Genre: Memoir
Description:
“Brought up in a religious home, Sophia believes the only way to have
a forever family is by following church leaders and obediently choosing the
right. She goes to the right school, marries the right man in the right place,
and does the right thing by staying home to raise her children. But when she
starts asking questions about grace, love, and the nature of God, she realizes
her spiritual struggles could rip her family apart.”
Author:
Sophia L. Stone is describes herself as a seeker, learner, reader, and
nature lover. You can follow her on twitter where she’ll happily answer your
questions on Mormonism.
Appraisal:
Although well done, my initial thought about Mormon Diaries was that its appeal would be limited to a small
niche of readers, possibly just those Mormon women who have had a crisis of
faith and want to know that they aren’t alone.
However, upon reflection, I realized I’d sold the book short. I
remembered reading the now out-of-print Housewife
to Heretic by Sonia Johnson more than twenty years ago and the impact it
had on my thoughts on what it was like to be a female Mormon. I never looked at
my Mother or the upbringing my sisters had in the same light again. The appeal
shouldn’t be limited to women; there is something here for current or ex-Mormon
men too. Even non-Mormons who are interested because they have Mormon neighbors,
or anyone interested in the different faces of spirituality, would get
something out of Mormon Diaries. With
the focus this often-misunderstood religion is getting during the current
presidential campaign in the US, there may be a lot more potential readers than
I thought. Not that a large potential readership matters. That’s one of the
great things about indie publishing: it gives even a book with a small
potential readership a chance to find its audience.
I can’t help comparing Mormon
Diaries with Housewife to Heretic
(or at least my possibly faulty memories of it). Stone does an excellent job of
communicating what it is like to be a Mormon, specifically a female Mormon, but
does this in a way that, while pulling no punches, is also not overtly political
or as likely to offend devout, yet open-minded, Mormons as Johnson’s book would
have. She captures the dynamics of Mormonism and how family, friends, other
church members, and leaders influence those within the faith. Whether you’re a
Mormon or an ex-Mormon, wanting to compare notes, or someone who would like to
understand Mormonism better, Mormon
Diaries is a good place to start.
FYI:
Added for
Reprise Review: Mormon
Diaries by Sophia L. Stone was a nominee in the Memoir category for B&P
2013 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran October 2, 2012
Format/Typo
Issues:
No significant issues
Rating:
***** Five Stars
Reviewed
by: BigAl
Approximate
word count: 35-40,000 words
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