An excellent history

As this book was published in 2003 there are some aspects that are out of date. So if you're looking for current FLDS discussion this is not the book for you.
However, if you want to understand a warts and all history of Mormonism and why fundamentalist groups have proliferated this is a fantastic book and well worth your time.

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Well read, not quite what I expected

Listened to this after watching the excellent drama series. There is quite a lot about the history of the Mormon faith. The story of the murder and the capture of the fugitives was a lot less dramatic in reality than in the TVseries, which I guess is to be expected. I would have liked a more in depth exploration of the Lafferty family. At the end Krakauer states that he has a lot of respect for the LDS. I find that hard as the history he gives us shows that the faith has its origins in misogyny and terrible violence, and this legacy lead to a truly awful murder. He is a good writer, and I enjoyed this, one although I think if I read it as a physical book I would have given up, as the story lagged in the middle. I liked the readers relaxed manner

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An interesting, if difficult, read/listen

I have to agree with another review on this platform, that I too struggled to finish this book. It is indeed easy to loose sight of the murder that begins it. Never a fan of zealot dogma of any variety, the content is disturbing. Yet it is also edifying in illuminating not only the nature of Mormon religious culture but the distinctive and alarming ways that America shapes it's own concept of God. And how that 'American God's shapes American culture.

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Only in America

An exhaustively researched exposé of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints which attempts to explain, even justify, the callous murder of Brenda and her 15 month old daughter by two brothers of the Lafferty family.
Complicit in this were the rest of the Lafferty family members, not least their very own mother who had full knowledge of the brother's plan, as did the, so called, School of Prophets members.
Only in America, thank goodness, could such a, literally, misguided group be born and proliferate in such vast numbers.
Beware, The Mormon Church is spreading across the world in search of ever more converts to sign up for their version of The Truth.

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I really struggled to get through this book

I really struggled to get through this book I think due to the narration. I really enjoyed Jon Krakauer’s other books but I couldn’t stay focused on this book so found myself lost on several occasions. I was on chapter 14 before I remembered the beginning of this book started with a murder. I think the contents was quite interesting, albeit a lengthy run down of Mormon history but the narration is too American for me.

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Fascinating story

Thoroughly captivating listen. The title caught my eye and once I started. I couldn’t stop listening.

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Fascinating Insight Into The Mormon Religion

Very detailed and very well read. Minor criticism is that it so7nds that Audible have 'copied' this from a CD book series. This means every so often 'this book continues on disc 3.......disc 3......🙈

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interesting and disturbing, very well researched

this was fascinating to listen to and clearly the author has done a lot of research. there is quite a lot of disturbing material in the book but I feel that it is not gratuitous in its presentation and is necessary to drive home some of the authors points.

the only criticism I would make is that, at times, I felt the book lacked structure. the book opens with a double homicide and it is clear that the author is attempting to find the reason behind the crime, however the past towards the answer jumps about in history a lot and I found myself thinking - what does this have to do with the original crime? having said that, I didn't mind hearing the story of how the church was founded and how it's doctrines evolved over time... It is all interesting

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Fascinating story

A very lucid history of Mormonism and the fundamentalist breakaway sect. Sometimes a bit repetitive with perhaps too much detail about certain incidents but overall an excellent listen

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Great detail, wonderful narration

A brilliant book, extremely interesting. Narration is clear and not too fast or slow. Excellent read

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