I finished Escape a few days ago and felt a little confused about my feelings over this book. I even All right. We're going an even three on this one.
I finished Escape a few days ago and felt a little confused about my feelings over this book. I even mentioned this in a phone conversation with another writer-friend.
The story is compelling. It would be compelling if it were fiction; the fact that it's true takes it somewhat beyond compelling and into horrifying territory. The FLDS "church" is perpetrating human rights atrocities on American soil, and the government has, until very recent years, turned a blind eye to it because of how much we all like to tip-toe around any time a person starts screaming about their right to the free practice of religion. In a country where religious rights are often far more precious than human rights, is it any wonder that the FLDS have developed a tradition, a memetic heritage, in fact, of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse, all stitched neatly into the doctrines of their twisted faith? Add to that a healthy dose of interstate and international trafficking in children and adults for the purpose of sexual slavery and you've got a story shocking enough to keep anybody engaged to the very end.
The weakness of Escape is in its terrible writing. Truly, it is terrible; it is, I think, the worst I've ever seen in a traditionally published book, just in terms of repeated failure of craft. I tried to be kind and lenient in this regard, at first. Carolyn Jessop was born into a culture that actively hates and fears education. There is no reason to expect her to be an excellent writer, and why should somebody who's already escaped and survived the misery she endured -- and brought eight children out with her -- have to shoulder the extra life burden of learning how to write well?
Jessop doesn't need to be a good writer. But her GHOST WRITER, so prominently involved with the production of this book that her NAME IS ON THE COVER, really ought to do better. I found myself growing increasingly more frustrated with needless repetitions (telling the reader once that sex is the only form of power or currency available to FLDS women was sufficient. Two or three times would have been understandable. I saw this same sentiment expressed, often in the same exact words, at least once per chapter, or so it seemed, and sometimes more than once.) The writing was lackluster beyond mere dullness; if not for the sensationalism of the story I would not have read past the first chapter simply due to the frustration of slogging through the poorly written words. Dull, dull, dull. And sloppy. There is just no reason to repeat the same sentence, verbatim, at both the beginning and the end of a paragraph. Laura Palmer, this is your fault. I lay the blame squarely on you. What did you do to earn your paycheck on this gig? Just put your name on the cover?
Oh, how I would love to read the same story with writing that's even slightly stronger. Even a tiny bit more professional, more conscious, more engaging. It would have been an auto-five-star, no question.
I think it's a very important story. People need to know about the crimes perpetrated by the FLDS. It should be read. But gird up your loins....more
Libbie Hawker
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Books:
autobiography
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