Wives and Sisters

Rating:
Summary: A Compelling Read!
Review: Allison Jensen, the principal character in "Wives And Sisters," was raised in a Mormon household by parents who strictly adhered to the precepts of their religion, and to the practices of that extremely patriarchal and close-knit society. Allison, a child with a nimble, curious mind, learned by age six that there were many questions in life that should not be asked - because they would never be answered. When the Priesthood speaks on an issue, or more importantly when they do not speak, it is because there are some things congregants can never understand or be told. Members of the flock are expected to accept, without question, the word of God as understood by his prophets and interpreted by the Priesthood. Church members are strongly sanctioned if they look for answers elsewhere, as that would put them at risk of being introduced to new ideas which could lead them astray and into temptation. However, children, adolescents and many adults often become angry and confused when their very logical questions are never addressed. In "Wives And Sisters" author Natalie R. Collins has written a scathing commentary about a young woman's fight against the teachings of a fundamentalist religion, which has scarred her and caused her and her family a lifetime of pain, suffering and loss. Reading the novel, I did not get the feeling that Ms. Collins' anger is specifically directed against the Church of the Latter Day Saints, but against strict adherence to any fundamentalist religion where individual rights are subordinated to the needs of the entire community.

Allison Jensen is haunted by the results of cover-ups, lies and rampant denial used to protect the Church at the risk of the individual members. Allison's rage is against the men who, in the guise of religious Elders and leaders, play God, ignoring the laws set forth by man and society. Men who, in order to protect their church, harbor those who commit crimes of the worst kind.

When Allison was just six years-old, she witnessed a heinous event which would traumatize her for her entire life. She and her best friend Cindy were playing with their dolls by a shallow creek in the woods near their homes. Suddenly they were accosted by a bearded stranger who held them at gunpoint. He ordered the girls to take off their clothes, and when they refused, he grabbed Cindy while Allison took-off at a run. She never saw her friend again. Along with her feelings of horror and loss, she was weighed down with guilt because she had escaped and made no effort to save her best friend. Her parents and the Mormon community responded to the incident, and to the little girl's anguished questions, with a wall of silence. Rather than look to the police to begin an investigation, they avoided possible exposure, covering-up for a sexual predator, and ordered Allison to pray as a solution for her nightmares. Her father, always a strict disciplinarian, was ready with his belt if ever Allison or her siblings got out of line. Allison's mother, used as a baby-making machine, warned by her doctor not to have any more children, finally died as a result of a miscarriage when Allison was still quite young.

As soon as she turned 18, Allison left home and paid her way through college in order to be able to support herself. She vowed never to return to the Mormon Church or community. The young woman begins a long search for herself and her place in the world, entering therapy, as a result of a serious bout with depression. She begins to discover that all the ghosts and monsters which lurk in her mind, are not figments of her childhood imagination. Many of her demons are real people, evil people, who committed crimes that were all too real. And these criminals are still around, stalking Allison and testing her sanity as well as threatening her life.

Author Collins excels in developing Allison, an extremely complex character. She is, at once, filled with rage, yet still compassionate and loving - rebellious, but loyal and ready to lend a hand when needed, even to her father, stepmother and family who have so wronged her. Although she is intelligent and attractive, she is terribly insecure and desperately seeks love and male attention. Ms. Collins' other characters are just as well thought-out and 3-dimensional. The novel is more a coming-of-age story, a young woman's struggle to survive against an almost cult-like upbringing. There are elements of mystery and suspense, especially toward the end of the book - but this is more than a mystery-thriller. Overall, the writing is good, but I found the chapters to be extremely short, sometimes only a page and a half. This made for some choppiness and disrupted the flow of the narrative. However, I do recommend "Wives And Sisters." It is a most compelling read.
JANA

Rating:
Summary: An unusual take on the suspense story.
Review: At first glance it may appear that the author has an axe to grind with the Mormon church. Closer inspection reveals however that it's not the religion itself she has issue with, just the narrow-minded, paternalistic and hurtful way that faith has often been interpreted and applied (especially towards women). I wasn't sure what I was going to make of this story, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The author has crafted a compelling page-turner that keeps you hooked. My only negative comment would be at times it came off too preachy and occasionally bordered on the melodramatic. That said, still a worthwhile and suspenseful read.

