more questions and unexplained coincidences. Hopefully the future holds the answers. I can envision a movie based on The Colony with the opening scene showing Jean Rio Baker stepping onto the ship from London, and ending with the arrest of Rafael Caro Quintero.

The LeBaron family may be the largest family in America. My book follows the lines of a different branch of the LeBaron family which originated in Plymouth Colony, Mass in the late 1600’s, and intersects with the descendants of Benjamin Johnson when Melissa Bloomfield LeBaron (descended from David) became his wife. Joshua and David Le Baron were sons of James LeBaron, second generation of LeBarons in America. When Sally’s great great grandmother, Jean Rio Baker, was setting sail from London, the descendants of Joshua LeBaron had already migrated from Massachusetts to Canada and were pioneers in Quebec. It was fascinating to read about Sally’s great great grandmother Jean Rio Baker, as well as her great grandmother Nicolena Bertelson Baker who was born in Denmark. I hadn’t heard their stories before. There were three main branches of the family descended from Dr. Francis LeBaron and it is very interesting to read about them all. Most were descendants of James and were farmers and pioneers. However, the descendants of son Lazarus were in most cases highly educated and many were doctors who remained in Plymouth.

When LOOKING FOR LEBARONS was published I received an email from Anna LeBaron and the first line read “I am the daughter of Ervil LeBaron”. My heart sank because I was afraid that I had written something that offended her. Quite to the contrary, she was writing to tell me that she was about to publish her own book, A POLYGAMISTS DAUGHTER. Her book is a realistic window into what it is like to be Ervil’s daughter. I enjoyed Anna and her riveting story very much. Many books, like Anna’s, have been written about the Mormons and life in Polygamy. Each one has a unique story to tell. Sally Denton’s book is different. Unlike the books written by those who survived these difficult lives, Sally’s book gives you a broader sense of the whole picture and, as bizarre as the story becomes, she manages to put the pieces of the puzzle into a cohesive story that makes sense. It is a good read. Another reviewer mentioned that it was a bit wordy sometimes. I found that to be true, but most likely a necessary part of telling her story accurately. It did not diminish my enjoyment of the book.

Perhaps the capture of Rafael Caro Quintero will be the seeds for Sally Denton’s next book.
20 people found this helpful
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fenx1200
4.0 out of 5 stars What happened in Mexico?
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2022
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I remember when the woman and their children were murdered in 2019. I was stunned to hear of the news. It dropped from my memory after a few months, but I was glad to see this book come out and I quickly bought it and read it in two days. I have read other books about the Mormons, especially the book by John Krakauer. I was surprised to learn that Mexico is home to 1.5 million Mormons and La Mora and LeBaron are not affiliated with the official Church of LDS, since these sects still practice polygamy. You will learn of Joseph Smith, the Angel Moroni, and Gold Tablets buried in the side of a Mountain in Palmyra, New York. You will learn of Brigham Young and The Mountain Meadows Massacre and the US government clamping down and arresting polygamists. That is why some Mormons broke away from the church and started settlements in northern Mexico. After the history lesson, the author delves into the possible reasons these women and children were massacred. These surround the issues with the drug cartels that are reeking havoc throughout Mexico. Drugs go north and guns and ammo go south. I believe that someone wanted to deliver a message to the Mormons living in these colonies. And they did so knowing of the heinous murders of women and children in the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and they delivered the same. After this heinous crime, many Mormons left Mexico and went back to the states. A journalist once said that all events go through three stages in Mexico: the event, then rumors and theories of what happened, and then it never happened. Many people were arrested by the Mexican authorities, but family members feel no one will be prosecuted or this case will be resolved to the family's satisfaction. The only critique I have is that a book of this nature needs to be around 400 or more pages with more pictures and illustrations and more research to make it a 5 star book.
7 people found this helpful
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RHP
3.0 out of 5 stars Just OK
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2022
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I found about the first half of the book to be very interesting. But regrettably it gets bogged down in the later chapters.
4 people found this helpful
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Paula Juarez
5.0 out of 5 stars astonishing!
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2024
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Everybody should know about the Mormons cult, atrocities and falsehoods teachings. Great book with tons of information. By the way, I am a Mormon ex wife.
One person found this helpful
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David1301
4.0 out of 5 stars Well Researched and Excellent Documentation
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2022
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I bought this book as my interest was piqued after hearing the author speak on Coast to Coast. The author has footnotes in this book that document her excellent research into this convoluted affair of murder, Mormons and money. I don't believe this slaughter was correctly investigated. The Mormons here, are rapers of the land and have taken much from the natives.
3 people found this helpful
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The View
3.0 out of 5 stars Mormons in Mexico
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2023
In2019, women from a fundamentalist Mormon sect were murdered along with children. The crime scene was mishandled and no one has been arrested. Drug cartels are involved and the sect had often made concessions to them for safety. Some members want justice and are waiting for it.
2 people found this helpful
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M. H. Nellor
5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Excellent Historical Book About The 2019 La Mora Massacre
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2024
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Ms Denton has done an amazing job of investigating the La Mora massacre in northern Mexico of that resulted in the murders of nine Mormon women and children in Northern Mexico in 2019. She also provides a terrific overview of the origins and development of the Mormon movement and its ties to the murders and fundamentalist Morman followers. If you have any interest in the new Max documentary series Massacre of the Mormans, I recommend reading this book first.
One person found this helpful
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Gerald R. Adams
2.0 out of 5 stars Many Unanswered Questions
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2022
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Fascinating subject but more questions are raised than answered by the authors approach to the mysteries surrounding the dreadful massacre. A summary of the authors thoughts rather than an uncritical review of the widely divergent reports should have been made . Dual citizenship .welfare scams , cross border residences are mentioned without any explanation of how that was possible. Were members of these families voting &serving in public office in the USA & Mexico at the same time ?Did they get USA federal bail-out funds ? Were they voting by mail in Utah and other states ? Did they all have passports from both countries ?
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

AFA
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
Reviewed in Mexico on July 18, 2022
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It's hard to imagine that more isn't known about the historical atrocities committed by the Mormons and that this doesn't form a more important part of American history.
This is a fascinating read, but I'm not sure that it answers all the questions, it's certainly not a straight-forward story.
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elizabeth
5.0 out of 5 stars really interesting
Reviewed in Mexico on July 31, 2022
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very readable and informative
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