Escape | 
 enlarge | Authors: Carolyn Jessop, Laura Palmer
Publisher: Broadway
Category: EBooks
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $9.99
You Save: $4.96 (33%)
Rating:  359 reviews
Sales Rank: 3679
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Pages: 432
Number Of Items: 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 289.3092
Publication Date: October 16, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
The dramatic first-person account of life inside an ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect, and one woman’s courageous flight to freedom with her eight children.
When she was eighteen years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger: a man thirty-two 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 that had settled in small communities along the Arizona-Utah border. Over the next fifteen 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’s every move was dictated by her husband’s whims. He decided where she lived and how her children would be treated. He controlled the money she earned as a school teacher. He chose when they had sex; Carolyn could only refuse—at her peril. For in the FLDS, a wife’s compliance with her husband determined how much status both she and her children held in the family. 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. No woman in the country had ever escaped from the FLDS and managed to get her children out, too. But in 2003, Carolyn chose freedom over fear and fled her home with her eight children. She had $20 to her name.
Escape exposes a world tantamount to a prison camp, created by religious fanatics who, in the name of God, deprive their followers the right to make choices, force women to be totally subservient to men, and brainwash children in church-run schools. Against this background, Carolyn Jessop’s flight takes on an extraordinary, inspiring power. Not only did she manage a daring escape from a brutal environment, 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 their notorious leader, Warren Jeffs.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 354 more reviews...
 Interesting but extremely repetitive writing style July 4, 2009
DEBBIE (PARAMUS, NJ)
I was so excited to get this book to read. Her story is interesting but her literary writing style is extremely repetitive. If I would have heard one more time that she was forced to have sex and just laid there like a lox, I would have screamed. This theme comes up every other page! There are other books of this type and topic, polygamy and FLDS, for instance, Shattered Dreams, which are far more interesting and more well written thatn this every could be. Get that book and the one by that authors sister entitled Favorite Wife and you will be much happier. I am so surprised that this book was not edited for the repetitiveness. Am I getting repetitive?? I think you get the picture.
 LDS readers beware July 3, 2009
Noelani (Dallas, TX)
I'm sad that I can only give this book 2 stars. I was a little disappointed with it, yet quite intrigued. Let me tell you why.
First, while reading this book, you have to keep in mind that the information she presents about the FLDS faith (or cult, as she calls it) is coming from an ex-FLDS believer. I'm not saying that what she says is incorrect. But it's important to remember that it will be biased.
I didn't even consider this fact when I first decided to read it. I was looking forward to learning about the FLDS culture, their beliefs, and especially how they make (or don't make) polygamy work. But once I got it in my head that her thoughts might be biased, I realized that this "learning" experience for me is akin to learning about the Catholic faith from an ex-Catholic. Or trying to learn about the Mormons through anti-Mormon literature. That really doesn't make sense if you want the truth. But, I continued to read because I was intrigued with how strong a character Carolyn is.
As you remember that her opinions are biased, the second thing you need to know before reading this book is the difference between myth and fact, truth and rumor, belief and actual history. I DO NOT recommend this book to any LDS member who does not have a strong grasp on this idea. If you are unfamiliar with Mormon history, or you are struggling in your testimony, or you have never heard anyone question some of the things you believe, do not read this book. As Carolyn described some of the FLDS beliefs, I could see how their leaders took a simple and real truth, and turned it to the extreme. There are also a few references to Joseph Smith's history that might make you wonder. So if you do decide to read this book, be prepared to do extra research for yourself to find the truth hidden here.
Third, and this is something that really frustrated me, the book was not well-written. Grammar, sentence structure, etc. Along with that, there were many contradictions in the writing. In one chapter she would say something never happened. But then later in the book, she said the opposite. She also repeated herself many times.
However, despite these obstacles, the story itself was very interesting. I find it sad to know that these things are going on in today's world. At times, I was wondering how I would deal with certain ethical dilemmas. For example, how can the state ensure the children are safe when so many of those fathers are abusive? But how can you know which ones are and which ones aren't? But if you let the kids stay with their moms, and the moms are totally ingrained into this FLDS mentality, then the moms will believe they are being punished by God for not being obedient to their husbands because they are keeping the kids away from him. And what about those poor young girls who end up being assigned to marry a man who is 60 years their senior? The questions go on and on.
Although I was not impressed with the book, my hat goes off to Carolyn for all the struggles she overcame and the faith and hope she showed to escape the only way of life she knew. I was saddened to learn of the way her children treated her after the escape. But trauma and fear can wreak havoc on your behavior.
If you do read this book, I hope you will come out of it with a stronger sense of each person's individual worth, the realization that maybe your own life isn't that bad, and the knowledge of the strength each of us has to prevail when faced with trials.
 Fantanstic Book! June 23, 2009
A. Kisling
What a great book. I had a hard time putting it down. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is such a touching story. I have read a few books on polygamy and this is by far the best I have read yet. I also really enjoyed Shattered Dreams.
Thanks for writing this book June 13, 2009
Harry M. Shin (Livermore, CA USA)
1. I had no particular interest in this book or subject matter, but thought it looked semi-interesting and thus decided to check it out. Man, was I shocked, educated about things hitherto unknown to me and inspired by the true grit and determination of the author to live; for herself and children. The book is very well written, easy to read and extremely engaging.
2. Thanks to the author for bringing for her story; a no small feat which all who read this book will understand. Well done.
What happened next? June 9, 2009
Bella (Noosa Australia)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
After seeing the HBO series Big Love I saw this book and thought it would be interesting to learn more about polygamy.
The book IS interesting.
To delve into the way of thinking of a person who was raised in this environment and initially tries their best to go along with the its weird philosophy is mind boggling.
As an atheist I must admit that I laughed out loud at the way in which men would become gods and have spirit wives in heaven and have their own planets and what about all those spirits waiting to be born into the FLDS families etc, etc, is there no limit to the bizarre ideas that men dream up and no limit to the gullibility of their followers???
I did admire Carolyn for the steps that she took and how difficult it must have been and would love to know how she is faring now.
However, I have given this book 3 stars because I did find it overlong and repetitous there are also a lot of loose ends,for example, what happened to her Mother when she left and did they have any contact, why didn't they help one another?
I do wish Carolyn all the luck in the world and I am sure that she will be succesful in her new life, she has determination and courage and by the way...does she still believe in religion?
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