ABOUT THE BOOK
The truth is often stranger than fiction, and it can certainly be more interesting than the history books let on. To prove it, bestselling author Kathryn Jenkins Gordon blows the dust off the past to reveal the exploits of some lesser-known figures in Church history. From the hilarious to the heroic and the zany to the downright villainous, these tales highlight the action-packed lives of some of the Church's most notorious members.
Witness the attempted rise of the self-appointed "King of the Mormons."
Experience the heart-pounding plight of a Latter-day Saint girl enslaved by a bloodthirsty Apache tribe.
Read the thrilling tale of a stake president caught in a mobster brawl at stake conference.
Just when you thought you knew everything worth knowing about the early Saints, this quirky cast of characters confirms that there's always more to the story. Get ready for a rip-roarin' ride through history as you discover the truth about In-Laws,Outlaws, and Everyone in Between!
REVIEW
Like many organizations and churches, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has had its share of colorful characters. In this book, Gordon shares the stories of some of those characters. That's not to say all of these people were active practicing members, some drifted away, some didn't seem to fully believe in the first place, and some just went his/her own way. But the stories are all interesting involving everything from murder (certainly not condoned in any way by the church) to being captured by a desperate party of Apaches to newspaper reports of death read by the dead man. I enjoyed reading this book being unfamiliar with these people and their lives. While the stories are fascinating they aren't complete by any means, this is after a collection of short stories. And like most stories of the past, it's impossible to know everything that a given person experienced and felt. Like Julia Murdock Smith Dixon Middleton, the Prophet Joseph Smith's adopted daughter, who seems to have struggled most of her life with feelings of not belonging to the Smith's along with feelings of abandonment from the Murdocks. Yet even her own letters and words can't give the complete picture. But after reading about her life, I have a greater empathy for the difficulties she seems to have struggled with her whole life.
For those who enjoy reading about colorful characters from history who left their mark, some in good ways and some in not good ways, this is a fascinating read.
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