New Voices 2016 #3: Bronson, Brooks, Farland

We continue to present “New Voices”—book reviews from students in Shelah Miner’s Mormon Literature course at BYU-Salt Lake. The next set of books, all on LDS topics, are by Emilee Montini (J. Scott Bronson, The Agitated Heart), Aubrey Hansen (Joanna Brooks, The Book of Mormon Girl), and Brandon Bayles (David Farland, In the Company of Angels). Please be encouraging towards these students, most of whom are new to college-level writing assignments.

The Agitated Heart, by J. Scott Bronson. Reviewed by Emilee Montini.

When I received the assignment to read a work of literary fiction and write a review, I can honestly say that I was not thrilled. Not to say that literary fiction is not enjoyable or interesting, it’s just not my cup of tea. With this predisposition and a lingering due date in my mind, I cracked open The Agitated Heart by J Scott Bronson and was surprised to find a story that I thoroughly enjoyed, found a profound connection with, and would even recommend. The underlying messages of the book are: faith, family and overcoming trials. Bronson brings the characters to life with “real life” experiences. The book can appeal to a large LDS and even non-LDS audience.

The Agitated Heart is a story of an average Mormon family of four; parents Marcus and Susan meet at BYU, fall in love and start a family. But unlike the families we associate with or perhaps sit by each Sunday this is an open book to the audience. The reader comes to personally know the personal thoughts, struggles, and intents of each character’s heart. This book takes place over a five-day period, Sunday through Thursday, taking the audience on a roller-coaster ride of emotions and events. Some that are good, some that are bad, and even one that is tragic. However bumpy the ride Marcus, Susan, Christian and Kari take through their Faith, Eternal Covenants, and the knowledge of Gods love, they manage to stay on the ride… even when it appears impossible.

Just as with people, all books have their strengths and weaknesses. The strengths of The Agitated Heart outweigh its weakness. One of the greatest strengths of this story is its truthfulness. It is commonly thought, especial in Mormon culture, that members feel the need to be perfect, have perfect lives and perfect families. Often we feel the need to hide our struggles, challenges, and trials from each other. We tend to suppress them where no one else can witness them. We have a tendency to put a smile on our face and head to church. The power of this story is its transparency, the reader’s ability to view the characters as they really are. Each thought, struggles past and present, temptations and sins are known to the reader. With this transparency comes a vulnerability, allowing the reader to connect on a deeper level. For example, throughout the book we learn each character is revealed through their perspective. We learn that the mother, Susanm struggles with self worth and depression. The book reveals her past and explains why she reacts the way she does. “She knew it was wrong to act out against her own children, emotionally she was still an insecure ten-year-old living with her grandparents and a jealous, vindictive, fourteen-year-old aunt. Sometimes Susan wished that Marcus would let her blame her parents for dying and leaving her in that awful situation”. As one continues to read they will soon understand the daughter, Kari. “Shut up! Baptism. Baptism. Baptism. Kari was tired of hearing about baptism. Really tired. Especially her own, which was coming up next month. And Kari didn’t want to get baptized. It was just too scary. She couldn’t do it. Not yet anyway. But who was she supposed to tell?” Marcus lets us know what he thinks about himself when he thinks, ”There are so many ways that I could be a good father, yet in more ways then I care to think about I’m not. Mostly a lustful old leach.” Finally, we learn about Christopher and his internal struggles. “Being like Jesus was something Christopher had been trying to do ever since his baptism, and only sometimes did he feel like he was succeeding. But with his dad’s blessing he felt so much pressure to perform better that he had started to get anxious.” From each of these statements, we the reader, can relate whether it be a struggling with self doubt, having lingering questions, feeling like we are not living up to our full or eternal potentials, or even feeling the weight of humanity pushing against us.

To truly critique a book one must not only write about the strengths but also of the weaknesses. Although the reader has the ability to make a deep connection with the characters the overall plot and theme of the book are predictable. Another weakness is the beginning tends to drag on and doesn’t add much to the story. However, if the reader hangs on the pace and interest pick up and the story soon become a page-turner.

For this non-loving reader of literacy fiction, I have to admit that I enjoyed reading The Agitated Heart. This is a book that I would recommend to anyone that enjoys a story that is well written, has a real life problems and is able to connect with readers.

The Book of Mormon Girl, by Joanna Brooks. Reviewed by Aubrey Hansen.

This is the story of a woman’s life from a small child through adulthood. As a child she referred to herself as “the root beers among the cokes” meaning she was an outsider among her friends because of her Latter-Day Saint background. She said, “Growing up in California- outside of the Utah precincts of our Zion, our lovely desert- I was almost always the only Mormon girl in the room.” Her life as a child revolves around Marie Osmond and her “want to be pure and clear, like an open door, a spotless window”. Through her young adult life, the focus seems to be on finding a husband so she could “reach the highest kingdom in God’s plan.” Joanna felt the girls always outnumber the boys and she made comments of the “pock-faced dorks” who sat near her in church while the women were always beautifully dressed. She often jokingly remarked “this is why polygamy was inevitable in the highest levels of heaven.” There was a pivotal point were she had the chance to meet the Mormon boy of her dreams. All the saints were to gather at the Rose Bowl Parade for a dance festival. She exclaimed, “Today! I felt a burning in my heart. Somewhere under these lights, on the Rose Bowl field, he was here; my future husband, the One, he who would understand my Mormon world without my defending or explaining.” Unfortunately, she did not meet the man of her dreams that day.

