Janet’s Book Nook

My latest book review is of Stolen Innocence which was written by Elissa Wall. Elissa is the young lady who was instrumental in the prosecution of Warren Jeffs for accessory to rape for his part in forcing her in to a marriage to her first cousin when she was just 14 years old. I have to say that I was enthralled with this book and read the whole book in about 3 days. She has an easy nature in her writing and you truly feel as though she is in front of you telling you her story.

I find her story heartbreaking. The trials and hurt she faced from the time she was a small child were unthinkable. Unlike the other FLDS book I read by Carolyn Jessop this family was never really able to live up to what the FLDS required of them. She lost the majority of her family as a child because of their inability to follow the rules of the church to a tee. Her older brothers and sisters were all eventually sent away and she also lost her father. Her mother and younger sisters were given to another man of the church and they were forced to fore sake all of the family members they had lost.

At 14 she forced to marry a man who was her first cousin and whom she detested most of her life.  She begged that she would be spared but her pleas were all ignored and she was continually told to "be sweet" and to follow what the prophet wanted for her. Finally she had no choice but to follow the prophet and allow herself to be married to a man she hated. The real problems came immediately afterward when she realized that marriage meant he would have to submit to him in sexual ways. She was appalled and held him off as long as she could until her finally started raping her.

Elissa stayed in this marriage for 4 years before she finally left after meeting a man who helped her see that she deserved better. She also began to realize that God would never have chosen for her to live this way. Once she was out of the church and reunited with her siblings she was prodded to go to the authorities so that Warren Jeffs could be held accountable for his despicable actions. In the end she did and he was found guilty on two counts of accessory to rape. He still has a long line of cases to be tried for including a possible retrial on Elissa’s case.

After the trial Elissa married the man she left the FLDS with and they have two beautiful children. They live a fairly normal life by all accounts except that her mother and two sisters are still caught up in the FLDS. The church has secreted her mother and sisters away so that she can’t contact them. She has decided to become an activist for women and children in the FLDS. She helped the authorities in Texas with the handling of the women and children who were recently taken from the Yearning for Zion camp.

She is truly an example of someone who had been able to overcome a lifetime of teachings and made her life what she wanted it to be. She hasn’t turned from God. She says that she just prays to him that his will be done and she trusts that he is going to lead her in the right direction.

I love the writing style in this book because it feels so casual. I was a little disappointed with the editing of it as I found many mistakes in the book but it could be that it is newly released and the kinks need to ironed out. The photos help to put faces to names and I ended this booking feeling like I had made a new friend. Enjoy!