The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

This is the story of two women who could be called "The 19th Wife." 

The first, Ann Eliza, whose parents were at the origin of the Latter-Day Saints, and who married Brigham Young, one of the founding prophets. She tells the story of what it was like for her mother, father, brothers and sistes, and herself to live in a society that demanded plural marriages as the way to salvation. We learn how these women were treated, how their husbands probably felt about plural marriages, and how the children were victims of them. 

Ann Eiza eventually escapes her marriage to Brigham Young and travels across the nation speaking out against plural marriage. Eventually, partially through her own efforts, plural marriages are condemned by the government of the United States. 

The second "19th Wife" is a woman in present day America, who is part of "The Firsts", a sect of Latter-Day Saints that still believe and practice plural marriage. She lives in a town like those that we hear of on the news these days. They are governed by a prophet with too many wives to count, some less than legal. 

This woman, Becky Lyn, is in jail for allegedly killing her husband. Her son Jordan is a Lost Boy. Lost Boys have been cast off from their families, usually on the side of the road, because they are considered competition for the young girls in the sect. When his mother is put in jail he has to decide whether he can forgive her for abandoning him long enough to help her prover her innocence. 



While definitely entertaining it got a little bogged down with the academic stuff. The story of Ann Eliza Young was an interesting counterpoint to Jordan's story.