The Polygamist’s Daughter is about the life of Anna Lebaron’s childhood in a fundamentalist Mormon cult that practiced polygamy. Anna tells of how she was moved all over the place when the FBI was closing in on her father for the crimes he has committed, including a period of time in Mexico with an awful woman who demeaned her whenever she could and with a man who was grooming her for potentially being a “sister-wife”. The book tells of her mother abandoning her for long periods of time and the longing for her father’s love. She tells of how she escaped the cult and lived with her sister and her husband.

Anna did a very good job describing the effects on her life from her time in the polygamist cult. One could feel the fear, despair, and depression that she felt, both within the cult and when she was able to escape. Her mother was a weak woman who was caught up in the cult beliefs. Anna did a great job explaining the mixed feelings that she had towards her mother…from missing her when she was gone for months at a time to getting fed up when she would ask her mother to come to a family event, only to be told that “she would have to pray about it”.

Some of the writing was a little choppy but the book was very interesting. I would like to learn more about this cult and the effects that it has had on many people.

Rating: 4 out of 5

I received this book from NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishing in exchange for a review.

I'm clearing out books that I requested ages ago and have been on sale for years! I enjoyed this title.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for this book - thank you. Anna LeBaron told her story of growing up as Ervil Lebaron's daughter. I had already read Shattered Dreams by Irene Spencer so I had an adult perspective of this cult. Anna LeBaron related her story from a child's perspective. It is a miracle that she was able to retain her optimism and joy of life with all of the suffering she experienced.

The story flowed and I read it quickly. UPDATE: If you are interested in this culture or the story of a person who has the courage to defy their upbringing in order to have a healthy life, this book is worth reading. I grew up in approximately the same time as Anna but so differently as to make her America unrecognizable to me.

I just wanted to add that I am shocked and horrified that this happens in our country. It appears this abuse of women and children, not to mention the boys who are cast out, is still occurring. The United States seems to get involved in the business of so many other countries and yet does nothing to help (or stop) these people. I can only conclude that the men that oppress these helpless women and children are raised in a culture where they are taught to be master manipulators and abusers. And that the ones who are the best at it are the ones who rise to the top.

And that many people who would be driven to help (like me) have no idea what to do to assist these people. I also assume that many, just like Anna's mother, are willing participants in their enslavement, for many reasons. People who do not think they need help cannot really be helped. Some probably do not know there is any other way to live. Some think it is the path to salvation. Religion is a powerful tool that can be used for good and evil, and if used as the latter can cause much harm.

Horrifying subject matter. Anna LeBaron is incredibly brave to have shared her life story so openly. At times it was difficult to read as there is a lot of potentially triggering material. The author is proof that life ultimately triumphs over evil.

I've been reading memoirs this year. It's intriguing to hear about life through the lens of the author who tells her own life story. Thus far, it's hard to say I enjoy these real books of struggle, sorrow, ups and downs of life, but often they are focused on adulthood, and it's easier to believe the author contributed to the circumstances, but in Ms. LeBarons case, her story is developed because she was born into a cult. One that many have heard of, as her father, one whom she really did not know personally, is known for the evil he added to the world. It will make you want to go read other resources to learn more of the cult, that she educates you about from her perspective as a girl.

Some authors work to convince you how hard, volatile, or hopeless seasons of their lives were or are. Anna LeBaron shares her optimistic outlook on life and serving others in the family. She skillfully makes the reader wonder how on earth did she face each new day, is she a normal adult now? What is the fallout of a childhood like hers? One wrought with neglect, abuse, violence, turmoil, loneliness, etc. she shares experiences from age nine through her recent days. These real life memories make you empathize, wish you could save her, and want to press on through the hard scenarios to see how she is able to write a book, as an adult. You embrace the concept of family with new eyes, she is one of 50 siblings, different moms, living surrounded by multiple adults, yet often invisible, or wishing to be invisible rather than gaining recognition by the adult that has little compassion for you.

She shares her struggle to feel loved in real ways by her father, and her discovery that was she has always wanted can be found in a different relationship, one with God, through His plan of salvation, through Jesus gift of eternal life. It's her testimony of faith as it grew over time and as she unpeeled her own grief, trauma, and story with the help of a professional counselor.

At the end, you want a part two that testifies and fills in more details of her riveting real life experiences.

DNF at 53%. Boring and poorly written. Read some other reviews to see if I should keep going - other reviewers mentioned a fair bit of proselytizing at the end which I am not interested in.

I knew I wouldn't like this book. Anna's father was famous, for among other things, polygamy. She holds very little back in the telling of her childhood. Such a page-turning story! There were two gifts from this book; Anna's survival with her faith in tact, and the relationship she's been able to salvage with many of her more than fifty siblings. I don't begin to understand things like this, but I was proud of the woman Anna became in spite of an often tragic childhood.

