Book Reviews
…she seems to see the
horrible as the not so bad,
demonstrating how the mind
can accept cognitive dissonance
and remain locked in a self-
preserving worldview.
Property: The True Story
of a Polygamous Church
Wife
By Carol Christie, with John Christie
Dundurn: Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 2013. ISBN-10:
9781459709768 ISBN-13: 978-1459709768 (paperback). 160
pages. $11.59 (Amazon.com $6.15, Kindle)
Reviewed by Andrea Moore-Emmett
Author Carol Christie begins this short tome about her escape
from a polygamous cult with an out-of-sequence moment
that eventually weaves into a chronological but incongruous
narrative. Black-and-white photos in the middle pages include
the author’s early childhood and her happy new life “on the
outside” after leaving the group. Only one photo, which is also
used for the cover art, allows a visual glimpse into Christie’s
main thesis.
Throughout the book, Christie shows respect to both self-
ascribed prophets involved in her story by using a capital to
begin all pronouns that reference them. Thus, the two men
who stole nearly four decades of her life are given continued
deference with the capitalized He, Him, Himself, and His. This is
a disconcerting aspect of the book, but not the only one the
reader encounters.
Christie writes that she did not finish high school and was
raised by a religiously fanatical and controlling mother and
a barely-there father. The family’s religious affiliation jumped
from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints, to Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints), and finally to The Church of Jesus Christ Restored in
Ontario, Canada.
Christie alludes to a “restoration movement” within Mormonism
to explain how the last group came about. She dates this
occurrence at 1972, which may be the date this particular group
was established. Factions have occurred throughout Mormon
Church history however, notable restoration movements have
occurred only during two significant periods. The first period
was during the late 1880s through the early 1900s when
doctrine on polygamy changed in order for the Utah Territory to
gain statehood. Within a series of convoluted events over those
tumultuous years, Mormon fundamentalist polygamist groups
were formed based on the belief that polygamy was essential
for “immortal glory” (Van Wagoner, 1989, p. 143). The second
and most contemporary disaffection occurred in 1978 when
the Mormon Church’s First Presidency announced a change in
doctrine with regard to race. This new policy allowed Mormon
men of African descent the right to male priesthood, and also
temple access to all “worthy” African-descended Mormons. This
shift troubled many members, who were told repeatedly that
those individuals would be not be included in full fellowship as
long as “time endures” (Tanner, 1980, p. 292).
It is within Christie’s involvement in The Church of Jesus Christ
Restored, a splinter group of the Mormon Church located in
Ontario, Canada, that most of Property… is concerned. While
in her early twenties, the obedient Christie is delivered to the
leader as a new plural wife by her equally obedient mother. In
the book, Christie furtively reveals, but does not acknowledge,
that the leader raped her. “I was terrified the first time… My
wishes, however, did not enter into the picture at all” (p. 41).
She then recounts how the leader later became interested in
group sex with his numerous wives. “…indulging in the sex act
with me alone was not enough” (p. 42) … “Several times, there
were up to five women in bed with Him all at once…” (p. 46).
She does not tell the reader how many wives eventually made
up this harem however, early on she says there were eight and
later mentions that numerous additional underage girls had
been added.
The contradictions the author makes between her fond
memories and her harrowing experiences collide and veer back
and forth as she reminisces fondly of the first leader: “He also
had a kind and generous side” (p. 69). Then she writes,
“…the other women and I were nothing short of sex slaves…”
(p. 46). She writes highly and lovingly of the man who, several
pages earlier, she outs as having taken a 10-year-old bride:
“His compassion for people in need was, at times, awesome…”
(p. 69). She then observes, “We were at the beck and call of
the Man in Charge, and woe unto you if you were ever less
than obedient, and less than prompt in your response to His
requests” (p. 71).
In this book, written only 4 years after she left the cult in
which she had lived for 37 years, Christie writes of her dark
past while she is in the midst of a new romance. Somewhere
within her and outside of time and place, she seems to see
the horrible as the not so bad, demonstrating how the mind
can accept cognitive dissonance and remain locked in a self-
preserving worldview. This is a victim’s account, and perhaps
it is in contrast to the sadistic second prophet that Christie’s
inner contradictions about the first leader took hold while
she struggled to conform and survive. Also, in my numerous
26 ICSA TODAY
…she seems to see the
horrible as the not so bad,
demonstrating how the mind
can accept cognitive dissonance
and remain locked in a self-
preserving worldview.
