Favorite Wife

Escape from Polygamy

By: Susan Ray Schmidt

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

She had no choice in the matter - none of the girls did. Her mission was to give birth to and raise many children in devoted service to a shared husband. Susan was 15 years old when she became the sixth wife of Verlan LeBaron, one of the leaders of a rogue Mormon cult, who was engaged in a blood feud with his brother that from 1972 to 1988 claimed up to two dozen lives.

In this gripping and eloquent book, Susan Ray Schmidt tells the story of growing up on the inside and of her ultimate escape with her children from an oppressive and violent life. Delving more deeply into this mysterious underworld than any previous work, Favorite Wife is a powerful account of the affairs of the heart, coming of age under exceptional circumstances, and the tough choices that are sometimes painfully necessary to preserve human dignity.

Susan Ray Schmidt was once a member of the Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times and the child-bride of polygamist Verlan LeBaron in Colonia LeBaron in Mexico. After eight years of marriage, she left her husband and fled with her five children back to America. She remarried three years later.

©2006 Susan Ray Schmidt (P)2018 Tantor

Excellent memoir

This book is well written and well performed. Amazing grit that this woman displayed in her life. So happy she found the true God!!

An amazing addition to my library

I have listened to several titles having to do with polygamy & this book does not disappoint. The genealogy in this one is terrific. Several of these names sounded familiar from other books & this one put most of those names in place and was easy to follow. Very few details were left out & Susan has an amazing strength and grit to her. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!!

Wow

Makes you grateful for the problems you have and let’s you see that there are others in the world that have it worse.

Excellent

It kept my attention! This is a fascinating story and it swept me up. I felt like I was there very well done on all levels.

Disturbing

The book is well written and told, however it is overall disturbing. The author's account details her love for her former husband but knowing her age at the time makes this a hard listen at times.