Helpful Score: 23
The subject matter of this book made it one of the most difficult and yet most compelling to read I have ever encountered. It is almost impossible to believe that there are so many women and children in this country being "brain-washed" and so controlled in the name of religion. Women and children who are living daily with emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Abuse that would never be tolerated by most women. Denying food to children in order to punish the mother, sleep deprived children forced to endure long hours of middle of the night prayer, beatings by the other "mothers" in the home. Hard to read and yet at the same time, a hard to put down book.
The suffering that Carolyn endured reduced me to tears and yet made me cheer for her, for the courage she had to reject a lifetime of teachings in order to protect her children.
The suffering that Carolyn endured reduced me to tears and yet made me cheer for her, for the courage she had to reject a lifetime of teachings in order to protect her children.
Helpful Score: 19
Carolyn Jessop's book gives readers an interesting view inside Warren Jeff's cult. It tells of a world where women and children are seen as property and how people can be brainwashed when they are isolated from the rest of society. Jessop is a very courageous woman. Excellent book!
Helpful Score: 17
An excellent book by an amazing woman who managed to keep her sense of self and her sanity under miserable conditions of life, to fight back in her own way against the unfairness and sheer hatefulness of her husband and some of her "sister wives" and others in the family, see through and cleverly deal with Warren Jeffs, and eventually escape from the polygamous community, taking her eight children with her. It is amazing what she had to go through to get proper medical treatment for one of her children who had a life-threatening illness, with her husband (amazingly) hindering all her efforts, but she accomplished that, too.
Jessops, although justifiably angry (and I was angry, too, reading of her trials), does not come across as at all petty and bitter, but as a person of ability and character.
Jessops, although justifiably angry (and I was angry, too, reading of her trials), does not come across as at all petty and bitter, but as a person of ability and character.
Helpful Score: 10
Suspenseful, harrowing tale of one woman's desperate escape from an abusive polygamous cult. Captivating and shocking. Hard to believe that the community of Colorado City, AZ, and the FLDS exist within our national borders. I could not put this book down.
Helpful Score: 9
This was a great story of strength from a woman who has suffered more than anyone I know. Married to a man of 51 when she was only 18, Carolyn Jessop became the fourth wife of a polygamist in the FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).
I applaud and commend Ms. Jessop for the bravery that she showed when she literally ran away from everything she had once believed in to protect and save her eight children.
This is a truly inspiring story that anyone will do well to read, but it will appeal especially to those who have been, or still are, members of any type of religious cult.
I applaud and commend Ms. Jessop for the bravery that she showed when she literally ran away from everything she had once believed in to protect and save her eight children.
This is a truly inspiring story that anyone will do well to read, but it will appeal especially to those who have been, or still are, members of any type of religious cult.
Helpful Score: 8
What a story of determination! Carolyn Jessop is an amazing woman who has suffered her entire life. It was a very sad and horrible story and hard to get through at times as the reader. It is awful to see a glimpse into this "cult" life and to hear how the women and children are treated. Knowing Carolyn escaped is what kept me reading at times. It is truly horrific what life is like in these polygamist lifestyles.
Carolyn Jessop is a hero and saved herself and her childrens lives. What an incredible woman!
Carolyn Jessop is a hero and saved herself and her childrens lives. What an incredible woman!
Helpful Score: 5
This book is proof that truth is stranger than fiction. It is difficult and saddening to believe that sects like the one Carolyn Jessop describes in her books still exist today. Although the way the men of the FLDS treat women is disgusting, the more shocking revelation in Jessop's book is the cruelty which some of the women inflict on each other and their children.
The subculture Jessop describes is morbidly fascinating, making this difficult to put down. Although it is very disturbing, ultimately it is a book about hope and the lengths a mother will go to to protect her children.
The subculture Jessop describes is morbidly fascinating, making this difficult to put down. Although it is very disturbing, ultimately it is a book about hope and the lengths a mother will go to to protect her children.
Helpful Score: 5
This is a horrifying account of life on a polygamist compound, fascinating because it seems impossible that this type of place can exist in our country. It's possibly the closest we can come to a national Taliban. I cannot imagine living such a grim existence. I'm so glad that Carolyn Jessop had the courage to escape and I wish her all the best.
