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The Polygamist’s Daughter  By  cover art

The Polygamist’s Daughter

By: Anna LeBaron, Leslie Wilson - contributor
Narrated by: Anna LeBaron
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Publisher's summary

"My father had more than 50 children."

So begins the haunting memoir of Anna LeBaron, daughter of the notorious polygamist and murderer Ervil LeBaron. With her father wanted by the FBI for killing anyone who tried to leave his cult - a radical branch of Mormonism - Anna and her siblings were constantly on the run with the other sister-wives. Often starving and always desperate, the children lived in terror. Even though there were dozens of them together, Anna always felt alone.

She escaped when she was 13 - but the nightmare was far from over.

A shocking true story of murder, fear, and betrayal, The Polygamist's Daughter is also the heart-cry of a fatherless girl and her search for love, faith, and a safe place to call home.

©2017 Anna LeBaron (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about The Polygamist’s Daughter

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Bait and Switch

How could the performance have been better?

Please, don't pronounce Jesus, "JeSUS."

What character would you cut from The Polygamist’s Daughter?

Jesus.

Any additional comments?

Before I delve into why I disliked this book, I will tell you that I was born and raised Catholic. I chose to earn my Bachelor’s degree at a Catholic university, and I was only one class short of a Catholic Studies minor. While I don’t consider myself a religious person, I do have strong Christian values and my Catholicism is very much a part of my identity.



That being said, I will never purchase a book without checking its publisher ever again. This book was published by Tyndale House Publishers, which publishes Christian works. That’s all good and fine, if that’s what you’re looking for, but this was simply filed away as “True Crime” on Audible. If I were to have looked up its genre, listed differently on Amazon, or looked further into its publishing company, I wouldn’t have chosen this book.



Ervril LeBaron was responsible for the deaths of over two dozen people, but there’s not too much talk of murder in this book. There’s a little bit at the end, but the true crime is mostly child neglect, child abuse, and corruption of a minor. So, yes, there is crime, but there’s also irony in being part of a cult and then being “saved by JeSUS.” 



The book was quick and interesting, up until the point where I realized this book was actually about going from one religion to another. I lost interest afterward, which is too bad because it reverts back to more true crime. As previously mentioned, I’m far from an atheist. Though, because I thought this was a book about true crime and the toxicity of a particular system of religious worship, I ended up sorely disappointed.

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79 people found this helpful

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Heavy on the Jesus

I got this book because I was interested in the story of the Ervin Lebanon cult but instead this book is really about the author’s journey to finding god in an evangelical sense. I really wasn’t expecting that and the story doesn’t really touch on the cult in its structure or story. In fact, the author seems more upset that her dad wasn’t there for her rathe than the murders he caused. If you want to read a memoir about a child from an abusive background finding god and piece, this book is for you. Otherwise, beware.

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57 people found this helpful

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Riveting!

Couldn't stop listening. This memoir reads like a novel, LeBaron was the perfect choice to read her own story. I will listen to this one again.

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18 people found this helpful

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An amazing true story of hardship & victory

I think I have read every book that is written by someone who would been a part of the LeBaron cult. I have to say that this one was probably my favorite. I think because it gave such hope in her relationship with Jesus Christ that Anna was able to find as she struggled to get over The horrific acts of cruelty and neglect that this girl had to endure for the sake of a madman with far too much power. I think of the words from the book, Unbroken, apply to this cult leader, "The fatal poison of irresponsible power."

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15 people found this helpful

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Redemption...

This book is full of heart wrenching details about little Anna's life but is beautifully redeemed at the end. I definitely recommend it!

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13 people found this helpful

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Don’t waste a credit

What a really bad book in every way. It rambles on with no real storyline or development of characters. The narration is terrible. I couldn’t finish it.

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10 people found this helpful

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Heart wrenching memoir

You won't be able to stop listening. Anna tells her life story incredibly well. It's awful and astonishing at the same time. I recommend this to all my friends.

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9 people found this helpful

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Incredible!!

Loved this amazing story of Gods beautiful redemption of something unimaginable. This story is so important as the scope of the cult is widely unknown.

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6 people found this helpful

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A must read book!

Where does The Polygamist’s Daughter rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the most engaging stories I have listened to in some time.

What other book might you compare The Polygamist’s Daughter to and why?

I can't think of one, though I thought of stories by holocaust survivors on several occasions. Anna lived through her own holocaust in a way.

Which scene was your favorite?

I wouldn't try to say that. I'm grateful for the few friends and the best Christmas ever (first Christmas ever) and for Mark and Lillian.

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

The Polygamist's Daughter: A story of indomitable spirit and hope despite tragedy

Any additional comments?

Where do I start? Anna LeBaron ... what a tremendous book! This true story of a girl who grew up in multiple states under a polygamist cult which centered around her father, Irvil LeBaron, will rock you to the core. I was riveted. I sometimes found myself saying, "OH, Anna!" in the middle of reading. I just wanted to jump into the book and help her along or get her out of a tough situation. At other times, I was so moved at the sweetnesses she experienced along the way.

This is not merely a documentary from the perspective of a child in a tragic upbringing. While you do learn a lot of the ins and outs of what a polygamist family can be like, the facts are not what will keep you reading. Amidst the extremely penetrating traumas throughout Anna's life, there is the constancy of her indomitable spirit. What would have taken many under, never completely did her in. As you read The Polygamist's Daughter, you find the kind of hope that does not disappoint. You will be in awe as you walk through Ana's experiences, enduring all she did and rising from the ashes of her challenging upbringing to be the woman she is today.

Anna is a wonderful storyteller. If you are into audiobooks (I sure am!) give yourself the blessing of listening to Anna tell her own story. Some authors are not storytellers and were never meant to read their own writing aloud. Anna has a gift of telling her story in an engaging and suspenseful way. I never knew if she were about to have a surprisingly sweet outcome or if yet another tragedy were about to befall her.

I hope my review is screaming: Go get this book! What are you waiting for? Go.

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Not bad, but not what I expected

This book being listed in the "True Crime" lists on Audible is not accurate. It is a memoir, but it's not a crime story. It was interesting, but just not what expected. Her story was good. I did manage to make it through the entire book & was happy for her victory over her life, but still somewhat disappointing. I have listened to a number of books relating to the FLDS & that's what I expected of this book, but it was not. It's "OK", but not fantastic.

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