Review Detail

Reader reviewed by mearley

Polygamy seems to be a hot topic lately, and this is the first YA book I've seen that deals with the subject.  Kyra is a typical teenager in some aspects; she takes piano lessons, watches her brothers and sisters, and is experiencing her first crush.  On the other hand, she lives with her father and his three wives and his 21 kids, and she has rarely, if ever, left the jurisdiction of the Prophet.  While walking one day, Kyra notices a Bookmobile.  The Prophet has banned all books except the Bible, but something makes Kyra stop.  She discovers the joys of reading Dr. Seuss, Katherine Patterson, and J. K. Rowling.  Kyra is consumed with guilt over reading this forbidden material as well as her secret trysts with Joshua, a boy from her community.  When The Prophet announces he has had a vision that Kyra is to marry Hyrum, her 60-year-old uncle, Kyra takes her rebellion even further.

Although what Kyra needs to do may seem obvious to many readers, Williams manages to make us agonize over the decision with her.  Kyra's family, unnatural as it may seem, is truly loving.  Kyra adores her father who proves he will even try to stand up to the Prophet on her behalf (until the rest of his family is threatened).  She loves her siblings even though she is annoyed by the lack of privacy in such a large family, and she even gets along with all of her father's wives.  Although marriage to Hyrum is inconceivable to Kyra, she also cannot fathom leaving her family behind, never to see them again.

There are some parts to this book that are difficult to read.  Kyra's punishment for her rebellion is brutal.  Even more disturbing is the way Kyra's baby sister, Mariah, is punished for crying when the Prophet came to visit.  Because of these scenes, I would only recommend this for high school students and adults.