Escape

By: Carolyn Jessop, Laura Palmer

Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee

Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

When she was 18 years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger - a man 32 years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolyn's heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church. Over the next 15 years, Carolyn had eight children and withstood her husband's psychological abuse and the watchful eyes of his other wives, who were locked in a constant battle for supremacy.

Carolyn was miserable for years and wanted out, but she knew that if she tried to leave and got caught, her children would be taken away from her. But in 2003 Carolyn chose freedom over fear and fled her home with her eight children.

Escape exposes a world that is tantamount to a prison camp, created by religious fanatics. Against this background, Carolyn Jessop's flight takes on an extraordinary, inspiring power. She became the first woman ever granted full custody of her children in a contested suit involving the FLDS. And in 2006 her reports to the Utah attorney general on church abuses formed a crucial part of the case that led to the arrest of its notorious leader, Warren Jeffs.

©2007 Visionary Classics, LLC (P)2007 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"The story Carolyn Jessop tells is so weird and shocking that one hesitates to believe a sect like this, with 10,000 polygamous followers, could really exist in 21st-century America. But Jessop's courageous, heart-wrenching account is absolutely factual. This riveting book reminds us that truth can indeed be much, much stranger than fiction." (Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air and Into the Wild)

There are no words..

Carolyn, I hope you read these reviews. My heart is a mixture of broken and filled with love for you. I cannot even begin to imagine what you and your children dealt with for those years. I thought I knew what the FLDS was all about, but your book truly showed me that my knowledge of the true extent of the horror was so small. Your story, while heartbreaking, is absolutely amazing. As a woman, Bettys actions/decisions infuriate me but as a mother, my heart hurts for her you and her. I hope she leaves and returns to you.

For others wanting to know about the book, it’s fantastic. It does start slowly and feels like it drags a bit. I have ADHD, which is why I listen to instead of read many books, so it was hard to push through those chapters. At one point I had skipped ahead, but realized that I had to go back because I had missed important details. Don’t skip. The first few chapters seemed like filler until further in the book. Further in the book you realize that those first few chapters are important. I ended up listening to it for two days. Both nights I feel asleep after 2am trying to stay away trying to listen to more...

In short, get the book. Listen to it. You won’t be sorry. Betty, if you read these, call your mom. You’ll never understand the love she has for you until you’re in her shoes. Once you’re in those shoes, you’ll wish you had called her more.

Blessed be.

Inspiring and eye opening

This was such an incredible story. I hope that many more people open their eyes and leave the community.

loved it!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes very informative and intriguing very well written and well read held my interest

What did you like best about this story?

the raw details

Have you listened to any of Ann Marie Lee’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no i havent

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

it made me emotional at times hearing the hoorible things about the flds

Any additional comments?

highly recommend

I still can't believe this story happened

What did you love best about Escape?

I lost count of how many times Carolyn would say that something happened and think to myself "this is an exaggeration, these things don't happen in real life" only to go online and research it and find that it was COMPLETELY TRUE. Carolyn's story is one that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene where she was describing her children's opening christmas presents for the first time. You could feel her utter joy and love coming across in her words.

Excellent, but sad tale.

I really enjoyed this book. Like so many others, I probably would not have found it had the church not been in the news. And as I said in another review, the Bible teaches us that polygamy never ends well -- for anyone.

I admire Carolyn. She seems like the kind of person who would be a good friend to have. I wish her all the best.

we love you girl.

I was born and raised out by you and saw alot of the crazy stuff. I ran as far away as I could when my dad was going to marry me off at 15. I will never back there

Very heartbreaking and inspiring

I enjoyed learning about Carolyn’s life, but very sad that people still live in these cults. The narrator’s voice was very relaxing and I enjoyed the interview with Carolyn at the end.

Brave

This is one of the bravest women I have ever read about. She was basically a slave and a prisoner. The way she ran from polygamy with her children is miraculous. It was a good read that I couldn’t put down. I felt her pain and also her great love for her children.

both amazing & inspiring :)

Carolyn Jessop is such a remarkable woman. I was also in an emotional, physical & verbally abusive marriage. PTSD can't be underestimated. I'm not happy she had it ~ but talking about it helps other victims of abusive relationships know they're not 'crazy'. I'm so happy she did find love, has almost all of her children with her & blessings came to her when they were most needed ♡

Captivating from the first sentence!

This story is awash with tales that you will find difficult to comprehend. I found myself asking how these events can take place in this century in the United States of America. But they did - and still do. Carolyn Jessop enlightens us all on the frightening results of cults and how the use of fear and violence to control people lives on today. I was captivated by her life story and was pulling for her as she battled more obstacles in her young life than most of us will in our entire lives. Mind control is insidious and totally devastating. But she - somehow - broke free. This book is an important lesson to all of us on how easily people's minds can be manipulated.