Helpful Score: 5
A book about a polygamous society that has over 10,000 followers. Seems like part of the dark ages. A terrofying account of a woman who grew up in a cult but was finally able to escape. A great read.
Helpful Score: 5
I finished this book about a week before the raid on the compound in Texas and it has helped me to understand that situation better. The media would do well to read this book! This is probably my favorite book I have read this year, I could not put it down! I found myself alternately cringing and becoming angry as I read of the life she and her children endured. Fascinating story and life of a very brave woman! Highly recommend!
Helpful Score: 5
I read this huge book in 5 days. I could not put it down. A real page turner!!
Helpful Score: 3
WOW! I won't be looking at things in the same way anymore since reading this book. This book gives you shocking details of the FLDS culture and how, thankfully, Carolyn Jessop, was able to escape. Very informative and frustrating book...but you will want to read this one!
Helpful Score: 2
This book was challening to read, not because of the writing style, but because of the content. Although I wanted to blaze through the story, occasionally I would have to put it down after being overloaded with the abuses committed and impossible situations. This is not for the faint of heart!
I would recommend this book for those who enjoy survival stories and with the constitution to read about constant physical and emotional abuse.
I learned so much and was amazed at constant injustices. I couldn't stop talking about it and just marveled at the craziness of it all. This story is one of many that reveals what humans can endure, and how they can become new again.
I would recommend this book for those who enjoy survival stories and with the constitution to read about constant physical and emotional abuse.
I learned so much and was amazed at constant injustices. I couldn't stop talking about it and just marveled at the craziness of it all. This story is one of many that reveals what humans can endure, and how they can become new again.
Helpful Score: 2
Carolyn Jessop, a sixth generation polygamist (on her mother's side), is born and raised to believe in a celestial marriage where absolute obedience to your husband and sharing your husband with your "sister wives" is how you earn your place in heaven. She takes the reader on a journey beginning with her childhood ignorance, when she faithfully believed what she was told and never for a moment considered questioning the foundation of her religion, through moments of "rebellion" in her youth, all the way through to her greater revelations and self-discovery in her adulthood. Her account of the changes within the FLDS from the time of her youth until her eventual escape give a greater understanding of how such blatant brainwashing and control can dominate an entire community of followers and how hopeless the women were made to feel so that freedom seemed an impossibility. I applaud Carolyn's ingenious resourcefulness, and the courage and determination it took for her to survive within the confines of the FLDS, escape with all eight of her children and win the legal battle to retain custody of her children. And the fact that she had such an integral role in exposing Warren Jeffs and what he was doing as the leader of the FLDS? Well...that was a spectacular bonus!
Helpful Score: 2
What a wonderful story about a woman's fight for freedom. Gave me a different perspective of people who are still living in cults in the 21st century. Best regards to Ms. Jessop, wherever she may be
Helpful Score: 2
I'm not usually a reader of memoirs and I'll be honest in saying that this book only appealed to me because I am a fan of the HBO series Big Love. In watching that show I've always wondered how women could see polygamy as an acceptable institution. This book turns that question upside down. I guess I never took into consideration those women who were born into this religious institution. The true story that Carolyn Jessop tells is mesermizing to say the least. She's an amazing woman who truly gave an even greater meaning to the word mother than anyone I have known. The things she suffered and endured just to protect her children was shocking. A must read
Helpful Score: 2
LOVED this book. I admire this woman so much for having a mind of her own and doing what she felt was best for herself and her children. What a great story. I was sad when the book ended. I wanted to read more!!!
Helpful Score: 1
A timely autobiography regarding Carolyn Jessop's upbringing and eventual departure from plural marriage and the FLDS community. This book is timely in the sense that in 2006 arrest and 2007 trial of Warren Jeffs, former leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints.
It's an engrossing, compelling read.
Fans of "Big Love" would enjoy this book to get their "fix" on a similar family with a similar dynamic as what is on that t.v. show.
It's an engrossing, compelling read.
