Escape by Laura Palmer and Carolyn Jessop (2007, Hardcover)

the book was fascinating reading. carolyn is bright, sensitive, and was seriously screwed up from her destructive and abusive childhood, and then in a marriage to a controlling idiot. in fact, the whole town she grew up in are irreversibly brainwashed. the mormon(LDS) church, is a far cry from the FLDS. my concern with carolyns writing is that she often leaves the reader thinking that the FLDS and the LDS church are "cousins", and very much alike in doctrine and practice. perhaps in her mind this is true, because she lived in an alien world, with other brainwashed people who are NOTHING like the mainstream LDS church, which is everywhere and full of intelligent, educated people who encourage questioning and free thinking. carolyn had none of those normal customs and virtues. the tale of the abuse she suffered at the hands of a childs most trusted care givers, being her parents, teachers, clergy and so-called government officials was too heinous and inhumane to be anything but the truth. while reading it, i often had to put the book away because her intolerable suffering confusion and bewilderment made me physically ill. i was haunted that the atrocities she and others endured and are still enduring right under our noses, and society allows it in the name of "freedom of religion". how this courageous lady escaped this diseased and disgraceful lifestyle, with 8 equally damaged children in tow, is incomprehensible to anyone living in a "normal", non-patriarchal time and place. carolyn describes her very real risk and possibly even lethal consequences of leaving her virtual prison in such a way that the reader can feel her panic and terror, while risking the loss of her children to this cult that masks itself as religion. if i sound like a religious bigot, read this book and decide for yourself. i applaud carolyn and the people who help to rescue those enmeshed in this dangerous prison of the mind and soul, and expose this cult for what it is still doing. carolyn is a survivor in every sense of the word. she wrote an eloquent, matter of fact story that will leave you breathless, engaged, and relieved at the long awaited freedom that this author finally has achieved for herself and her posterity.

Carolyn writes her story fluidly. She tells the inner most working of the FLDS going into important details that helps people on the outside of this cult understand and enable them to believe the horrible life of the women and children in this cult. Written in clear detail and dealing with not only the gut wrenching stories of abuse and neglect, but her inner most thoughts and plans on escaping life as a slave of these people.

Carolyn becomes alive in this book, her children become tangible in the minds of the reader. The horrors of this cult living in our United States under the auspices of the freedom of the Constitution is exposed. Anyone reading this will come to understand why the state of Texas would want to take the children away from those trapped within. Abuse is alive and well and well hidden in the FLDS.

Carolyn details how fear, control of information, brute strength, members telling on one another, the from birth indoctrination, male dominance, scripture twisting, physical and emotional and sexual abuse create the prison in which she found herself. Her courageous journey out of the cult is a victorious testimony. She was able to leave a most powerful man, succeed and begin a new life with her children. One can only begin to understand her journey, if one has not lived it.

Her well documented and well written journey is one that I will never forget. As a woman and author and as a survivor Carolyn has a lot to offer this world outside the cult. I encourage anyone that has any doubts as to if the FLDS is a religion or a cult read this book before making your final decision as to the answer of that question.

Carolyn writes with frank innocence a story that every American should read. This book went to press before the Texas incident. If every American really knew the facts as presented by Carolyn, the outcome for those children might be better. As time goes on, I only hope more people read this story.

I had to own it after I read the library copy. I wanted it for my private library.

I first heard about this book on Oprah and her story totally fascinated me on that show, so I had to go out and buy the book and I just finished reading this wonderful book. I could not lay it down until I had finished the whole book. I read it in less than 24 hrs and it was not a short book either. It was so detailed about Carolyn Jessop's life in Warren Jeff's world. This reveals what it really was like to be controlled by him. Women were property and only the men had any rights. At age 18, Carolyn became the fourth wife of Merril Jessop and he had his favorite wife which was NOT Carolyn. He was both cold and abusive and he allowed his favorite wife to have control of the other wives and their children. The children of the other wives were severely abused by her. She also found every little thing that the other wives did wrong and she would report it back to her husband and she delighted in doing it too.

It is amazing that she was able to get a degree and slowly came out of the fog that she lived in and ESCAPED from her abusive husband and Warren Jeffs power hungry grip. If you are at all curious about Warren Jeffs, then this is a real eye-opener for sure. This gives you a front row seat to the real Warren Jeffs or maybe you are just curious about the life of the families under Warren Jeff's leadership. It is so detailed from the simple things to the marriage bed. Nothing is held back in this book.

It reads like a novel because it absolutely seems impossible that anything that is real could be more frightening than what occured to this poor girl, but every word of it is absolutely true.

I am adding this information as of 4-10-08 and I am totally shocked at all the things that have happened since I wrote this review. Everything I read in the book has been substantiated since the raid on the compound in Texas. The abuse, brainwashing, beatings, fear is supported in this book.

This is one of the best if not the best writing of a book i have ever read by a woman who lived her life in what I consider pure torture. She describes everything so clearly and respectfully, despite her daily torture. There is also very little judgement toward her husband and situation. If anyone would like to read about, what I consider the closest account of someone suffering in the hands of polygamy (which is evil), this is the book to read. I bought it because at a spiritual conference I gave away my copy to someone who really wanted it, knowing I could get another. I had only read through the first half and was excited to finish reading. I have finished it at this time and recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading non fiction about the different things that go on in our world.

It is difficult to imagine this type of life exists. Carolyn was and is one intelligent and brave woman! It is truly amazing how she managed to escape and with all of her children too. What a wonderful mother! She certainly deserves a good life! I purchased the book due to all the controversy that exists in the news today. I'm very glad I did as a lot of my questions were answered while reading this excellent book.