As the mess as unfolded in Texas with the FLDS Polygamy Sect (I often wonder if they use electricity or just candles), I was reminded of a book I read not too long ago about polygamy.
Daughter of the Saints: Growing Up In Polygamy
Author: Dorothy Allred Solomon
Synopsis:
This book is written by a woman who grew up in a polygamous household. This story is NOT about the FLDS group in Texas but a different polygamous sect. Solomon starts off by giving a brief history of her ancestors involvement in polygamy. The book can get a bit confusing at times since she does go from the past to the present and back again. Her insights and feelings about her life are very interesting and you do not end up hating her father. She did not write this book to take revenge (she does not practice polygamy), but wants the reader to understand why she could not embrace this lifestyle.
What did I think?
We often think that the women who are in polygamous households are stupid or oppressed and the men are all sex addicts. This book was an interesting look at a lifestyle that most people can not comprehend. I am not inferring that I think polygamy is a good practice, but I feel for the women who truly believe that this is what God wants them to do. Because the women and children in Texas are kept away from society, they are not able to make clear choices. Dorothy Solomon and her family actually lived and worked in a regular society. Thus a number of them left the polygamous lifestyle. However, there were some, that still believed that this was the right practice for them. This book is well worth the reading.