Fans of "Big Love" would enjoy this book to get their "fix" on a similar family with a similar dynamic as what is on that t.v. show.
Helpful Score: 1
The authors wrote well. It was awful to hear of Carolyn's terror but difficult to put down the book! Definitely a "page turner".
Helpful Score: 1
I thought this was an excellent book. I have been reading several like it and enjoyed it.
Helpful Score: 1
This book got a little redundant. Maybe if I had not seen carolyn Jessop interviewed on television I would have been more captivated. Knowing too much of the story beforehand possibly made it dull for me.
Helpful Score: 1
This book has been given glowing reviews by readers, but I thought that it was just an okay read. I'm not sure how a book with such a compelling story is boring and tedious to read, but his book was that. I found myself skimming after the first 50 pages and finally skipped to the end. I'm not sure what didn't capture my attention and imagination. In my opinion, it was not well written.
Helpful Score: 1
Interesting and true story. This woman had true courage and a will to be free.
Helpful Score: 1
This book kept me spellbound. What a tale of courage and corruption!
Helpful Score: 1
A very moving story of this womans fight for freedom.
Helpful Score: 1
Absolutely enlightening. Could not put it down. My husband even read and throughly enjoyed it, as well. We can't believe that people can be so totally brain washed. I'm sure that anyone who reads it will totally enjoy it.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a very well written book by one of the women who has escaped the life of a woman raised in and then married into a polygamous compound. It explains the reasons women remain in that life and also explains why children sometimes return to the compound after having escaped with their mother. The book also illustrates the difficulties encountered in making one's escape as well as developing a life on the outside.
Helpful Score: 1
Awesome read her story is inspiring! It is a easy read and one you won't want to put down
Helpful Score: 1
Fascinating and riveting. I couldn't put it down, her detail pulls you right in and you can feel the oppression of her situation. I would love to see her write a follow up book about life since she left the FLDS.
Helpful Score: 1
Fascinating story. There were a few times when I actually had to remind myself it was a true story and not fiction because the events are so unusual to life as most of us know it.
Helpful Score: 1
Be prepared to be shocked, and amazed that there are people in the U.S. treated in the manner Carolyn Jessop, and many others in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have been treated. As I read this book, I would start reading it like fiction, because I certainly couldn't believe that this could be someone's life in this century, much less this decade. Carolyn Jessop, and Laura Palmer, wrote a book that kept me so engrossed from cover to cover. This is a look into another cult that describes the mistreatment of humans, and the cruelty beyond bear that passes down from one generation to another generation. I can't imagine anyone reading this book, and coming away unchanged.
Helpful Score: 1
When I read this novel I understood how importaint it was to have the freedom to read anything of our choosing.
Wow - just wow! This book is one of the better memoirs I have read this year. This is the story of Carolyn Jessop's life in the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints) community in Arizona.
FLDS culture and religion believe the only way a woman can obtain life in heaven is through exaltation by her husband. The FLDS are polygamists and men have complete control over their families. They believe women should be obedient and subservient, and blame anything that goes wrong on the women not being in harmony with their husbands. The community is run by a "prophet" and everyone is directed by his "revelations from God". Young girls are married off in arranged marriages, as pawns of their father, to help him gain status in the community. Sometimes the men marrying these girls are 30-60 years older than they, or more, and almost always have multiple wives.
This is Carolyn's story - how she suffered as a child and then was married off to one of the more influential men in the FLDS community, Merril Jessop. She describes the horror of her life, and how things began to deteriorate as a new leader, Warren Jeffs, came in to power. It is also the story of her brave escape. The book is well written but difficult subject matter is covered - child abuse, animal cruelty, emotional and physical abuse, poverty, blackmail - and a number of other difficult subjects. It is a long book (over 400 pages), but very enthralling - one you will not want to put down. it is definitely worth the time and a credit!
FLDS culture and religion believe the only way a woman can obtain life in heaven is through exaltation by her husband. The FLDS are polygamists and men have complete control over their families. They believe women should be obedient and subservient, and blame anything that goes wrong on the women not being in harmony with their husbands. The community is run by a "prophet" and everyone is directed by his "revelations from God". Young girls are married off in arranged marriages, as pawns of their father, to help him gain status in the community. Sometimes the men marrying these girls are 30-60 years older than they, or more, and almost always have multiple wives.
