“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. “ First Amendment to the United States Constitution

In a land that values its freedoms and rights where do we draw the line? For the library staff’s summer reading program this year, we were able to read books on the topic of our choice. The topic I chose has recently been in the news quite a bit and tends to ruffle feathers: Polygamy.

The Chosen One by Carol Williams is a young adult fiction book that gives a realistic voice to thirteen-year-old Kyra. Kyra finds herself with two great forbidden loves- one for books the other for a boy her own age, Joshua. Kyra must make a heartbreaking choice that had me sitting just a few extra minutes to learn what happened next.

Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka is a unique look at beliefs, family and outsiders. Told in alternating voices of Celeste, Nanette, and Taviana, each girl must abide by strict guidelines that influence every aspect of their lives. Celeste and Nanette are sisters that have never known anything outside of the Movement, while Taviana, who is from the outside world, has only been with them for a little while. These three girls will come to influence each other’s lives in so many unthinkable ways.

Lost Boy by Brent Jeffs, adult nonfiction, is a different take on the entire situation! I’m so glad I read this book as one of my selections. For girls in the FLDS, their future is out of their hands. They are told by the prophet who they will marry, essentially become their husband’s property, and are even told this is their only way into heaven. Learning about Brent’s experience with the FLDS made it slightly easier to understand the mind-set of the males involved. I highly recommend this triumphant book about overcoming and staying strong.

Keep Sweet, written by Michele Greene, is a young adult fiction book that tells of Alva Jane, who is content with the strict rules that define her life in the walled community where she lives with her father, his seven wives, and her twenty-eight siblings. But when Alva is caught in an innocent kiss with the boy she loves, everything changes. When she is beaten and faces marriage to a violent, fifty-year-old man, Alva must make the decision of her life.

Church of Lies by Flora Jessop is an adult nonfiction book that stunned and enraged me! Flora lived life on the inside of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS). She tells of her journey from an abused child to a leader in a modern day underground railroad of sorts.

Nancy works as a Library Assistant at the Milford-Miami Twp. Branch.