This book felt more like a history lesson than a true crime book. I didn't feel like it was written to capture a fan of true crime and I don't know that it would be particularly successful among the young true crime fans. I wish it felt more like a story than a history class textbook.

This is very much a scholarly work, rather than a more general history, I feel.

Fairly dry book, with a lot of different people - I struggled to keep all the names separate to be honest. I'd previously enjoyed things such as 'Under the Banner of Heaven', so assumed I'd like this. It reads more like someone's doctoral thesis, which means if you're not incredibly into the subject matter, I think you may struggle (as I did). Can't fault it for being painstakingly researched though.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Praying with One Eye Open is the meticulously researched account of the murder of Mormon Elder Joseph Standing by angry mob in the late 19th century Georgia. While this is an event that I had never heard of, author Mary Ella Engel does a fantastic job of setting the historical context of the events leading up to the murder, covering both the Mormon missionary work in Georgia and the religious and economic situation of the native Georgians. Engel's goal is to paint a picture of the social anxiety created by the Mormon missionaries among the population as they worked to convert followers, which in turn created familial separation, especially with women and heads of household. Engel succeeds in replicating this tension, as well as the anti-Mormon sentiment of the time which was centered strongly around the practice of polygamy.

While it's a bit dry at times, it's a short read is recommended for anyone with an interest in meditations on religious freedom and/or Mormonism.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to University of Georgia Press.**