"The Polygamist's Daughter" could almost sound like a dystopian fiction novel to the average person to young to remember the news stories about the arrest and trial of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs. The misogynistic society Anna LeBaron is born into is a life where long hours of hard labor are required for boys and girls, and for the girls arranged marriages to much older men for whom they must "keep sweet" and be obedient. They are told this is the will of God, and God help them if they question the rules.

We can not imagine the bravery of LeBaron and others like her who make the dangerous decision to escape the only life they've known to try and survive in an alien world outside of their faith. She tells us about her mom gathering the children to go dumpster diving for food or raiding a donation spot where people can deposit clothes for needy families. The children understand that if they are spotted, the adult driving will take off, leaving them there to hide, and return when the coast is clear. Oh, let's not forget learning that some family members have committed murder in the name of God's work. Her own father was the greatly feared Ervil LeBaron who had ordered the deaths of many people who tried to leave the cult.

LeBaron somehow never loses her ability to have hope, and to love, and to keep moving her own life forward. Getting married and having her own family make it even harder to understand how her own mother could allow her and her siblings to live such an austere life. She survived with a strong sense of self that triumphs over the freedom and identity she was denied in her youth.

Anna shares the story of her heart wrenching childhood in a way that made me feel her pain and anguish. The focus of the book is not to detail the wrongs of the cult, which are clearly horrible, but it is truly a memoir--HER story. I am amazed at the courage and bravery she showed as she broke free from the cult and later pursued the very difficult work of dealing with the spiritual and emotional consequences of her abusive past. The writing was at times clunky, but I felt that was easy to get past as the truth of her story was compelling. I cried with her in the last chapter.

My father had thirteen wives and more than fifty children . . .
So begins the is the memoir of Anna LeBaron, daughter of the notorious polygamist and murderer Ervil LeBaron. Ervil’s criminal activity kept Anna and her siblings constantly on the run from the FBI. Often starving, the children lived in a perpetual state of fear—and despite their numbers, Anna always felt alone. Would she ever find a place she truly belonged? Would she ever be anything other than the polygamist’s daughter?

I picked up this book because I was interested in learning more about polygamist life since it is so different from the life I lead. And LeBaron's story of survival and escape certainly is heroic. I didn't have any background knowledge of her father and the crimes he committed and I wonder if I would have known about him if that would have made this story even more harrowing. It was a great story of the redemptive power of God and also the power and importance of family. LeBaron told her story clearly and without apologizing since it was the only reality she knew. It was an interesting read and one I think many people would find interesting.


I was provided a complementary copy of this title by Tyndale House Publishers.

Anna LeBaron's story is both powerful and scary. To see the life she escaped from and know that this still goes on in America, is sad. I could not put the book down and finished it in a few days. To every woman who needs the strength to escape a brutal life, Anna's story is truly an encouragement. The polygamy side of the Mormon religion is a dirty, dark secretive aspect and one that most Mormon's are deeply ashamed of. This book is a powerful reminder of the strength of cults and the dangers that lie within the hearts of their leaders. A great read.

It took me a really long time to get through this book. I never want to criticize someone's memoir, because it was their own experience, However, the book was kind of boring. It kind of read like a laundry list of what happened to her. I'm not discounting what she went through. It is horrific to think about any child living a life like that. I guess I was thinking it would be more of a true crime novel.

Anna LeBaron gives an eye opening look into the life of a child growing up in a life of confusion. I am so glad that Anna was able to see that she is a gift from God and that her life matters. I am sure escaping was very difficult for her. She does a wonderful job of placing us in her shoes. This was an inspiration.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review*

The Low Down
In this harrowing, heartbreaking and inspiring memoir, we are taken through the life of Anna LeBaron, the daughter of infamous and nefarious polygamist leader Ervil LeBaron. We are led on a journey, as she lives in fear, death and betrayal. And, later, as she discovers her own life, faith and a home of her own.

My Thoughts
Anna’s story was crazy. Until now, I had never heard of Ervil Lebron. When I looked him up, the internet told me just how messed up he was, much more than Anna felt comfortable divulging. And she had to live under this man’s presence, and in his large polygamist family of sister wives, for years. Through her childhood and on, Anna had to deal with so much, from being constantly uprooted and on the run from police, to not getting enough to eat, wear or own. And being in constant fear of her father’s retribution and anger, especially as she tries to get out of the cult. In reading all this, between the words and sentences, we see the fear, the hurt, the anger and the trauma Anna had to endure. But despite that, we see how Anna thrived and grew, how she developed her own faith with Jesus, and how she got help for years of psychological stress.
I loved Anna’s writing style. It was conversational and she was not ashamed to tell us of all she went through. I liked how she didn’t hide the scars she endured, how she got through them. My favorite parts, however, were when she discussed her faith. Faith is so big in her life, and it was amazing how she could not only be okay with Faith, but develop her own, after everything she had been through “for God”. At one point, as she talked about her faith, I cried, because I want to have faith like hers. That was a huge inspirational moment for me.

