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The 19th Wife: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 28,703 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain. Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, David Ebershoff’s The 19th Wife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a brilliant novel of literary suspense. It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. A rich account of a family’s polygamous history is revealed, including how a young woman became a plural wife. Soon after Ann Eliza’s story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds–a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah. Jordan Scott, a young man who was thrown out of his fundamentalist sect years earlier, must reenter the world that cast him aside in order to discover the truth behind his father’s death. And as Ann Eliza’s narrative intertwines with that of Jordan’ s search, readers are pulled deeper into the mysteries of love and faith. Praise for The 19th Wife “This exquisite tour de force explores the dark roots of polygamy and its modern-day fruit in a renegade cult . . . Ebershoff brilliantly blends a haunting fictional narrative by Ann Eliza Young, the real-life 19th “rebel” wife of Mormon leader Brigham Young, with the equally compelling contemporary narrative of fictional Jordan Scott, a 20-year-old gay man. . . . With the topic of plural marriage and its shattering impact on women and powerless children in today's headlines, this novel is essential reading for anyone seeking understanding of the subject.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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"Another great book recommended by a friend. Two parallel stories..one of the real 19th wife of Brigham Young set at the end of 19th century and another modern day story of polygamy set in the 21st century. Some profanity...still a good read. "
— Barbara (5 out of 5 stars)
The 19th Wife Listener Reviews
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" Very interesting. I don't know much about mormons, so it was interesting to get that perspective. As far as plot goes, it was a little slow. Not bad. "
— Kscurlytop, 2/20/2014 -
" I liked it a lot. I maybe would have liked to have seen Brigham Young more fully developed. But, I think the take on polygamy and the way it's still alive was pretty interesting. "
— Carol, 2/16/2014 -
" Didn't love it. Way more interested in the modern day timeline than all the history. I learned a lot of the history watching a couple episodes of Sister Wives. "
— Marykatedavin, 2/4/2014 -
" Loved the story, but a bit too drawn out in places. "
— Krista, 2/3/2014 -
" Very good... I did wince a lot. I don't agree with the Mormon concept of polygamy...and I learned some historical tidbits (by the way, while this novel is fictional, it is based on a true person Eliza, the 19th wife.) "
— Karen, 2/1/2014 -
" interesting for a loose historical fiction on the Bringham Young and his gang of merry wives. "
— Tera, 1/30/2014 -
" I liked how the story intermixes historical fiction with present day fiction. Although I didn't find this a page-turner, it was a pleasant book. "
— Tisha, 1/22/2014 -
" This book was very interesting, and I feel it offered a balanced(fictionalized) look at how a sect began and how it differs from LDS. Though it probably won't be one of those books I read time and again, it was a wonderful read. The only negatives are: 1. The format is a little difficult to get used to. There's a lot of jumping around between different stories, perspectives and times. 2. There isn't enough about the actual 19th Wife (wives actually). "
— Julie, 1/21/2014 -
" The story seemed a bit disconnected to me. It was sometimes hard to follow which character I was with. The twist at the end tied things together nicely, but then the story dropped off abruptly. "
— Amanda, 1/17/2014 -
" Interesting insight into the beginnings of the Mormon faith. Somewhat creepy to think some people actually live(d) like this. "
— B, 12/20/2013 -
" The Mormon cult at its finest. I enjoyed reading both the historical part and the modern day part, but I felt like not enough time was given to the modern story. "
— Shae, 10/18/2013 -
" A very interesting story. I loved the fact that it was a story within a story. I learned alot about Morman church history. Enjoyed it. "
— Cindy, 10/13/2013 -
" Should have been a better book given the subject matter. Dragged on. "
— Gail, 10/2/2013 -
" Interesting perspectives. "
— Lisaprichard, 8/8/2013 -
" I adore how this book interweaves two books and two times into one novel. Clear to follow and although biased about Mormons and polygamy, it is so interesting. I read in 2 or 3 days because it was so engaging. "
— Amy, 7/23/2013 -
" HIstorical setting about Mormons but I couldn't find the really dynamic. The characters didn't come alive for me. It was riding on the construct of the confusions created by multiple wives. "
