Secrets and Wives

The Hidden World of Mormon Polygamy

By: Sanjiv Bhattacharya

Narrated by: Sanjiv Bhattacharya

Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

What do we really know about modern practicing polygamists - not fictional ones like the Henrickson family on HBO’s Big Love? We’ve seen the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the news, the underage brides in pioneer dresses on a Texas ranch. But the FLDS is just one of many groups that have broken with mainstream Mormonism to follow those parts of Joseph Smith’s doctrine disavowed by the LDS Church.

Gaining unprecedented access to these communities, journalist Sanjiv Bhattacharya reveals a shadow country teeming with small town messiahs, dark secrets, and stories both heartbreaking and strange. Polygamy’s dark side - incest, forced marriages, and physical abuse - is laid bare. But Bhattacharya also finds warmth in the fundamentalist diaspora and even finds himself taking an ideological stand for polygamy’s legalization.

More than just an exposé of Mormon polygamy, Secrets and Wives is the personal journey of a foreign atheist and liberal, a stranger in a strange land who grapples with hard questions about marriage, monogamy, and the very nature of faith.

©2011 Sajiv Bhattacharya (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

just great, really

I was expecting , something more tame, maybe monotone, reading of the authors factual research, chapter after chapter. ( I don't mind that way actually, even though this was something completely different).
I found information in here, about groups, I had never heard of. not only was most all of the info fresh to me, but I was very pleasantly surprised and greatly pleased with the authors style, take and humor. he shared his journey in a way I wasn't expecting. I laughed often at his take on things and say I saw eye to eye with his thoughts. he seemed respectful and fair. and I can appreciate his curiosity with these issues. I get it, it's why I read books about this stuff. I find it crazy and interesting and like that he doesn't judge the people he writes about but calls a spade a spade .
usually I will make fun of authors who read their own books, but I'm glad it was him reading. you got a real sense of who he was from him performance and it was great. I loved the book, appreciate his work and take, and pleasantly surprised by his writing style and hence forth will be a fan. good read. loved it

Very interesting - nice to get a modern update

Would you listen to Secrets and Wives again? Why?

Maybe some sections. It was extremely well done but a little repeatitive.

What did you like best about this story?

The insight into modern polygamy vs historical polygamy.

What about Sanjiv Bhattacharya’s performance did you like?

Very, very charming and fun to listen to. His female voices were not great, but otherwise I thought he was great.

what a great book.

I grew up out there. boy did you nail it. it's funny to hear from a outsider view. I'm not polygamist. I was raised around them it was normal. until I started getting pressured to marry into it. not for me I went wild for a few years. kinda crazy like. didn't relize until I moved back east. and relized. even not in polygamy. you are brainwashed from birth. it took me many years to get to a normal in my life. for the most part they are very good loving people. they have just been brainwashed. don't know any different. you did an amazing job of showing that. had to chuckle a few times. knowing you changed names of people. 😂 I'm not sure I believe in God anymore. but I do know something special made the beautiful country out there.

Mormon exposure

What made the experience of listening to Secrets and Wives the most enjoyable?

The fact that the author hit the name on its polygamist head. I grew up with a family of LDS I cannot say any religion on this planet is as harmful to women esecially in America.

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

A Church only A Man Could Love

Any additional comments?

Great book, no bias, no one sided thought, very informative.

As Even-Handed As It Can Ever Br

Sanjiv Bhattacharya does the impossible by keeping his cool around some of Joseph Smith's most delusional followers. That he pulls off as much as he does without being 'white and delightsome' makes this book even more amazing.

Bhattacharya's style is smart and humourous, tho' the humour isn't mean spirited even when it comes from the more frustratingly exhausting encounters with people who KNOW they are correct, evidence and science be damned.

Obviously, some tales are sadder/more horrendous than others, but Bhattacharya still manages to find some fundamentalists who are capable of treating him (and their children and each other) with decency and kindness and he repays these few in kind. His patience is, however, generally not rewarded and the bad treatment he receives from a SLC-based "journalist" who seems to be more of an "apologist" for the less savoury cults is very disheartening. Still, he keeps on track and ultimately delivers an excellent overview of the various mormon-based polygamy/fringe groups.

Up Close and Personal with Mormon Polygamists

A London East-Ender, fresh off the boat with an Esquire magazine press pass,  goes to Utah to get up close and personal with Mormon polygamists. They proceed to take him into their homes like he’s the first person they ever felt like talking to.

I’ll never know exactly how Sanjiv Bhattacharya charmed or talked the fundamentalists into it, but his narration of his exposé gives you a clue: he is a born natural, a charismatic, a comic, and a raconteur like few others. 

Sanjiv was BORN to do this, truly.

great

such a great read! loved the many different perspectives he gave from so many different communities

Polygamy from another point of view.

The author of this book is a child of the world and because of this Bhattacharya has an objective point of view. Being objective about polygamy is almost impossible but he does a very respectful job of giving readers a glimpse into these mysterious communities. I would’ve liked to have gotten more insight into the Lebaron and AUB through this perspective but I believe these cults are based more outside of Utah.

Impressive

The author does his own research and presents a very unbiased look at the lesser known areas of polygamist Mormons. He has a good cadence as the reader. This book changed my view on polygamy in general and has a lot of great well researched information on mormonism and it's side cults.

Enjoyable

At first I found the narration annoying, the author was attempting to almost caricature a woman's voice but as the story rolled on I no longer seemed to notice. Nothing ground breaking or sensational in the story but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I feel for the author, whos disappointment in the shut out from many of his subjects was unwarranted. He told the stories without too much judgement compared to most books of this kind and seemed to feel sorry for many people he met. As an atheist myself I believe that the brainwashing and naivety of his subjects is wrong on so many levels.