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Under the Banner of Heaven
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, this extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities. • Now an acclaimed FX limited series streaming on HULU.
“Fantastic.... Right up there with In Cold Blood and The Executioner’s Song.” —San Francisco Chronicle
Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God; some 40,000 people still practice polygamy in these communities.
At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, and unyielding faith. Along the way he uncovers a shadowy offshoot of America’s fastest growing religion, and raises provocative questions about the nature of religious belief.
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Reviews
The writing style is tedious, shifting between historical events and the tragedy on which it centers. I can’t recommend this book when all I wanted was for it to get better, but that never happened. I finished it out of obligation to the time I had already invested in it and was happy for it to end.
By Ozcrome
Maybe a little too bloody and gristly for me. The parallels to todays political and religious climate are striking.
By Joe Bellante
WOW, knew very little about the Mormon church. Had a chance to visit Utah a couple of years ago, I will say I have never met a nicer set of people, really to help and in directions, and explained what we were looking at and it’s history.
By Readingbythesea
Every religion starts as a cult.
By FreethinkerX
The book struggles to provide continuity but the historical revelations about Mormonism and polygamy are worth the read, in my opinion.
By Basswhisperer21