Favorite Wife: Escape from Polygamy Paperback – March 3, 2009

Excellent book. I can’t imagine thinking life with such chaos and hate would look enticing to all these women. Glad some woke up.

It's hard to believe how many times this book made me cry. Sometimes the tears were happy, but often they were tears of empathy or pain. I have never lived in the type of culture the author describes, but I could fully relate to being in love with a man who wasn't truly a husband or father, and was able to brilliantly manipulate his women into staying just a little longer, giving him just one more chance, pulling you in with the promise of fulfilling your ultimate dream of a happy and functioning family.I was moved by the author's unabashed retelling of the early years of her life with her family, and the life she encountered when she followed her dream of being married to the man she loved. Her description of the loyalty and faith their church community held for their leaders was brilliant and evocative. There was never a question or doubt in her mind of the doctrine she'd been raised to believe, and no hesitation to step into a woman's expected role as a plural wife. The winding tale of her marriage, her pregnancies and births, her reckoning with the reality of sharing her beloved husband, and the evolution of her worldview was so fascinating that I literally could not put the story down. I read the entire book in one sitting, over the course of about 13 hours.It was beautiful to read about her realization of her worth as a woman in her own right. I cried when her heart broke as she stood up for herself, claiming the dignity she was due. I was also moved to tears by her fierce resolve to raise her children with open minds, free wills and loving hearts.I wasn't sure what to expect from the story when I first opened it, especially when I realized the time in which it was set (I suppose I expected something unrelatable, since I was born in the same timeframe as the author's children - 1974), but I am so thankful I gave it a try. I learned that some struggles are timeless, just as the strength to overcome them is a thing that lives within us all. I hope the beautiful outcome of the author's life can lead many women to the discovery of their own innate resiliency, so that they can find what it takes to reclaim their own rights to be respected and loved.

Polygamy and polyamory are known in the kink community, where one of the main rules is "safe, sane, and consensual". This is not that sort of poly relationship. I'll let the author give her experienced view: "We were supposed to be an army for the Lord, and yet babies, dirty diapers, backbreaking work, and never enough money to go around were the lot of a polygamist’s wife. All around me were poverty-stricken homes filled with lonely women and children, living for the scattered moments when our husbands could find time for a hurried visit home."Leaders of the church - primarily males of the same family - need multiple wives to be the crowns in their jewels in Heaven. Fifteen is considered a mature age, courting brief, and marriages held in the church to get around pesky bigamy laws. The husband here, Verlan, seems to have an unerring talent for spending his scarce time with each wife at the right time to impregnate them frequently, thus growing the church.Along with the family dynamics of living amid multiple - essentially - single mother hovels with an occasional visit, there's an undercurrent of dissent between factions of the church that boils over to murderous rage.It's not a pretty read, with malnutrition, third world housing, and spousal abuse by neglect being the norm, despite the wives' best efforts.

*This review may contain spoilers*I want to preface my review by saying that I have read several stories of individuals who have escaped polygamy. I think it is important to acknowledge that each of these individuals possessed great courage and strength. Each had his or her own unique journey; suffering various types of abuses and trauma. No story is "better" than another.That being said......I very much appreciated this book. Of those I have read; it really tugged at my heart and it's one that I won't soon forget. This book tells the story of Susan's life as a child in Colonia LeBaron in Mexico as well as her marriage and married life after marrying Verlan LeBaron. Susan goes from her parents' loving home to trying to navigate the complex dynamics of the polygamous lifestyle. I felt what she felt in recounting her experiences. There were several times when reading this book I cried. There were also times when I was upset and outraged that any woman (especially a very young woman (actually a child) ) would be subjected to all that Susan was. Her story is enlightening; her bravery in choosing another lifestyle for herself and her children is inspiring.I found myself really wanting to dislike Susan's husband; Verlan. However; I couldn't do it. Compared to some of the other men within various polygamy groups that I have read about, he seemed like he was genuinely a good person trying to do the right things. That isn't to say that polygamy is acceptable and I would never condone it. God doesn't want us to live that way.....However; I believe that he lived this lifestyle because he believed that it was necessary for celestial glory. I noticed some reviews mentioned that; compared to others, Susan's escape was "easy". There is certainly more to escaping than the physical. There are also psychological chains that can make leaving any abusive situation extremely difficult. And; despite how difficult I think it was, I think it could have been worse had Susan been married to....say....Ervil...who might have had her blood atoned for leaving.In a nutshell; wonderful book very much worth reading!

I read Shattered Dreams by Susan Ray's former sister-wife Irene Spencer and was interested to read an alternative perspective on the same family. It was especially interesting to get another perspective on Irene and on their shared-husband Verlan LeBaron, although - having said that - I think this book to be not as well-written or humorous as Shattered Dreams. Susan Ray also admits that there are times she condenses stories, making you question the reliability. However, if you find polygamy interesting and want a book that gives the perspective of a "child bride", this book may well be interesting to you, but I'm afriad it won't be a regular on my re-read list.

I found this book amazing, to read it from the point of view, from her young age to her older years. Absolutely amazing

In-depth explanation to help the reader understand the web of families etc. A great read for any “fan” of this cult!

I really enjoyed this book,it was so interesting to see the relationships between the wives and how their different personalities dealt with their rules of their lifestyle.Some very sad parts too of course.I would definitly reccomend this book

This was an excellent book and difficult to put down. I read the book within two days. Thank you for sharing your story. It was nice that there were pictures included as well.