The Loess Hills of Iowa provide a great place to hike, with leg-stretching hills and diverse species of plants and animals, and a park with the unusual name Preparation Canyon. In 1853 a small band of Mormons built a commune called Preparation. Leader Charles Blancher Thompson kept his printing press busy, publishing over a thousand pages. Few of those pages told about those who lived there. The Shelter of Each Other is the story of the people of Preparation, brought to you by a writer whose imagination fills in blanks and connects the dots.
The mid-1800s United States was full of scoundrels, get-rich-quick schemes, and religious fervor.
James Strang was born into this milieu, was baptized into the Latter Day Saints by Joseph Smith, and claimed to be the Smithâs successor.
He located brass plates, translated them, and published them in his newspaper. He and his followers moved to an isolated island in Lake Michigan, where he was crowned king. In 1856, he was murdered.
The leader of Preparation, Charles Blancher Thompson, also grew up in this environment and joined the Mormons. Thompson followed Strang for a while. Like Strang, Thompson published revelations in his own newspaper, moved his followers to a remote location, and became postmaster. In 1858, he came close to being murdered.
The King of Confidence provided cultural context for my book.
The "unputdownable" (Dave Eggers, National Book award finalist) story of the most infamous American con man you've never heard of: James Strang, self-proclaimed divine king of earth, heaven, and an island in Lake Michigan, "perfect for fans of The Devil in the White City" (Kirkus)
A New York Times Book Review Editorsâ Choice Longlisted for the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist for the Midland Authors Annual Literary Award A Michigan Notable Book A CrimeReads Best True Crime Book of the Year
"A masterpiece." âNathaniel PhilbrickÂ
In the summer of 1843, James Strang, a charismatic young lawyerâŠ
The origin of a twentieth century crime is traced to the violent history of the Latter Day Saints.
With Mormons, the line between faith and fanaticism, between belief and delusion, is blurred.
While Preparation maintained their anti-polygamy stance, they struggled with their leaderâs use of prophecy and revelation similar to the main group of Mormons.
NATIONAL BESTSELLERÂ âą From the author of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, this extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside Americaâs isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities. Now an the acclaimed FX limited series streaming on HULU.
âFantastic.... Right up there with In Cold Blood and The Executionerâs Song.â âSan Francisco Chronicle
Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God; some 40,000 people still practice polygamy in these communities.Â
At the core of Krakauerâs book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty,âŠ
Aury and Scott travel to the Finger Lakes in New Yorkâs wine country to get to the bottom of the mysterious happenings at the Songscape Winery. Disturbed furniture and curious noises are one thing, but when a customer winds up dead, itâs time to dig into the details and seeâŠ
The Amana Colonies were the most successful communes in the United States, active from 1856 to 1932.
Elected boards groups of elders made decisions and mediated conflicts. Members worked in a variety of industries. Women managed large kitchens and dining rooms. Visitors, hired laborers, and homeless people were welcome.
Amana was settled by Germans; residents suffered from anti-German violence during World War I.Â
Why did the Amana Colonies survive so long when the Preparation group and others lasted only a few years? Amanaâs decisions were made by groups and Amanaâs spiritual life was anchored in faith and worship.
Johanna Ilg has lived her entire life in Main Amana, one of the seven villages inhabited by devout Christians who believe in cooperative living, a simple lifestyle, and faithful service to God. Although she's always longed to see the outside world, Johanna believes her future is rooted in the community. But when she learns a troubling secret, the world she thought she knew is shattered and she is forced to make difficult choices about a new life and the man she left behind.
Berta Schumacher has lived a privileged life in Chicago, and when her parents decide they want aâŠ
The Sister Wifeshows the early history of the Mormons through the eyes of an emigrant woman whose father has joined the Mormons.
When her best friendâs husband dies, the prophet orders her husband to take her as a second wife. Obedience is required to climb the LDS hierarchy. Violence escalates against anyone who questions the leadership.
The Sister Wife is the first book in a new Brides of Gabriel historical series set during the formation of the Mormon edict of polygamy. Award-winning author Diane Noble explores the inner conflicts, emotions, and decisions of three women married to the same man. A moving tale of faith and doubt, love and commitment for fans of Big Love or those who devoured Carolyn Jessopâs Escape, The Sister Wife follows a budding family living in close community with the controversial Mormon prophet Joseph Smith as they are pulled deeper into the world of polygamy.
Selected by Deesha Philyaw as winner of the AWP Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction, Lake Song is set in the fictional town of Kinder Falls in New Yorkâs Finger Lakes region. This novel in stories spans decades to plumb the complexities, violence, and compassion of small-town life as theâŠ
For Time and Eternity takes place during the same time period as Preparation.
Her parents forbid any contact with the wagon train camping near their Iowa farm, so when the girl meets a charming young man from the group, she questions their edict. She runs away from home and marries.
Too late, she realizes their theology is not Christian - she's trapped in a cult. The church's requirement that its men commit adultery is only the beginning.
All Camilla Deardon knows of the Mormons camping nearby is the songs she hears floating on the breeze. Then she meets one of themâa young man named Nathan Fox. Never did she imagine he would be so handsome, so charming, especially after Mama and Papaâs warnings to stay away. Though she knows she should obey her parents, Camilla canât refuse her heart. But even Nathanâs promises cannot prepare her for what she will face in Utah.
Keziah's secret could get her killed: she knows the Chief Steward is a fraud.
Since Keziah Sirrineâs husband disappeared on a mission trip, sheâs survived by making herbal remedies and midwifing. The Chief Steward sells her house to fund the Congregationâs move to the wilderness. Duncan Ross joins the group, hoping for a place to call home. He works with Keziah for the health of the Congregation, and respect grows into love. In the isolation of Preparation, the Chief Steward declares himself anointed of God, demands members relinquish all possessions, and dodges questions about finances. As tensions boil into violence, news of Keziahâs missing husband has Duncan wondering if their loveâand Preparationâwill survive.
In the tumultuous world of ancient Israel, Ahinoamâa fierce and unconventional Kenite womanâflees her family farm with her dagger-wielding father to join the ragtag band of misfits led by the shepherd-turned-warrior David ben Jesse.
As King Saul's treasonous accusations echo through the land, Ahinoam's conviction that David's anointing makes himâŠ
A fake date, romance, and a conniving co-worker you'd love to shut down. Fun summer reading!
Liza loves helping people and creating designer shoes that feel as good as they look. Financially overextended and recovering from a divorce, her last-ditch opportunity to pitch her firm for investment falls flat. ThenâŠ