This is Carolyn's story - how she suffered as a child and then was married off to one of the more influential men in the FLDS community, Merril Jessop. She describes the horror of her life, and how things began to deteriorate as a new leader, Warren Jeffs, came in to power. It is also the story of her brave escape. The book is well written but difficult subject matter is covered - child abuse, animal cruelty, emotional and physical abuse, poverty, blackmail - and a number of other difficult subjects. It is a long book (over 400 pages), but very enthralling - one you will not want to put down. it is definitely worth the time and a credit!
Helpful Score: 1
A total page-turner, and very eye opening. Crazy what still happens under the radar in America.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed "Escape" as it gave me a glimpse into a world I would never know really existed. She is a brave and courageous woman...I am glad she has found happiness at last. Very eye-opening! I would definitely recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 1
Talk about eye opening! It is extremely hard to believe that women live the way Carolyn did in modern America. You will be shocked and revolted, while at the same time cheering for Carolyn to make the brave decision that she utlimately did.
Helpful Score: 1
This book was incredibly painful to read, but it would have been a dishonor to stop reading when it became disturbing. Carolyn Jessop is an inspiration. To think that thousands of women and their children are still living this minute-by-minute abuse is horrific.
Helpful Score: 1
Amazing read. I read this book in two days! I just want to give this woman a hug and tell her how proud I am of her. This is a great, inspiring story. The writing is awsome and the plot just keeps on going. I loved it and highly suggest picking this up for a quick read. Her story will stay with me forever.
"Stay Sweet"
"Stay Sweet"
Helpful Score: 1
Wow what an excellent book. It was so intriguing I had trouble putting down.
Helpful Score: 1
This was an awsome book. Finished in three days!!! If you are a "Big Love" fan you will thoroughly enjoy this book!!
Helpful Score: 1
I ordered this book after a friend recommended it and I was fascinated with the topic. While I found the polagomy aspect depressing, Carolyn's perspective in this book is amazing. I found this book hard to put down.
One word - Riveting!!!!!!!!
Another great read for those interested in hearing the story of the FLDS from those who lived within it. Told by a truly courageous woman, who is the first woman in the history of the FLDS to manage to flee and win legal custody of all her children, her story is a powerful one. Definitely worth reading.
Loved this book and I could hardly put it down. It was amazing to read about the courage this woman had!
Wow - just wow! This book is one of the better memoirs I have read this year. This is the story of Carolyn Jessop's life in the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints) community in Arizona.
FLDS culture and religion believe the only way a woman can obtain life in heaven is through exaltation by her husband. The FLDS are polygamists and men have complete control over their families. They believe women should be obedient and subservient, and blame anything that goes wrong on the women not being in harmony with their husbands. The community is run by a "prophet" and everyone is directed by his "revelations from God". Young girls are married off in arranged marriages, as pawns of their father, to help him gain status in the community. Sometimes the men marrying these girls are 30-60 years older than they, or more, and almost always have multiple wives.
This is Carolyn's story - how she suffered as a child and then was married off to one of the more influential men in the FLDS community, Merril Jessop. She describes the horror of her life, and how things began to deteriorate as a new leader, Warren Jeffs, came in to power. It is also the story of her brave escape. The book is well written but difficult subject matter is covered - child abuse, animal cruelty, emotional and physical abuse, poverty, blackmail - and a number of other difficult subjects. It is a long book (over 400 pages), but very enthralling - one you will not want to put down. it is definitely worth the time and a credit!
FLDS culture and religion believe the only way a woman can obtain life in heaven is through exaltation by her husband. The FLDS are polygamists and men have complete control over their families. They believe women should be obedient and subservient, and blame anything that goes wrong on the women not being in harmony with their husbands. The community is run by a "prophet" and everyone is directed by his "revelations from God". Young girls are married off in arranged marriages, as pawns of their father, to help him gain status in the community. Sometimes the men marrying these girls are 30-60 years older than they, or more, and almost always have multiple wives.
This is Carolyn's story - how she suffered as a child and then was married off to one of the more influential men in the FLDS community, Merril Jessop. She describes the horror of her life, and how things began to deteriorate as a new leader, Warren Jeffs, came in to power. It is also the story of her brave escape. The book is well written but difficult subject matter is covered - child abuse, animal cruelty, emotional and physical abuse, poverty, blackmail - and a number of other difficult subjects. It is a long book (over 400 pages), but very enthralling - one you will not want to put down. it is definitely worth the time and a credit!
Hard to put down. Very interesting and such a sad situation to be born into. Kudos to her for her courage to leave the cult with her children and to stand firm under extreme pressure.
This was a real page turner. Truth is stranger than fiction.
This is a fascinating but sad story of how polygamists abuse, control and manipulate women and families. It is not well written, in that they repeat some facts so many times that you feel they are beating you over the head, but other than that, An informative and good read.
If you are a student of social psychology, this is a must read. It reminded me of "Every Secret Thing" by Patty Hearst which I read in college while taking a social psychology course. The methods of isolation, deprivation, indoctrination and exploitation could not be more clearly illustrated. A heart-wrenching and unimaginable atrocity on the soil of the "land of the free."
I loved this book. It really humbles you. Common things and rights that we have today that we assume are the common for all americans really aren't and its made clear in this book how lucky some of us are. It also really demonstrates what determination and a mothers love can accomplish. It also gives some insight into a religion (or cult) that most people don't know much about. Carolyn Jessop is a modern day herione.
This is a must read.
This is a must read.
Very good book. Not for the faint of heart. These poor women have really suffered in the FLDS cult.
Great book. Could not put it down. Such a touching and difficult story.
Good insight of what goes on but I could only read so much until I had to put it down for awhile. Made my skin crawl to consider living like that...
Sometime over a year ago, I went on a book-shopping binge and this was one of the books that I scooped up and deposited on my bookshelf where it patiently awaited my touch. Remember how I used to read fiction almost exclusively? Escape by Carolyn Jessop (with Laura Palmer) is a good reason for expanding my horizons to include non-fiction.
Many of us watched with a mixture of horror and obsession as the women of the FLDS Church were paraded into the courtroom in Texas. We mocked their haircuts and dowdy dresses. We wondered how they could accept the life they led. We shuddered to think that the women actually wanted to take their children back there! How could they? Freedom was within their grasp.
Carolyn Jessop gave me answers in her account of her escape, but more importantly, her account of her life living within the FLDS. Carolyn was born into a polygamous marriage, went to school where teachers were not allowed to teach outside of the FLDS doctrines and knew nothing about life outside except the horror stories fed to her by church leaders. The people outside the cult were evil. The people inside were going to be saved.
These tenets did not provide much comfort when, at the age of 18, her father arranged her marriage to a 50-year old man who already had three wives. Most of us know that women in close proximity can get a little catty and competitive. Well, try having four women live in one house and not being sure which one's bed the husband will sleep in tonight!
As the years went by, Carolyn did her duty, churning out eight children by the age of 33. Escape tells the truth about polygamy, the in-fighting among the wives and the lack of opportunity for daughters to do anything but follow in their mothers' footsteps, marrying at younger and younger ages. Planning an escape with her eight children was not a simple matter. Every move she made was scrutinized and reported on by her husband's ever-burgeoning number of wives. Her plans were complicated by the severe health problems of one of her sons.
Somehow she did it. That's not a spoiler. The book is called Escape. But having read it, I look differently at those women in Texas. They have no real context within which to question their faith and their lifestyle. They have been told that the apocalypse is near and that they are the chosen people. Most of us have lived in a world of religious freedom. We aren't necessarily encouraged to leave the faiths we grew up in, but we are aware of other faiths and interact regularly with people who have other beliefs. The women of the FLDS don't necessarily desire to escape their lives. They are taught to feel proud of their many children and to see the number of wives a man has as an indication of his power in the church hierarchy.
