Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall

Genre: non-fiction, memoir, polygamy, FLDS, abuse
FTC Disclosure: library
Published: 2008
Pages: 438
Content: PG-13 for sexual abuse
Reading Challenges: Women Unbound


Elissa Wall grew up in the FLDS church, the Fundementalist Latter Day Saints, a polygamous sect and an off-shoot of the Mormon Church. I feel that she's pretty fair in how she grew up. She spoke a lot about some of the good times she shared with her family.

This was a really, really hard book to read. It was so fascinating but ever so disturbing and heart-wrenching. To realize that her life was stolen from her before she was even born. She was a second-class citizen and completely relied upon the men in her life to tell her what to do. If she didn't do it she was going to hell. She was a bit of a stubborn child growing up, but the "prophet" ordered her parents' marriage dissolved and her mother went to a different man and her father was kind of exiled. I can't even imagine something like that. How horrible.

Then as the prophet's health declines his son the infamous Warren Jeffs begins to slowly take over. Rules become stricter such as no more celebrations or dancing, etc. He brings the scattering groups in closer together to keep his eye on the flock.

Eventually Elissa is forced to marry at 14 to her 19 year old first cousin, who then begins to rape her and abuse her throughout their marriage. She eventually finds her way out of the FLDS through the help of friends and family that had previously left. She also finds someone to love and who loves her back.

She describes her feelings how she was pulled from staying to be with her mother and sisters and her eternal damnation to leaving because she needed to be free from the abuse.

Eventually she decides to prosecute Warren Jeffs for his compliance in her abuse. Whenever she went to him for help he told her to obey her husband and be a better wife and to start having babies...despite having multiple miscarriages that her husband/cousin blamed her for, like her lack of complete obedience to him and thus God was punishing her...so icky.

I could go on about this book, but I won't. She testifies against Jeffs and yet is treated with contempt by the defense and continues to be harassed by members of the FLDS church who have devoted at least one blog to telling the world what a whore and liar she is (and if there are any comments that don't fit with their warped view of the world they delete it and claim everyone else is mislead, evil, going to hell, etc...ick.

I'm amazed that Elissa was able to get out of such a horrible place where rights are gone, women are treated as nothing more than breeding machines, and boys are left out to dry since there aren't enough women to go around.

It was a tragic book, but full of hope that others in her situation can get out and get help.

Rating: 4/5

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Genre: non-fiction, memoir, African-American studies, Women studies
FTC Disclosure: bought from Barnes and Noble
Published: 1861
Pages: 229
Content: PG-13 for violence
Reading Challenges: Women Unbound Challenge, Black History Month Mini Reading Challenge


It's really surprising that this book was published in the late 1800s and by a black woman, no less! Yeah, for abolitionists! It was a terrorizing account of Harriet Jacobs experience as a slave in the American South and what she did to get to freedom and guarantee the freedom of her children. She was very heroic and went through so many things both physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Though, the account is tragic it ends with hope and inspiration.

It just kept hitting me that this was a true story...it took me awhile to get through it because of the theme. I feel it's important to remember our history so we can learn and thus make the world better. I highly recommend this one for any who have a love of history, especially the seedy side. Well, I recommend it for everyone...

Rating: 4/5

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Genre: young adult, historical fiction, slavery, Revolutionary War
FTC Disclosure: bought from Dragons and Fairy Tales
Published: 2008
Pages: 300
Content: PG for violence and war
Reading Challenges: Women Unbound, A to Z Challenge (Title C), 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge, Black History Month mini reading challenge

One Line Summary: Which side to join? The patriots or loyalists when one is a slave.

I liked this book. It was a little slow to start with but picked up towards the middle. We follow slave Isabel and her little sister Ruth from the death of mother and her mistress to being illegally sold to a Loyalist family in New York.

Isabel reaches New York just a couple of months before independence is declared in July of 1776. Her goal is to survive long enough to escape with her sister back to her home of Rhode Island. But now she's caught between to wars and oppressors vieing for her loyalty. Her only friend is fellow slave Curzon whose master is a Patriot. She agrees to spy on her master in order to gain her freedom.

This was a great introduction for early teens/preteens to get into historical fiction and slavery. Things move along at a pretty fast rate and lots of information is thrown in too. But as an adult I found it a bit too simplified and not enough character development. I wanted to know more about Isabel, but Anderson just didn't share enough. I wanted more details, etc. But like I said it's a great intro for kids into this material. And it opens up plenty of discussion about the Revolutionary War and slavery so that's always a good thing.

I picked this one up for my book club; it was my turn to pick a book and thought this would be a great one for Black History month and since the main character is a woman I also felt it would go right along with my Women Unbound Challenge as well.

Rating: 3.5/5

My 2010 Challenges!!!!!!

1.Women Unbound Challenge has been going since November of 2009 and runs til November of 2010. I'm loving this challenge. Basically, read anything that involves subjects relating to women.

