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)

Carolyn Jessop her, bravery her determination to keep her children as safe knowing that something just was not right

The only thing I would say I dislike about the book is knowing that there are still people in that community that believe Warren Jeff’s is still a profit

so worth the read!

This book was amazing. It really opened my eyes to the plight of the women and children living in polygamy. I was interested in this story and looked it up on the internet but the book offers so much more info. It is hard to read, but inspiring. I am a changed person for reading this

Incredible Journey

This is a amazing story of a woman who finally was able to be free. A very devoted mother, who took a stand for herself and her children. This book is one that you wont want to stop listening to.

Incredible and compelling!

Highly recommend! This is an inspirational story of a brave woman who escaped a religious cult with her 8 children. Absolutely riveting. And infuriating... the kind of abuse that women and children are forced to endure in the name of religion is sickening. Carolyn Jessop details how religious fanaticism easily becomes a breeding ground for every kind of abuse. Very well written and narrated. This is one book I'll be listening to several times.

"Little House on the Prairie" Gone Wrong

I read (listened) to this book, funnily enough, because of playing the video game "Far Cry 5," in which the antagonist is an extremist religious cult led by a mentally and physically abusive family. I've always at a fascination with cults, but playing the game really made me want to delve deeper, especially into first hand accounts. I had heard of the FLDS before, as well as the name "Carolyn Jessop," and so when a search of Audible based on the keyword "cult" brought up "Escape," I bought it immediately, even though I didn't have any Audible Membership credits (it wouldn't be renewed for another month). It was worth every penny.

I honestly feel like, in some strange way, I lived the experience with her as I listened to the 16 hour book over the course of two weeks. I got so angry at points (particularly at Barbara and Merrill Jessop) I had to take a break from listening every now and again. I laughed at the funny moments (few and far between as they were), and felt the icy stab of sorrow at the frequent heartbreaking moments. I felt like I could perfectly picture/visualize everything (though I'm sure my imaginations didn't come close) in my mind as I listened. I don't know how else to explain it: I felt like I was right there with her (Carolyn). Reading/listening to this has had a profound impact on me, and I don't think it's going to wear off anytime soon.

My wife will be the first to tell you that I am, by no means, an abusive husband; growing up with four sisters and a Dad who was more emotionally sensitive (in a good way) really helped me - though, admittedly, this sometime backfires and makes me to afraid to speak up for myself or be open about my needs. Anyway, despite all this, listening to this account has made me a lot more sensitive in regards to how I treat my wife, and striving to make sure my relationship with her is cooperative and not oppressive.

I am an Orthodox Christian, so I do believe (as per our tradition) in a type of Patriarchy, but in one that is Christ-like and involves leading by love and self-sacrifice. Not oppression. Regardless, I recognize that Patriarchy is all too often abused, at great cost. And Carolyn's account is a very good warning about the dangers of such.

My heart aches for what happened with Betty. I don't know what's happened in the 10-ish years since this book was written, but I hope someday Carolyn's family can be fully restored.

In regards to Ann Marie Lee's narration: it was very, very well done. The way she read and performed kept me engaged the entire time and I never got tired of her voice, and I'd like to think that she successfully captured the powerful emotions of this entire experience.

A final note in regards to the title of my review: I saw "Little House on the Prairie" Gone Wrong because, even though that's kind of a light-hearted label for something so serious, I likened my experience reading/listening to this to my mom's experience reading "Little House on the Prairie" - stories about a family going through "adventure" after "adventure," and you grow up with the characters as they also age through the stories. While I remained the same age as I listened, I still feel like I "grew up" with Carolyn, and so (as bizarre as it may sound) in some way it was bittersweet when the story came to a close because it meant my time with this family who had gone through so much was also coming to a close.

In summary of my entire review: THIS BOOK GAVE ME FEELINGS AND YOU SHOULD READ/LISTEN TO IT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.

Glued to it

I feel a little shock but also upset remembering my own cult past. this was hard to listen to at times, but also like therapy for me. I'm so glad she shared. I'm even more glad she found freedom.

WELL RESEARCHED STORY OF THE OPPRESSIO OF THE FLDS

Would you listen to Escape again? Why?

I PROBABLY WILL LISTEN TO IT AGAIN. I LIKED THE STORY.

What did you like best about this story?

THE RESEARCH THAT WAS DONE. YOU GET A REAL PICTURE OF HOW THE FLDS OPERATES AND HOW THE FLDS TREATS WOMAN LIKE THEY ARE MEAT.

Which character – as performed by Ann Marie Lee – was your favorite?

I LIKED THE READING SO THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM. BUT NO CHARACTER STOOD OUT AS THE BEST. IT WAS JUST READ. BUT IT WAS A GOOD READ!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

FLDS A CULT FROM HELL.

Any additional comments?

I LIKED THE EXTRA TIDBIT OF THE AUTHOR. IT WAS AN ENJOYABLE READ.

Horrifying and harrowing

Carolyn soberly describes a world few of us can really imagine, where patriarchal cult leaders have power dynamics down to a science. Her story show how inelegance, education and strength of character can go head to head with a corrupted institution and win in the justice system, but not without struggles and support.

I feel so incredibly lucky to have been born into a community that allows me the freedom to make my own decisions and let’s me choice what kind of person I want to be. Thank you Carolyn for sharing your story. You have likely helped more people than you can ever know.

Mind blowing reality for a woman in today’s society!

Although the story telling does not flow as easy as a novel, this story is an important one for everyone to hear. There are people in our “free” country who are not free. Hooray for the courage it took to escape and then to tell her own story!

love this book

This book is a page Turner. I couldn't put it down for a second. cant believe this was or is happening in the states.