Property: The True Story
of a Polygamous Church
Wife
By Carol Christie, with John Christie
Dundurn: Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 2013. ISBN-10:
9781459709768 ISBN-13: 978-1459709768 (paperback). 160
pages. $11.59 (Amazon.com $6.15, Kindle)
Reviewed by Andrea Moore-Emmett
Author Carol Christie begins this short tome about her escape
from a polygamous cult with an out-of-sequence moment
that eventually weaves into a chronological but incongruous
narrative. Black-and-white photos in the middle pages include
the author’s early childhood and her happy new life “on the
outside” after leaving the group. Only one photo, which is also
used for the cover art, allows a visual glimpse into Christie’s
main thesis.
Throughout the book, Christie shows respect to both self-
ascribed prophets involved in her story by using a capital to
begin all pronouns that reference them. Thus, the two men
who stole nearly four decades of her life are given continued
deference with the capitalized He, Him, Himself, and His. This is
a disconcerting aspect of the book, but not the only one the
reader encounters.
Christie writes that she did not finish high school and was
raised by a religiously fanatical and controlling mother and
a barely-there father. The family’s religious affiliation jumped
from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints, to Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints), and finally to The Church of Jesus Christ Restored in
Ontario, Canada.
Christie alludes to a “restoration movement” within Mormonism
to explain how the last group came about. She dates this
occurrence at 1972, which may be the date this particular group
was established. Factions have occurred throughout Mormon
Church history however, notable restoration movements have
occurred only during two significant periods. The first period
was during the late 1880s through the early 1900s when
doctrine on polygamy changed in order for the Utah Territory to
gain statehood. Within a series of convoluted events over those
tumultuous years, Mormon fundamentalist polygamist groups
were formed based on the belief that polygamy was essential
for “immortal glory” (Van Wagoner, 1989, p. 143). The second
and most contemporary disaffection occurred in 1978 when
the Mormon Church’s First Presidency announced a change in
doctrine with regard to race. This new policy allowed Mormon
men of African descent the right to male priesthood, and also
temple access to all “worthy” African-descended Mormons. This
shift troubled many members, who were told repeatedly that
those individuals would be not be included in full fellowship as
long as “time endures” (Tanner, 1980, p. 292).
It is within Christie’s involvement in The Church of Jesus Christ
Restored, a splinter group of the Mormon Church located in
Ontario, Canada, that most of Property… is concerned. While
in her early twenties, the obedient Christie is delivered to the
leader as a new plural wife by her equally obedient mother. In
the book, Christie furtively reveals, but does not acknowledge,
that the leader raped her. “I was terrified the first time… My
wishes, however, did not enter into the picture at all” (p. 41).
She then recounts how the leader later became interested in
group sex with his numerous wives. “…indulging in the sex act
with me alone was not enough” (p. 42) … “Several times, there
were up to five women in bed with Him all at once…” (p. 46).
She does not tell the reader how many wives eventually made
up this harem however, early on she says there were eight and
later mentions that numerous additional underage girls had
been added.
The contradictions the author makes between her fond
memories and her harrowing experiences collide and veer back
and forth as she reminisces fondly of the first leader: “He also
had a kind and generous side” (p. 69). Then she writes,
“…the other women and I were nothing short of sex slaves…”
(p. 46). She writes highly and lovingly of the man who, several
pages earlier, she outs as having taken a 10-year-old bride:
“His compassion for people in need was, at times, awesome…”
(p. 69). She then observes, “We were at the beck and call of
the Man in Charge, and woe unto you if you were ever less
than obedient, and less than prompt in your response to His
requests” (p. 71).
In this book, written only 4 years after she left the cult in
which she had lived for 37 years, Christie writes of her dark
past while she is in the midst of a new romance. Somewhere
within her and outside of time and place, she seems to see
the horrible as the not so bad, demonstrating how the mind
can accept cognitive dissonance and remain locked in a self-
preserving worldview. This is a victim’s account, and perhaps
it is in contrast to the sadistic second prophet that Christie’s
inner contradictions about the first leader took hold while
she struggled to conform and survive. Also, in my numerous
26 ICSA TODAY
