Church of Lies

December 15, 2008
It is difficult for any person not affiliated with a group like the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) to imagine the motivation for living in such a system. Jessop grew up within the strictures of the FLDS cult, subjected to its forced marriages and rampant sexual abuse. Her story is a harrowing but inspiring account of one woman’s determination to break free. She relates in rather stark terms the horror of growing up in the polygamous community, the many pleasures she was denied as a child as her elders pursued a pseudo-holiness, forbidding the joys of childhood but engaging in horrible acts of pedophilia. Following her own liberation, she has worked tirelessly and fearlessly to liberate those who want out of the group. Readers will be repelled at some of what Jessop has to say, but in the end, they will be heartened by her efforts to free others in the grip of the FLDS leadership. 

February 1, 2009
In this autobiography, Jessop chronicles her upbringing in a polygamist community and her eventual escape and crusade to rescue other women from plural marriages and abuse. A former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and controversial antipolygamy activist, Jessop, with the help of Brown (coauthor, "Escape in Iraq"), tells her story unevenly, finely detailing certain events and glossing over others. Her unorthodox childhood is well documented, and her tales of brainwashing, kidnapping, and physical, mental, and emotional abuse are harrowing. Later chapters detail her rebellion against the FLDS, her marriage to her cousin at age 16, her fight to rescue her sister from the church, and her battle against church and state authorities on behalf of women living in polygamist societies. Jessop's story is gripping and her work admirable, but the writing is choppy and slightly formulaic. The dialog is stilted, and Jessop, despite her passion, does not come across as a particularly sympathetic figure. Nonetheless, the story is compelling and timely and will be of interest to some public library audiences.Julie Biando Edwards, Univ. of Montana Lib., Missoula

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