Throughout Carolyn's life, she suffered some unimagineable tragedies, but somehow found the strength to leave and start a new life. Her story is both compelling and inspiring...and definitely worth a read.
from www.liveandletdi.com
Many of us watched with a mixture of horror and obsession as the women of the FLDS Church were paraded into the courtroom in Texas. We mocked their haircuts and dowdy dresses. We wondered how they could accept the life they led. We shuddered to think that the women actually wanted to take their children back there! How could they? Freedom was within their grasp.
Carolyn Jessop gave me answers in her account of her escape, but more importantly, her account of her life living within the FLDS. Carolyn was born into a polygamous marriage, went to school where teachers were not allowed to teach outside of the FLDS doctrines and knew nothing about life outside except the horror stories fed to her by church leaders. The people outside the cult were evil. The people inside were going to be saved.
These tenets did not provide much comfort when, at the age of 18, her father arranged her marriage to a 50-year old man who already had three wives. Most of us know that women in close proximity can get a little catty and competitive. Well, try having four women live in one house and not being sure which one's bed the husband will sleep in tonight!
As the years went by, Carolyn did her duty, churning out eight children by the age of 33. Escape tells the truth about polygamy, the in-fighting among the wives and the lack of opportunity for daughters to do anything but follow in their mothers' footsteps, marrying at younger and younger ages. Planning an escape with her eight children was not a simple matter. Every move she made was scrutinized and reported on by her husband's ever-burgeoning number of wives. Her plans were complicated by the severe health problems of one of her sons.
Somehow she did it. That's not a spoiler. The book is called Escape. But having read it, I look differently at those women in Texas. They have no real context within which to question their faith and their lifestyle. They have been told that the apocalypse is near and that they are the chosen people. Most of us have lived in a world of religious freedom. We aren't necessarily encouraged to leave the faiths we grew up in, but we are aware of other faiths and interact regularly with people who have other beliefs. The women of the FLDS don't necessarily desire to escape their lives. They are taught to feel proud of their many children and to see the number of wives a man has as an indication of his power in the church hierarchy.
Throughout Carolyn's life, she suffered some unimagineable tragedies, but somehow found the strength to leave and start a new life. Her story is both compelling and inspiring...and definitely worth a read.
from www.liveandletdi.com
I couldn't resist turning each page of the book to see what was coming next. This is truly a disturbing book. It should serve as a warning to everyone involved in a controling religion. This is what happens when things get out of control. Corolyn Jessop was lucky enough to live to tell her story. Very disturbing.
Carolyn Jessop was born into FLDS (a Mormon faction that believe in polygamy). She married Merril Jessop, who was very high in the order. She suffered many indignities as Merril's 4th wife. They had eight chilren together, as Carolyn knew that the only way to have any kind of respect was to be the mother of children.
Unfortunately, that didn't seem to make any difference. She was determined to escape and did so with all 8 of her children.
Her hardships were real. I just found the book a little repetitive and I guess I didn't really feel the desperation for her. I am sure that she went through hell, it just wasn't really felt in the book.
Unfortunately, that didn't seem to make any difference. She was determined to escape and did so with all 8 of her children.
Her hardships were real. I just found the book a little repetitive and I guess I didn't really feel the desperation for her. I am sure that she went through hell, it just wasn't really felt in the book.
I couldn't put this book down. I couldn't believe the way they lived and that this was happening in America. I read this book for my book club last year. It is a great book for discussion.
A more intimate view of FLDS and the evils of polygamy than "Under the Banner of Heaven." Though it is well worth reading Carolyn Jessop's story as an example of courage and determination, I hope people also begin to get an understanding of how overwhelming this type of brainwashing is. You cannot convince most people who've lived with this sort of thing that there's another way to see the world. Even Carloyn Jessop, intelligent, college-educated, and with her exposure to people from "outside" who were kinder to her than her own "family" could not conceive of leaving the world she was raised in until her situation deteriorated to the point that even she saw her life was in danger and that her daughters would be married off to men 40, 50, or even 60 years their senior. That she spent so many years living with the abuse she did is not the true tragedy here; it's that so few women in her world can even imagine wanting to escape.
