Excellent read - mixture of historical fact/fiction about the Mormons and also a present-day story. I have an interest in the historical as one of my ancestors went off to Salt Lake City and the present day characters were very well drawn. A big book, a little too lengthy perhaps, but I enjoyed every page. ( )

The 19th Wife has taken me a long time to get into, and I usually read pretty quickly. Like other reviewers, I kept abandoning it and picking it back up weeks later because I knew I needed to review it for Early Reviewers. Each time I came back to it, I was frustrated by not remembering what was happening. The modern story had promise, and I wanted to figure out what happened with BeckyLynn, but lost interest in the shifting narrative. Maybe I'll come back to this book later in life, but I have too many more compelling books to read right now, and there's never going to be enough time to waste reading something that's not for me.

An excellent fictional account of the start of Mormonism that is tied to present day fundamental Mormons (in this book, known as the Firsts). A searing look at how polygamy destroys those involved in it and affected by it. A great story that draws you in. I couldn't put the book down. ( )

This 507 page tomb, The 19th Wife, is compelling, interesting, and well written. It is a work of historical fiction (which I love), two stories told simultaneously, Ann Eliza from the late 1800's, bucks the polygamous life she was born into after marrying the powerful leader of the Mormon Church. While modern day Jordan Scott tries to solve the mystery surrounding his polygamous father's murder for which his mother has been accused.

This book started out as one of those "can't put it down," reads that kept me rapt until mid-way through when the details and story felt stretched beyond necessity. I love a great read and I rarely care how long it takes the author to tell the story but occasionally I run into a story that feels kneaded to death, the pie crust flat.

I have read as much as I can and sadly am abandoning this book. However, I do recommend The 19th Wife if you are a reader that demands a thorough and exhaustive account of the protagonist's lives. Overall it was an interesting story that dragged on too long for me, however, I do plan to read Pasadena, The Rose City & The Danish Girl also by Ebershoff because I enjoyed his writing style and effortless way he shares the story. ( )

I started and stopped and came back to this book multiple times over a series of months, but I just couldn't get into it enough to keep reading--or remember where I stopped reading from last time so I wouldn't have to read chapters over again. I never got more than a third of the way into it before I gave up. Life's too short and this book was too long to keep hacking away at when it didn't grab my attention immediately. I'll pass, thanks.