Rating:
Summary: A Gripping Story of Survival
Review: From the time she was a very young girl, Allison Jensen found herself the unwilling victim of the restrictive society of the Church of Latter Day Saints, also known as Mormons. Women have very little freedom and almost no power under the policies of the Church, which gives men the authority to control their family for `time and all eternity.'
After her best friend disappears when she is only six, Allison fights to free herself from the bonds of Church and family by moving away and rebelling against her religious teachings. But when a brutal rape forces her face-to-face with the very worst of her past, Allison must confront the Mormon leaders who unwittingly allowed the destruction of her family by covering up for a sexual predator.
From the first pages of this book, it's obvious that Natalie Collins' writing style has matured considerably since her debut in Sisterwife. The narration is stronger, and her use of the first person gives us a clearer understanding of the emotions Allison is experiencing. Even with these small improvements, Collins keeps firm to her policy of throwing the reader headfirst into the action and not letting up for a single moment.
Allison's story is one that we are hearing more and more often. The power that her father wields over her family is at once heartbreaking and terrifying, and leads to some of the most tragic events of her young life. It's easy to want to believe that this is pure fiction, but the majority of the information in Wives and Sisters is chillingly true. Collins' descriptions of the LDS church are clear enough for `nonmembers' to understand but still allow the rites and traditions of the faith to retain some of their mystery.
This is a book that I would and will unflinchingly give my highest recommendation to all my friends. I literally had trouble putting it down, even finding myself running late for work because I wanted to read just one more page! Natalie R. Collins is definitely an author to keep an eye on, because she is headed straight for the top!

Rating:
Summary: Badly Written Crap
Review: I got hold of a used copy and somehow managed to read the whole thing. Natalie can't write. However Natalie can sling manure at a religion she has decided to hate. Makes you wonder who or what offended her to the degree necessary to make her such a totally vindictive person. Sad, very very sad.

Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: I had pre-ordered Natalie's book from Amazon just prior to a two-month out of state trip, & Wives & Sisters was waiting for me when I got home. The night of my return from Hawaii, I just conked out on the sofa from fatigue. The next morning, I picked up Natalie's book -- and I couldn't put it down!!

Having been a Mormorn child & teenager myself, & leaving the church at 18, I was immediately caught up in the story & the fascinating characters. So much of her story was devastatingly familiar to my own years in the church. The abuse, the secrets, the coverups, the lies, the large, angry, loud, domineering father -- it literally gave me chills.

I have just ordered Natalie's other book Sister Wives from Amazon, & look forward to another spellbinding story!!

All you big bookstores out there -- you'd be smart to stock Natalie's books -- they are definitely going to be bestsellers!!

CAT KELLEY
Kentucky

Rating:
Summary: A gut-wrenching read...
Review: I was recently contacted by Natalie Collins, who asked if I would be interested in reading her new book Wives And Sisters. As the premise sounded interesting and I was in between fiction titles, I readily agreed. And I'm glad I did... This is a well-written book with many disturbing and thought-provoking themes...

Allison Jensen is a young girl being raised in a strict, authoritarian Mormon household. When she was six, her and her friend Cindy were victims of a sexual predator in the woods. She escaped but was knocked unconscious in a fall. When she awoke, Cindy was missing, nobody knew what happened to her, and no one would discuss it with her. This started her questioning of God and the church, as well as a series of increasingly physical abusive episodes with her father trying to bring her "back in line". She tries to protect her younger siblings from this abuse, but finally the death of her mother pushes her over the edge. She leaves home, rejects all of her upbringing, and starts living a life that is at odds with all that her family and the community believes.

Eventually her younger sister weds a Mormon missionary who returned from his assignment, and Allison is not quite sure what is bothering her about the guy. Over a short period of time, he goes from model Mormon husband to an abusive, secretive individual who makes a pass at Allison. After some digging around, she finds out that he has a secret past that was covered up by the church elders, and there are shattered lives left in the aftermath of the cover-up. His spiraling decline coupled with his obsession with Allison leads to a dangerous, life-threatening situation for everyone involved with her. It also holds the answer for what happened to Cindy so many years ago.