At camp the girls ask their leader questions they couldn’t get answers to at Sunday School, such as, “will there be polygamy in heaven?” She begins to have further questions about woman’s roles in the home such as why woman no longer could “heal the sick by the laying on of hands” as they did prior to the twentieth century. This is where the feminism starts to creep in. She leaves her Orange County roots and heads off to school at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, “just in time to witness a remarkable upwelling of Mormon feminism” she says. She cuts her hair short like a “Pixie,” wears black tights, and homemade dresses and attends basement meetings with the ideology that “all were alike unto God.” She receives much disapproval form her fellow students one even calling her an “Anti-Christ.” Heavily involved in the feminist movement at BYU she learns the twelve apostle just made a statement of the three greatest dangers to the church, “the gay and lesbian movement,” “the feminist movement,” and the “so-called scholars and intellectuals.” She graduates BYU, without a husband and “returns her diploma in protest.” She’s off once again heading back to California where she will attend a PHD program in Los Angeles.

During what she refers to as her “exile years” she marries a blue-eyed Jewish man she meets in Venice Beach, CA. They have a daughter together and she decides its time to go back to church. Just months afterwards, she hears through “the Mormon grape-vine” an announcement is to be read at the pulpit. To her dismay it is the Yes on 8 campaign. She “feels as if her heart has been thrown to the concrete and a cinder block dropped on it.” Then the church asks all members to donate eight hours a month to the cause and it reminds her of the time when the church declared feminist, gays and lesbians “the enemy.” Frustrated, she begins to tell her story of being a Mormon woman who is opposed the campaign. As she speaks she began to feel that cinder block lift as her “heart comes back off the ground.”

She now has two Jewish-Mormon daughters and does not hold back in teaching her children both religions despite other peoples’ opinions. She begins to write her experiences online as a Mormon woman and was not concerned with being unorthodox. She was surprised to find in her inbox numerous women responding in gratitude for her giving them a voice they secretly desired. She states, “The more I learned to tell my unorthodox story in public, the more I learned how to tell the unorthodox story of my Mormon faith. Without shame, without hiding, without apologizing for it myself, all of them on record plainly visible in the light of modern times.” She explains how “these day, it is still acceptable to make fun of Mormons in public.” In addition to speaking out against the campaign she also was ready to answer questions asked by non-Mormons regarding polygamy, racism, and secretiveness. By telling the world her story and opinions unapologetically with bravado and confidence she was able to humanize the conversation to the “non-Mormons who had feared, judged and misunderstood them.” She ends the book declaring, “she wants room at the table for everyone: male and female, black and white, gay and straight, perfect and imperfect, orthodox and unorthodox, Mormon, Jew or Gentile.” She also shouts out to Mormon girls, and other females of different religions all around the world.

I found this book to be very relatable to my own personal life, but many Mormons may not identify as well and possibly even be offended. The story takes place most of the time in Southern California, and a brief time in Provo, Utah. Like Joanna, I too grew up in Orange County, where I was one out of four LDS students in a school of three-thousand, and although Marie Osmond was a little before my time I knew where she was going with it. Additionally, I have a sister who is openly gay and has married another woman. Although I truly believe that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained by God, I, like Joanna, still feel everyone has a right to choose their own agency so I enjoyed her opinions on that matter. During the Yes on 8 campaign I often found myself too questioning the tactics and hostility towards the gays and lesbians of our church and as I was reading I could totally identify with why she felt the way she did. I too believe there is a “seat at the table for everyone.”

I also enjoyed how she brought comedy to Mormon culture such as Jell-O salads, funeral potatoes, dance festivals and food storage, which we can not deny we all do! The comments Joanna makes throughout the book also drew a chuckle out of me. Things such as, “do you have to wear your garments on your wedding night?” Also, at girls’ camp when her friend exclaimed “wow look at those giant tampons; they must be that big because she has nine children” and they then proceed to put it into a root-beer cup to watch it expand.

There were very few other characters in this book aside from Joanna. She made mention of young women leaders, bishops, and childhood associations but none that were very memorable. She also included a brief description of her husband but stayed away from including him in detail. She also noted feminists who related to the time, most of which had been excommunicated.

