I enjoyed reading The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.

The book mixes historical fact with modern fiction to describe the polygamous tradition of “plural marriage”, also known as “celestial marriage” in the early Mormon church, which continues among dissident fundamentalist sects today.

Ebershoff writes well, with humor and irony. He transports the reader back in time and place.

He makes it clear the book is fiction and that he has “filled in some gaps” regarding the true story of Brigham Young’s disgruntled ex-wife Ann Eliza Young.

Brigham was the second prophet of the Latter Day Saints following Joseph Smith’s assassination. He founded Utah, where he led the believers on a remarkable trek.

Brigham is believed to have had 50 wives. Ann Eliza was the 19th, or by some accounts the 27th.

Smith claimed to have received a revelation from God that the “saints” should have plural wives to populate the faith.

Brigham confirmed the revelation and encouraged the practice. It continued until a later “prophet” abolished it, largely for political reasons so Utah could be admitted as a state of the USA.

These facts are described in the novel, along with extracts from Ann Eliza’s own book and reports of her public speeches denouncing polygamy.

Interspersed between historical passages is the parallel modern story of a young man expelled from a Mormon sect who learns that his mother (the 19th wife) has been charged with murdering his father.

I sometimes found the transitions distracting and irritating, at times, but the stories generally weave together nicely.

The booked opened my mind to a part of history I knew little about.

I vaguely recall a friend from Victoria travelling to Utah on a farm exchange and spending some time with a polygamous family, but really I knew little of its origins or practice today.

Polygamy is abhorrent in a modern society, of course.

One is left to assume Joseph Smith and Brigham Young invented a holy message to satisfy their lust.

Given the falsehood they concocted to sanction promiscuity, the credibility of Smith’s earlier revelations must also be questioned.

That’s a point made several times in the novel and one the Mormons will never escape.