Full disclosure: I received a free e-galley copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Anna is one of the many children of the polygamist cult leader, Ervil LeBaron. The instructions that the wives and children had to follow are beyond our comprehension. Having to live in blind devotion because of your parents' belief systems and bullying causes much anguish. Anna had to sell baked good and dumpster dive. She also could have easily been a child bride of the one the older cult members. Fortunately, there were extended family members who helped Anna escape from the cult before much worse things could have happened to her. The book is so well written that you feel you are right there with little Anna and teen-age Anna, and you want to save her. The stories continue with healing and devoted family and friends.

Recommended for public libraries.

Anna LeBaron is the daughter of Ervil LeBaron, the self-proclaimed "prophet" of a radical Mormon cult.

Here she tells what it was like to grow up in a polygamous family who was on the run from the FBI. (Though she didn't realize it until she was much older, several of her family members were wanted for murder.)

This was a really interesting account, as LeBaron faced abandonment, poverty, hunger, and abuse as a child, and the deaths (murders) of family members as a young adult. She managed to leave the sect at thirteen, when she moved in with her sister and brother-in-law; however, she still had contact with several family members during her teenage years.

While some other reviewers were disappointed in the non-emotional telling of most of the story, I appreciated this aspect. LeBaron mentions that she compartmentalized her feelings for most of her life (until she finally worked through them during counseling) and I felt that this writing style more precisely portrayed what she was thinking and feeling (or not feeling) while experiencing these events.

The strongest part of the book is definitely where she relayed her childhood. The last quarter or so of the book talks about her grieving process and counseling and while some of that is a necessary part of the story, I felt this could have been better condensed.

All in all, if you're interested in polygamy, cults, or poverty, this is a worthwhile read!

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Cults are an odd obsession for me. Documentaries, nonfiction, novels. anything remotely relating to cults is beyond fascinating so "The Polygamist's Daughter" seemed like the perfect choice for my next review.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the in depth account I was looking for. When I wanted more details I instead received general remembrances. Which, it's her life and she can recount it as she chooses but I really think it lacked context. Yes, these deaths occurred. Yes, these sermons were happening. But what else? How did the other children feel? How did her siblings feel? I guess I wanted, "my so-and-so remembers this about that time" instead of "we agreed on these things." Anna gives us a very narrow window of life she lived under Ervil LeBaron then away from him/his followers but the details are lacking.

It's possible that as she continues on her life's journey she will be more forward but this is what she has chosen to share now which should be applauded. This book wasn't what I wanted personally but for someone else it will be perfect. Overall, a very solid memoir.

I found this a fascinating, but sad look into the life of children who are raised in a cult environment. I am amazed at what this author has gone through and the strength that she showed throughout her childhood. It saddens me to realize that many children live this way today....and all under the "name of God."

A really enjoyable read. A fascinating look into the life of the daughter of the polygamist cult leader Ervil LeBaron and how her upbringing cast a shadow over her adult life.

I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley and Tynedale House.

I’m not quite sure how my fascination with polygamy began. It may have been a news report that sparked my curiosity, or perhaps it was an article in a magazine, or an interview on a talk show. However it started, I’m usually unable to pass up the chance to read the memoir of someone who chose to share their personal experiences of such a life.

The Polygamist’s Daughter is the memoir of Anna LeBaron, daughter of the notorious Ervil LeBaron. Ervil was the self-proclaimed “prophet” of the Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God. As leader of this polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group, LeBaron ordered the murders of 25+ people, citing the doctrine of blood atonement as justification for killing rival leaders, members of his family, and followers. It began with the murder of brother Joel LeBaron in 1972, and finally ended seven years after his death with the “4 O’Clock Murders” in 1988—carried out by seven members of his family, who killed their targets at exactly 4pm.

Anna’s childhood was spent being moved from one location to another, often in the dead of night, in an effort to prevent the authorities from tracking down her father. Often separated from her mother and siblings, her childhood years were marked with uncertainty and fear, living in poverty and having very little contact with her father. When she was 13, Anna made the decision to leave the cult, and it changed her life forever—but it was not without long-term consequences.

LeBaron’s writing style is engaging, drawing you in without over-dramatizing even the most shocking events of her life. She tells her story in a straightforward manner that reflects not only the wisdom she’s gained over the years, but also the strength that came out of enduring hardship and devastation… culminating in a spiritual peace that was lacking when she was a child.

Definitely worth reading if this is a subject you’re curious about.