Under the Banner of Heaven

In an understated, almost astonished voice, narrator Scott Brick leads us into a uniquely American hell. This is the story of a 1984 double murder committed by a pair of fundamentalist Mormon brothers and, more broadly, a chilling tale of how religious fervor can lead to unimaginable consequences. Brick masterfully teases out the nuances in the author's arguments. The book alternates between descriptions of the murderous Lafferty brothers and a history of Mormonism from its nineteenth-century roots in upstate New York, Illinois, and Utah. Brick makes these transitions seamlessly in perfectly understandable tones and precise pacing. His voice is also sly at some points, as if he were doing verbal eyebrow raising in response to the book's events. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

November 3, 2003
Veteran reporter Krakauer's insider look at the Mormon church translates well to audio thanks to his clean, by-the-book delivery. In 1984, brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty killed the wife and infant daughter of their brother Allen. Ron and Dan are fundamentalist Mormons, and their views—particularly their belief in the divine importance of polygamy—conflicted with those of their outspoken sister-in-law; accordingly, Dan received a revelation from God that he was to "remove" them for the greater good of His Kingdom. Dan, who was interviewed from prison, has no remorse for what he has done; after all, he maintains, why should he apologize for doing God's will? This segment is particularly chilling, as is Krakauer's unemotional delivery. Krakauer wisely eschews character voices and instead narrates the details of the crime and the history of the Mormon church in a no-nonsense fashion. The fascinating historical segments, though lengthy at times, serve a dual purpose: they explore the cultures that can give rise to religious fundamentalism and serve as a welcome reprieve in this highly emotional story. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday hardcover (Forecasts, June 30).

June 30, 2003
Using as a focal point the chilling story of offshoot Mormon fundamentalist brothers Dan and Ron Lafferty, who in 1984 brutally butchered their sister-in-law and 15-month-old niece in the name of a divine revelation, Krakauer explores what he sees as the nature of radical Mormon sects with Svengali-like leaders. Using mostly secondary historical texts and some contemporary primary sources, Krakauer compellingly details the history of the Mormon church from its early 19th-century creation by Joseph Smith (whom Krakauer describes as a convicted con man) to its violent journey from upstate New York to the Midwest and finally Utah, where, after the 1890 renunciation of the church's holy doctrine sanctioning multiple marriages, it transformed itself into one of the world's fastest-growing religions. Through interviews with family members and an unremorseful Dan Lafferty (who is currently serving a life sentence), Krakauer chronologically tracks what led to the double murder, from the brothers' theological misgivings about the Mormon church to starting their own fundamentalist sect that relies on their direct communications with God to guide their actions. According to Dan's chilling step-by-step account, when their new religion led to Ron's divorce and both men's excommunication from the Mormon church, the brothers followed divine revelations and sought to kill, starting with their sister-in-law, those who stood in the way of their new beliefs. Relying on his strong journalistic and storytelling skills, Krakauer peppers the book with an array of disturbing firsthand accounts and news stories (such as the recent kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart) of physical and sexual brutality, which he sees as an outgrowth of some fundamentalists' belief in polygamy and the notion that every male speaks to God and can do God's bidding. While Krakauer demonstrates that most nonfundamentalist Mormons are community oriented, industrious and law-abiding, he poses some striking questions about the closed-minded, closed-door policies of the religion—and many religions in general.

UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN is a fascinating story of religious extremism and its impact on the Mormon Church. Krakauer, the author of the bestselling INTO THIN AIR, focuses on the activities of generally pro- polygamy Mormon fundamentalists, from Joseph Smith and Brigham Young to the Lafferty brothers. He details how these extremists twist their religious views to justify a variety of behavior, including murder and kidnapping. The decision to have Krakauer read the book is an unfortunate one. He has a dry, almost monotone, voice that does not do justice to his written material, which is thorough and, at times, chilling. Despite the subject matter, it's easy to "zone out" while listening. Although, at times, Krakauer reads with more intensity and emotion, those moments are all too rare. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine