Review: 'Escape' tells the story of a woman's journey away from a cult

By Jodi Butler jodie.butler@journalstandard.com The Journal-Standard - Freeport, Illinois

The Book Club seemed to enjoy this month's selection for the most part, but often for different reasons. "I liked it because it was disturbing," said one member, who found the story's subject matter of polygamy and abuse harrowing and intriguing. Another disagreed. "I didn't like it because it was disturbing," she said. A third reader had to force herself to read it, but once she got into the story, she liked the book. Yet another reader was bored in the middle of the book, and kept waiting for Carolyn Jessop to escape. A few readers said they would recommend the book. The synopsis "Escape" by Carolyn Jessop (written with help from Laura Palmer) is Jessop's true-life story. Raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), she becomes the fourth wife to a 50-year-old stranger, Merril Jessop, when she is just 18. For years she suffers psychological abuse and cruelty, both at his hands and at the hands of his other wives and their older children as they all fight for control, all the while giving birth to eight children of her own. At last, unwilling to endure living on earth with him, let alone the idea of living an eternity with him after death, she plots her escape, and successfully finds a new life with her children. Unequal wives, unequal lives Like most FLDS families, Merril Jessop had a favorite wife, Barbara, but unlike most FLDS families, his favorite wife never changed. "Barbara didn't want Merril to be pleased with any of the other wives," noted a reader. Dominant wife Barbara was so favored by Merril, that often while the other wives had to subsist on tomato sandwiches, she ate steak dinners. And if a wife did get a nice meal with Merril, she "could only eat what he liked." The unequal relationships between the wives also affected housekeeping. "Nobody would have any pride in (keeping the house clean)," said a reader, explaining that the house didn't truly belong to any of the wives. Housekeeping was no better on a part honeymoon, part business, part vacation road-trip that Merril took with six wives and 34 children - or, as one reader called it, the "nightmare trip from hell" - in which hotel rooms were trashed, children were left behind at rest stops, and food ran out. Abuse and neglect Wives also abused each other's children, and many times the children would not get enough food, which appalled book club readers. "When you see (polygamist families) on talk shows they all look happy, like it's all one family," said a reader. Readers were also surprised at the lack of true affection between Merril and his children, who he rarely, if ever, hugged. Their only power Another aspect causing inequality between the wives was sex. Though none of the wives seemed to truly want a physical relationship with Merril except for Barbara, said a reader, all of them fought over who would sleep with him, for sex and childbearing were key ways for a wife to attain power with her husband. One reader pointed out that one of the most disturbing passages involved one of the younger wives, Tammy, saying to Merril, "Father, who are you going to have sex with tonight?" Old and young Two book club readers began a friendly dialogue on the FLDS practice of marrying young women to men anywhere from twice to four times their age, and how this seemed counterintuitive to the group's desire for women to have as many "spirit children" as possible, as often the older men could no longer engender children with their wives. (For example, Tammy, who at 18 had married the then 88-year-old prophet Uncle Roy, was still a virgin at her second marriage to Merril 10 years later, after the prophet died.) One reader said that it made no sense as such wives could have no children, the other pointed out that it was because the prophet was regarded as God, and that marrying "God" made it all right. Eventually, one pointed out that they were "looking for sense where there is no sense." Constant childbearing "I can't imagine keeping having to have babies like that," said a reader. In the society, the more worthy a woman was, the more "spirit children" she would supposedly have. So each woman tried desperately to become a mother, even if it cost her her health. Among FLDS members, illness - especially among pregnant women - was not tolerated. "If somebody got sick, they weren't 'in harmony' (with their husband)," pointed out a reader. Carolyn, who had eight children, the last few in dangerous pregnancies, was delighted to finally have a life-saving hysterectomy, for it meant "freedom," said a reader. Follow the leader The "prophet" of the group seemed to exert total control over every aspect of his followers' lives. If a man was deemed not worthy by Warren Jeffs, Jeffs would "just arbitrarily reassign" his wives, one reader noted. He also regularly kicked out boys. His rise to become leader, taking over even before his own father died, intrigued readers. "When did Warren Jeffs become so powerful?" one wondered. Other readers were confused as to how leaders were picked. "Where the prophets appointed or anointed?" Carolyn meet with Warren Jeffs once, seeking help with Merril's cruelty, but her plan only backfired. "Every time she complained, it was turned back on her," said a reader. Extremism One reader pointed out that FLDS is an extreme group that regular Mormons do not recognize. Another remarked, "Extremists can come out of any group." The same reader then pointed out that in Carolyn Jessop's life, even the FLDS women knew what cults were, and it was a popular saying among them not to "drink the Kool-Aid," a reference to the Jim Jones' cult. "Can you imagine living in a community like that?" mused a book club reader. Others agreed. "There's gotta be more women (like Carolyn) that want to escape." In order to remedy a problem at our last book club meeting, if anyone is at the door and cannot get in to our next meeting, please call the night copy desk at (815) 232-0136.

JournalStandard.com Originally published Friday, January 25, 2008

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