Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife | 
| Author: Irene Spencer
Publisher: Center Street
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $8.99
You Save: $16.00 (64%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  90 reviews
Sales Rank: 41647
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 6.3 x 1.3
ISBN: 1599957191
Dewey Decimal Number: 289.3092
EAN: 9781599957197
ASIN: 1599957191
Publication Date: August 22, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New - Never cracked - With this book order, enjoy a free BONUS - Audio Book on CD by inspirational speaker and teacher Bill Packard
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Product Description
Irene Spencer did as she felt God
commanded in marrying her
brother-in-law Verlan LeBaron, becoming
his second wife. When the
government raided the fundamentalist, polygamous
Mormon village of Short Creek, Arizona,
Irene and her family fled to
Verlan's brothers' Mexican ranch.
They lived in squalor and desolate
conditions in the Mexican desert
with Verlan's six brothers, one sister,
and numerous wives and children.
Readers will be appalled and
astonished, but most amazingly,
greatly inspired. Irene's dramatic
story reveals how far religion can
be stretched and abused and how one woman and her
children found their way out, into truth and redemption.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 85 more reviews...
 Well written, August 22, 2008
Shattered Dreams was a story so well written that I couldn't put it down.
Irene was a child who was reared in Pologamy. Her mother left the order when she was a young teen, and begged Irene not to become involved in the order. As a teen, Irene was torn between marrying a young man who professed his dying love for her or agreeing to be a second wife to her cousin's husband, entering the life of pologamy.
Irene felt God telling her to enter the world of Pologamy. Against her mother's wishes, she secretly married, believing she would have a wonderful life.
Irene shares her hearaches without loosing her sensitivity towards her sister-wives. She tells the story of how they were expected to birth a child a year, and share a husband with many wives. There were times they all were thrown into the same house with all of their children, and lived in horrible poverty. For many reasons, the family moved multiple times, and were often left alone for months on end while their husband was off on mission trips or working for the church. When he was around, they each had their assigned night with him, which of course leaving each sister wife feeling horribly lonely at times. The purpose of having so many children was to build up a beginning family that would receive their own Godhead in the here-after.
How she was able to keep her cool as long as she did is beyond me. At one point she was responsible for the 24 hour day to day care of 24 children while two of her sister wives were living in other towns working. After months of caring for the children in a tiny house, she finally told her husband she could no longer continue. She was exhausted beyond belief, but instead of receiving understanding from her husband, was reprimanded for not being stronger.
I was happy that she did not make her husband out to be a demon as other books on the subject have. Rather, she shared many tender moments with him, and it appeared he did everything humanly possible to care for his huge family. Irene's tale took place long before food stamps and public assistance for "single" mothers.
I recommend this book highly to those interested in trying to understand polgamy for it explains in detail why they choose this lifestyle, and helps readers learn the dynamics of this lifestyle while preserving the dignity of the family.
The best of the scary bunch August 21, 2008
This is the fourth book I have recently read by women who have left polygamy behind, and I found it to be the best of the bunch. Although it is frightening to realize that this lifestyle is still endured in the 21st century and in America, I try to read up on the subject so that I can try to gain some understanding. Each book I read just makes me wonder all the more how these women can stand these husbands who ignore them and their children so shamefully. Not just stand them, actually, but yearn for them.
Irene's book was, in my opinion, the most well-crafted of the books I have read by these women. In some of the others I found the wives to be a little less candid than Irene is, and they seem to try to make more excuses for themselves than Irene does. The most puzzling thing to me, especially after reading another book about the same husband by one of Irene's "sister-wives," is how they all go crazy trying to get their husband's attention and affection when he so clearly only cares about himself and "the Principle." The wives are starved for affection and the children are just plain starving. I understand that they are brought up to believe that this lifestyle is divinely ordained, yet the men involved are such total creeps that you wonder how any woman can yearn for them.
Irene gives a very vivid and clear portrait of the years she spent in polygamy, and how she finally emerged to enter into a happy marriage with one man who cherished only her. It is heartbreaking to see how she threw away so many good years, but her (13)! children seem to be a blessing to her. I am so happy that she has found peace and joy at last.
I Couldn't Put it Down. August 2, 2008
This is a wonderful book. I couldn't put it down. Irene is a great example for others. She tried to stay true to her religion and endured many trials. She lived in many horrid conditions that many of us could never handle. She was one of many wives and felt so physically neglected. She finally learns to "deal with" being one of many wives. She couldn't have made it thru many of the trials without them. The Mormon way of life and the rules that they follow are so inriguing. I couldn't put it down because I kept wanting to know what would happen next and how many more trials she would endure before she finally left. I really enjoyed her perspective and her writing style.
She ultimately becomes a born again Christian and figured out that she didn't have to DO anything to earn God's Love. He offers it Freely to those who believe.
I was raised Catholic and now I attend a non denominational "Christian Rock Church".
Totally engaging from beginning to end July 25, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is not necessarily one you would want to read before going to sleep for a couple of reasons: 1) it is so engaging it is hard to put it down, and 2) it makes you feel angry with the way the author was treated. The author lived in deep proverty. She was torn because of her devotion to her husband and religion, yet experienced extreme angony because of this devotion.
Excellent, easy to read, very informative July 11, 2008
I have been fascinated with the subject of polygmay and have read everything I can get my hands on, this book it nice because it gives you insite to a group other than the FLDS (specifically books written around the subjects of Warren Jeffs or Colorado City). Irene had such a trying life and her story will keep you hooked from begining to end.
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