— Martha, 6/2/2012 -
" One of the best books I've read in a long time. Historical non-fiction that flashes back and forth from the 1800's to present day. "
— Donna, 3/19/2012 -
" It was OK. Learned a good bit about the history of LDS which was very intteresting. The plot was good but the way it jumped between narrators and time periods was jarring and made it hard to pick up reading if time passed since I put it down. "
— Julie, 12/16/2011 -
" Cool book.. Kind of two stories in one book. Relating to this topic, I really like Under the Banner of Heaven much better but they are different genres but kind of similar. "
— Jara, 8/24/2011 -
" I definitely enjoyed it and it really got me interested in the history of the Mormon religion and the practice of polygamy. I don't know if maybe I would have simply preferred Ann Eliza's story rather than the back and forth. "
— Shannon, 7/1/2011 -
" I liked the concept of the two stories, but maybe the concept was better than the execution. The historical part was fascinating and well-written, but the author is less adept at creating believable characters in the parallel story of a present-day polygamist community. "
— Susan, 6/30/2011 -
" I got to around page 308 and just can't go any further. This book was interesting, but not captivating. The fact that it's written from at least 4 points of view makes it difficult to follow at times. "
— Raquel, 6/29/2011 -
" Its like the tv show "Big Love" but better! "
— Maren, 6/26/2011 -
" Great story combined with factual information about the Mormons. "
— Ellen, 6/26/2011 -
" I enjoyed it. Good review of Morman church history. Interesting format to both stories. "
— Barbara, 6/25/2011 -
" Lacks excitement and follow-through...didn't keep my attention. Definitely NOT a page turner! I liked the facts included on mormonism but the actual plot wasn't worth much. "
— Jennifer, 6/24/2011 -
" It started off strong and I was fascinated by the history of polygamy in the Mormon church. I felt the ending was rather weak and I skimmed the last several chapters. "
— Alisa, 6/23/2011 -
" Anytime you can weave separate centuries together and seamlessly move from fiction to nonfiction, you have a winner. "
— Dan, 6/23/2011 -
" Loved it. Couldn’t put it down – extremely interesting! "
— Leanne, 6/19/2011 -
" I didn't know much about mormons before and found the book surprising and very interesting. Well, scary really! "
— Annica, 6/15/2011 -
" It was good, but the historical documentation ended up becoming invasive. I was much more interested in the modern day fictional story. "
— Tanya, 6/15/2011
About David Ebershoff
David Ebershoff is the author of two novels, Pasadena and The Danish Girl, and a short-story collection, The Rose City. His fiction has won a number of awards and has been translated into ten languages to critical acclaim. He has taught creative writing at New York University, Princeton, and Columbia University. For many years he was the publishing director of the Modern Library, and he is an editor-at-large for Random House.
About the Narrators
Kimberly Farr is an actress and winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards for narration. She has appeared on Broadway and at the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Roundabout Theatre, Playwright’s Horizons, and the American Place. She created the role of “Eve” in Arthur Miller’s first and only musical, Up from Paradise, which was directed by the author. She appeared with Vanessa Redgrave in the Broadway production of The Lady from the Sea and has acted in regional theaters across the country, including a performance in the original production of The 1940’s Radio Hour at Washington, DC’s Arena Stage.
Rebecca Lowman is an actress and audiobook narrator who has won numerous Earphones Awards. She has starred in numerous television shows, including Law & Order, Big Love, NCIS, and Grey’s Anatomy, among many others. She earned her MFA from Columbia University.
Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine “Best Of” Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both off Broadway in New York and off Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.
Tawni O’Dell is the New York Times bestselling author of Fragile Beasts, Sister Mine, Coal Run, and Back Roads, which was an Oprah’s Book Club pick and a Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection. O’Dell’s work has been translated into fifteen languages and published in over forty countries. She was born and raised in the coal-mining region of western Pennsylvania, the territory she writes about with such striking authenticity. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism and spent many years living in the Chicago area before moving back to Pennsylvania, where she now lives with her two children.