As for criticism, I wish she would have expounded on her time at BYU and “the meetings in the basement” where they discussed feminism. The transition from her desire “to be pure and clear, like an open door, a spotless window” to an outspoken feminist went so quickly I could hardly believe it! The first half of the book she talks a lot about her Mormon heritage and experiences in wishing to find “the One.” Then the book does a 180 and the reader is left scratching their head wondering what happened. Character development of Joanna was undoubtedly lacking in this memoir. I also wish the reader would have known the pivotal moments that made her choose to turn in her degree in protest? Was it because of what the Apostle said? It was never expounded upon and it all went so quickly. Another thing that kind of bothered me was that I got the feeling that Joanna did not have a testimony of the gospel but more of one of her families’ heritage. Which I would have no problem with, except it was misleading because it is a “a memoir of an American faith.” I found this bothersome because a reader who is not of our faith may get the impression that Mormons are a little “cultish” or possibly even a bunch of “judgmental haters.” It would have been nice if her conversion story back to the church was better highlighted. I found myself turning back a few pages wondering if she was for or against the church near the end because it was not clearly stated.

As for recommending this book, I probably would not recommend it to anyone without a sound testimony of the gospel. It almost felt like there was some anti-Mormon doctrine within the pages. For example, when she makes a long list of all the sacred ordinance woman could not be a part of, and points out what woman once had, and were striped of, such a prophesying and the gift of the laying on of hands. If a reader understands our churches history and is not questioning their faith at the time of reading it, I would say go for it! Despite her opposition, I personally had no issues with this book and often times found it to be quite honest and humorous.

In the Company of Angels, by David Farland. Reviewed by Brandon Bayles.

David Farland’s In the Company of Angels tells the story of the Willie Handcart Company’s journey to Zion through three different perspectives. Willie, the strong and caring handcart leader; Eliza Gadd, the non-member nurse who was almost forced to go on the trip; and Baline Mortensen the Swedish immigrant who throughout the book is the shining example of service and love for others. These three along with the other 397 members of the company were forced to leave on their journey to Zion perilously late. It was because of their late start that the group faced persecution, buffalo stampedes, angry Indians, starvation, and the early onset of the coldest winter in United States history. Many died in the quest to reach their new home. This journey cost more than just their lives.

This book left a lasting imprint on me. Farland does not gloss over the fact that blessings were promised to these poor saints and then not delivered to them on a consistent basis. Captain Willie promised blessings to these saints at one point in the book by saying, “In the name of the Lord … God will temper the weather this trip. Storms will pass us by on the right and on the left. He will lighten our loads, strengthen our weary arms, and heal our hurts.” (59) Safety, counsel, relief, and many other blessings were also promised. However, as the saints got closer and closer to Zion the reality of these blessings became less and less of a reality. Many of the saints on this trip died due to the weather, heavy loads, leadership, and a lack of resources. This book showed that even some of the most faithful dealt with tribulation and eventually death. This is heartbreaking and surprisingly inspiring to me. The pioneers in this story provide an honest example of the type of people we should strive to become. Without some of their sacrifices we would be missing out on some of the most important lessons we need to learn as Latter Day Saints on faith, obedience, and love.

The fact that some blessings are delayed, or not received at all during this life, is not a challenge that just earlier saints struggled with. It’s a challenging thing many Latter Day Saints cope with now. It was and still is a reason that many members became apostate. This book gives specific examples that even though certain blessings don’t come, others may come to replace them. At one point in the novel Eliza, after experiencing the death of her child, husband, and many of her friends, understandably said this to Willie, “There is no God in heaven, watching over us. There are no unseen forces that guide our destiny. There is only wind and sun, soil and ice.” (330) This was the opinion she had all the way up until her group faced the hard task of climbing Rocky Ridge. Eliza during this time was snow blind and unable to see, and now her family had to cross a frozen river. This defiantly seemed like another experience or trial to further prove that Eliza’s above statement to Willie was true. It was just when she couldn’t move any further and that all hope seemed lost that she, “could feel the presence of others nearby, the way that one can feel the heat of another body in a darkened room.”(385) Her husband and son that had passed came to her rescue as angels and helped her trudge through the water, it was at that point her opinion changed. She was eventually baptized and saved many lives as a nurse in Salt Lake. This may not have happened if her husband, and son had not passed away. Even though it was a trial at the time, that trial eventually helped her obtain salvation and became a blessing.

Another strength of the book was the new and interesting stories that may not have been well known if it were not for Farland’s research. At the end of the book he provides a brief history on each of the characters and what was real or not real in his account. One of the more interesting stories for me involved Willie. In the face of terrible weather, Willie in his own words prayed saying, “”Lord, you know the needs of your saints, and you know the love we have for thee and for thy church. You know that we have faith in thee, and at this time, we wish to unite our faith for the benefit of those who are sick and weary among us … We have put our faith in the words of your prophet, Brigham Young, and in his promise that the elements would be tempered for our sake.” (114-115) It was because of Willies faith along with the others inside his company that the storm almost seemed to part like the Red Sea, with the rain falling on both sides of them. Farland’s book was filled with both interesting stories like Willie’s and also devastating stories relating to death and hardship. These previously unknown stories increases understanding and helps readers develop a greater love for these Latter Day Saints.

In conclusion, it was hard for me to find very many negative aspects regarding this book. It was well written and thought provoking. It may have seemed a bit long or even slow at certain parts. However, those minor faults are quickly swallowed by the overall message of the book. A greater understanding and love for the pioneers was gained. If any Latter Day Saint has any connections to the pioneers this book is a must read.