Wow. What an amazing story of true feminism. Proof that one can do anything with determination and the kindness of others. I couldn't put this book down. Not the best writing, but one of the best stories I have read in a long time. Love always wins, people... love always wins.
This is an amazing look behind the scenes of the news clips we saw of the pastel-clad women with swooping hairdos when the Texas authorities took their children into custody. Carolyn Jessop escaped the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints cult not long before their leader moved them to Texas from Utah. Her tale shows how generations of cult members can be trapped in the nightmarish world, convinced that their eternal fate lies in their submission to the current authorities, no matter how crazy their demands. A personal story that leaves a lot of things still unexplained.
This was a very interesting read. It's amazing to know that people actually live like this and that more individuals haven't left this cult. Baffling how so many could think that some of the these beliefs are of God. The author seems to be a strong minded individual and you end up rooting for her safe escape.
this was an awesome read i could not put it down
so interesting, so hard to believe it is a true story! Carolyn did a brave thing and is a hero in her own way. at times the story is hard to read, as it is so disturbing, knowing these things happen right here in the US...
A real peek into the life of polygamy and the damage that it can cause to women.
Excellent book. Story is heart wrenching. the write made this story come alive and my heart aches for all the women and children trapped in that life of slavery.
The book was difficult for me to keep reading because Carolyn Jessop was retelling
the way her life was in the FLDS church. The lack of love and care from the man she married,not by choice but arranged by the acting leader of the cult.She had 8 children
when she finally was able to realize her need to get out.In 2003 she left with her children and $20. She was a courageous woman and was the first woman ever granted full
custody of her children in a conntested suit involving the FLDS.
the way her life was in the FLDS church. The lack of love and care from the man she married,not by choice but arranged by the acting leader of the cult.She had 8 children
when she finally was able to realize her need to get out.In 2003 she left with her children and $20. She was a courageous woman and was the first woman ever granted full
custody of her children in a conntested suit involving the FLDS.
Heartbreaking book to read, but so compelling it is hard to put it down. It is unbelievable that in the 21st century there are women and children who are forced to endure the conditions present in this cult. Carolyn Jessop is a woman with tremendous courage and stamina who risked everything for the sake of her children.
I really enjoyed this book. Jessop's story is compelling, and I found myself barely able to put the book down. Her experiences are so incredible that sometimes it is hard to believe that yes, the FLDS really exists and acts the way that it does.
Excellent, fascinating look into the cult-like behavior of the FLDS. I kept shaking my head as I read the book, outraged for this woman and her children. I would highly recommend the read.
This book was amazing. I could not believe the things these wives go through and why. I read it during the time all that stuff was going on with Jeffs. I could not elieve why they believed the way the did and why, but this book explains a lot. A really good read.
This is a fascinating account of life inside a polygamous cult,and all true, which can be quite disturbing at times. However, one has to keep on reading since we know that there is a happy ending.
This book is wonderful.............a true inside look at the FLDS. I found this the typical spouse abuser story within a religious community. I do so admire this gal...........
a true and captivating book.
I thought the book Escape was a very good read, very enlightning on the poligomist lifestyle. Some parts were harder to read than others but in all the book was very good.
My book club ladies all read this book. I found the topic, real life situations etc... fascinating. But, it was not very well written, and, at times, just went on and on about the same subject. All in all, definitely opened my eyes to a whole different way of life.
This was such an eye opening and informational book. Such an unbelievable true story. What a strong woman she is.
Really good book and easy to read - great insight into polygamy.
This book told the story of her life in a Poligamous sect and how she fought to gain her freedom and that of her children. It is hard to beleive that this is happening now in America but there are many more of these same sects.
A sad story, but with a good ending. The writing is juvenile at best. It was difficult to get through her repetetive, simple writing style, but the story was captivating enough.
I couldn't believe how cruel the leaders of this cult are.
This was an amazing story that I tore through in a few days. It's incredible to see how often God's hand was in her situation, even when she couldn't feel it. Awesome people were put in her path on her road to escape, and it was so neat to see how she & her family turned out against all odds.
I could not put this book down.