There are three levels to choose from:

• Philogynist: read at least two books, including at least one nonfiction one.
• Bluestocking: read at least five books, including at least two nonfiction ones.
• Suffragette: read at least eight books, including at least three nonfiction ones.

I'm not sure how many I'll get to so I'm doing at least the philogynist, but I'll probably move up since I have quite a few in mind to read this year!

2. My next challenge is The 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog.

There are four levels:

--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels.
--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.
--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.

I originally signed up for the mini one, but my list has grown since then so it'll probably be at least 25...only time will tell...

3. All About the Brontes Challenge hosted by Laura's Reviews that runs from January to July 2010.

Read, watch, listen to anything Bronte-sister related! I'm so excited about this one. I have almost all of the Jane Eyres ever produced on video...well, the good ones anyway. The others I'll just have to borrow, and this also gives me a chance to read more of Charlotte and Anne Bronte!

4. Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge hosted by Lisa of Lit and Life lasting all year long. I've never watched the Gilmore Girls, but have heard great things about this show. And I guess they talk about a lot of books! So Lisa decided to list them all in their categories and has challenged us to read what we can! It's a huge list. So part of my challenge is to actually watch the Gilmore Girls this year too while reading their books! I noticed that a few of the books I wanted to read this year coincided with a few on this list so I thought, sure, why not!

5. I'm also doing my own challenge of Read My Own Books...I went a little crazy at the local thrift store with books this year as well as Amazon, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, etc with book buying so now my stack is quite huge.

6. I'm also doing a mini challenge for myself this month and next with Martin Luther King Junior's birthday and Black History month in February. I'm reading a few books on Martin Luther King, Jr and a few books on African-American studies.

5. I know I'll be joining anything Halloween related as well and holiday related when the time comes and The Fear Itself Challenge by Donna of Bites will be coming around as well and maybe another Everything Austen Challenge! So I know I'm going to have lots to keep me busy this year, plus I'm still taking an online course and I need to be reading their huge volumes on anatomy and medical terminology so that'll keep me busy too!

Wish me luck and I wish you all luck in your challenges as well! Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!

Women Unbound: Start-up Challenge Meme

WOMEN UNBOUND Start of Challenge Meme:

1. What does feminism mean to you? Does it have to do with the work sphere? The social sphere? How you dress? How you act?

Being a feminist to means wanting the same opportunities for all women, whether it be same pay for the same work, or being able to be oneself and not compromise are standards and values in order to work our way to the top. It also means allowing women to be comfortable in whatever they choose, if they choose to be stay at home mom's yeah! If they choose to have a career, yeah! If they choose both, yeah! Allowing us as women to choose how, who, and what we want to be. I feel it also means letting up on the typical female attitudes...such as they're better with kids, or they're more spiritual...treat us as individuals not as a group to be stereotyped.

2. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?

Yes, I definitely consider myself a feminist. I have a desire to see things get better for all of us women...where we can be judged according to our own personal merit and not whether or not we have breasts...Women's issues are very important to me and therefore that makes me a feminist and it's NOT a dirty word!

3. What do you consider the biggest obstacle women face in the world today? Has that obstacle changed over time, or does it basically remain the same?

I guess it depends on where you're at in the world. There are plenty of women being repressed in countries due to religion, plenty of women being raped and mutilated in wars. This never seems to change. In more stable countries where women have more power I would say the greatest obstacle is allowing us to feel comfortable about what we choose to do in life. It seems like we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. I'm a stay at home mom right now and in my community that's looked upon very highly; there are a few women who could stay home if they wanted to, but instead are choosing to have a career and be a mom...they seem to be the oddity in the neighborhood, people can't understand why they don't want to stay at home and raise all those babies. Then there's the "how many kids are you going to have?" My hubby and I only want one child and we have our beautiful boy now...but I not him as much, get the flack for it...how can I not want another one? Sometimes it feels like they think I'm just a baby incubator and that's all I'm good for....Then there's the flipside when a women decides to stay at home...there's flack for that too from others in society.

There's definitely more opportunities...more women in careers, politicians, etc...but I think the same obstacle has been around for years...we're still in a man's world and thus subject to those rules...

Women Unbound: A Reading Challenge

Yes! Another reading challenge! This one is just too awesome to pass up! This challenge is all about books on women's studies, defined as:

the multidisciplinary study of the social status and societal contributions of women and the relationship between power and gender.

The challenge runs from November 1, 2009-November 30, 2010. No need for a reading list, but here's the challenge:

There are three levels you can choose as a reader:

• Philogynist: read at least two books, including at least one nonfiction one.
• Bluestocking: read at least five books, including at least two nonfiction ones.
• Suffragette: read at least eight books, including at least three nonfiction ones.

I'm going to go the middle route with BLUESTOCKING. I haven't decided completely on what I want to read, but I have a few ideas! I'll be sharing them soon.

For more information please visit Women Unbound: A Reading Challenge for all the details and updates on this fabulous challenge! I hope you will at least think about participating!