The Bishop's Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison

This was a "culturally challenging" read (for me that is). I knew and still know very little about the Mormon faith. Lot of it as depicted in this book and given in much detail is difficult to accept or handle but that is neither here or there.

The story is narrated by the Bishop's wife - she stands slightly apart in this story - as if relating the story from a distance. She is not part of the common ground of the Mormon church, I felt, despite her husband being a bishop who is trying to protect and guide his flock in very difficult circumstances.

A member of the parish goes missing. The husband is suspect. There is also a little girl left behind. Husband's father is belligerent at best and rude most of the time. The wife's parents first come across as being very protective of their daughter. Further revelations reveal abuse of the most horrible kind. When her body is discovered and when the media descends on this town the community has to dig deep to find the courage to support one of their own.

There is a lot of Mormon ritual and daily life described in the book. Apart from being wedded together for eternity and so much more I felt the book went on and on too much of every aspect of Mormon life, apart from the  story that it was meant to depict.

The book is aimed I think at non Mormons to gain a wider audience. In that way it was a success as it certainly educates one on the workings of a normal Mormon home. 

This was a book which was sent to me by Edelweiss