Let me first say that most devout Mormons would probably hate this book. It does not portray the Mormon Church in a positive light. It is a story of how authoritarian, secretive rule by a powerful body or organization can so easily be abused. With the type of story and incidents used in the book, it would be just as easy to write this novel and substitute in the Catholic Church with the problems they struggle with these days. But if you set whatever religious views you might have to the side, there emerges a strong story with deep characters and gut-wrenching emotions. It's written in the first-person style, and you almost wonder at times if the author is telling her own story. It comes across as that authentic. And while the "bad guys" in the story have a litany of faults, you almost feel some pity for them at the end as you start to understand how they've come to be what they are. It's not a "feel good" story with a nice happy ending to wrap it all up, but it's an emotionally satisfying read as you know you've seen the depths of writing that isn't always present.

An excellent job by a very talented writer... Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A Gripping Page-Turner
Review: It is Christmas season. I am a mom of twin toddlers. I am amazed that I read this book in two days. I read it every chance that I could get ~~ naptimes, bedtimes were moved up earlier, during the boys' playtimes ~~ you get the picture. I was warned that this book would keep me enthralled from the first page to the last page ~~ and she was right. This is an excellent mystery filled with drama and suspense. It is hard for me to believe that this author has not been propelled to the Top Ten of the Best-Sellers list anywhere.

This book focuses on Allison Jensen, a young girl who is the oldest of a big Mormon family. Six years old, she and her best friend were playing in the woods when their lives changed. For the worst. Allison manages to escape but her best friend ended up missing. To Allison's bewilderment, no one mentions anything about Cindy, her best friend. Not her parents. Not her Bishop of the ward, nor anyone. So for years, Allison blamed herself for Cindy's disappearance because she was sure that is what everyone else must have thought.

Allison grows up and the mystery surrounding Cindy's disappearance intensfies. Allison finds herself in the middle of a family drama that seems to worsen over a matter of time. Already butting heads with her father, Allison finds herself butting heads with the authorities in the Mormon church. She wants to find out exactly what has happened to her best friend. As well as providing a back-drop to Allison's struggles to redeem herself, this book also provides some insights to the Mormon Church. And it's a reminder that no matter what ~~ no matter who you are in the hierarchy of the church leadership rungs ~~ everyone is human.

This book is wonderfully written ~~ suspenseful and compelling ~~ it should have come with a warning sticker on it ~~ you cannot put this book down because you want to know what happens to Allison. So when you decide to read this one ~~ be sure to carve out a chunk of time to read it ~~ you will need it.

12-11-04

Rating:
Summary: A Real Eye Opener!
Review: Once I started this book I could not put it down. It is so well written I could at times actually feel the emotions of the characters. It is always sad to read what man will justify doing in the name of "God," when the only thing he has asked of us is to love one another.

Rating:
Summary: A Truly Moving Book
Review: Rarely do I come across a book that moved me the way Wives and Sisters did. Natalie Collins is an exceptional author whose skill brings to life her characters and their story. This is an author to watch. I anxiously await her next book.

Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: Wives and Sisters by Natalie R Collins, changed me. I'm not sure how yet, but it has. It made me cry, it made me cheer, it made me say, no, don't go out there, stay where it's safe! It pissed me off, and as one scene in particular unfolded, I didn't want to read on because I knew I would cry. I sucked it up and continued reading. I'm glad I did. As the last few chapters loomed, I didn't want to read on to the last page, not because I was ready to get off the emotional roller coaster ride Ms Collins strapped me into, but because I wasn't ready to say good-bye to the protagonist Allison. Without sounding like every other reviewer regarding this book, I have no recourse but to echo them, it was compelling, it was riveting, it was disturbing. W&S is about love and hate and compassion, it's about loss and redemption. It's about coming to terms with family, God and one's own inner demons. This book is about surviving.