Carolyn writes in such a way that you wonder how, why this kind of religion could have happened.
Crying with her and her family, and celebrating at the end is only part of the emotion felt reading this.
Don't start it unless you have a full two days to read it all!!
Carolyn writes in such a way that you wonder how, why this kind of religion could have happened.
Crying with her and her family, and celebrating at the end is only part of the emotion felt reading this.
Don't start it unless you have a full two days to read it all!!
I couldn't put this book down! I was amazed at the strength & determination of this woman to get her & her 8 children out of the FLDS cult of Warren Jeffs.
I found this story to be so depressing and sad that I only read about 2/3 of the book. It just went from sad to shockingly depressing. It is very hard to comprehend how someone can manage to go on day after day and year after year in such abusive circumstances. Very sad.
Absolutely stunning and compelling. I grew up my entire life hearing about and knowing about the existence of the FLDS (the extreme fundamentalist branch of the mainstream Mormon church). I have a feeling this was because I was raised in the Mormon church and also raised largely in Utah. Seeing woman in the typical polygamist garb and driving past their Salt Lake City small compounds was really nothing but a typical week for me. It never shocked me, but I had also never been behind their closed doors. With the recent national attention given to the FLDS, I started to find out. It was riveting and shocking, but at the same time makes perfect sense to me with my own religious background.
I highly recommend this tale to anyone who wants to know more about brainwashing and cult mentality. While at first it may seem surprising that human beings would willingly submit themselves to this sort of depravity, you have to understand that this is all they know. When this is the mindset you have known since your birth, it is nearly impossible to question or break away from that. The only thing that kept this book from being a 5 star is that I felt she spent far too much time on the minutae of the situation, then all of a sudden we were plunged into something drastic and it was a bit confusing sometimes. Also the lack of personal feelings during much of the book made it seem mechanical. I know from personal experience that even supressed and squashed feelings were still there, I wanted to see them more. But the single most shocking thing to me with this book was just how similar the FLDS and the Mormon church really are. While the more extreme methods of the FLDS are largely exempt from the mainstream Mormon faith, much of the fundamentals of the faith itself are identical. This surprised me and made me think about my own upbringing in a whole new way.
*All reviews cross posted to my Goodreads profile.
I highly recommend this tale to anyone who wants to know more about brainwashing and cult mentality. While at first it may seem surprising that human beings would willingly submit themselves to this sort of depravity, you have to understand that this is all they know. When this is the mindset you have known since your birth, it is nearly impossible to question or break away from that. The only thing that kept this book from being a 5 star is that I felt she spent far too much time on the minutae of the situation, then all of a sudden we were plunged into something drastic and it was a bit confusing sometimes. Also the lack of personal feelings during much of the book made it seem mechanical. I know from personal experience that even supressed and squashed feelings were still there, I wanted to see them more. But the single most shocking thing to me with this book was just how similar the FLDS and the Mormon church really are. While the more extreme methods of the FLDS are largely exempt from the mainstream Mormon faith, much of the fundamentals of the faith itself are identical. This surprised me and made me think about my own upbringing in a whole new way.
*All reviews cross posted to my Goodreads profile.
When I read about the lives of women in a polygamous groups...how they are abused and mistreated as well as their children, I shutter to think this is all in the name of religion! How sad that they can't see that God is a loving God and not one all about confessions and pain, reprisals and being used as cattle.
Personally, I cannot understand why anyone would subject themselves to this type of treatment for any reason, cause, or person! Such a story of inhumane treatment only made me read fast to end this travail. I was sickened by this book.
I'm happy for Carolyn Jessop that she was able to escape from this family - bravo!! This book has certainly made me realize why the Feds have made raids on compounds in Texas and had Warren Jeffs on the Most Wanted List.
Personally, I cannot understand why anyone would subject themselves to this type of treatment for any reason, cause, or person! Such a story of inhumane treatment only made me read fast to end this travail. I was sickened by this book.
I'm happy for Carolyn Jessop that she was able to escape from this family - bravo!! This book has certainly made me realize why the Feds have made raids on compounds in Texas and had Warren Jeffs on the Most Wanted List.
