I decided to give this book a go after reading Into the Wild (which I absolutely loved). I knew the subject matter of this book was disturbing, but I tried to get through it anyway. I could not. I did not get past page 12. I put the book down and I have no intentions of ever finishing it.

I do give the book 2 stars just because Jon Krakauer is a good author (in my opinion). ( )

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer is a 2004 Anchor publication.

I just finished the Hulu limited series of the same name as this book. That show is definitely a fictional dramatization- but is based on this book, which is often labeled a ‘true crime’. So, once I finished the series, I wanted to read this book to get the full, true account of the murder of Brenda Lafferty and her fifteen-month-old daughter by her own brothers-in-law.

Unfortunately, though the title of the book hints of a true crime book, what one actually gets is a long, long, detailed history of Mormonism.

Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with that if that is what you were looking for. I did find it fascinating on occasion, but I grew weary of it because that was not why I picked this book up. What I was wanting was a sharper focus on the Lafferty crime, but it mostly ran in the background.

So, if you are interested in Morman history this is a book you’ll want to consider. I have no doubt the book is well-researched, but I’d also take the time to read a few books he used as sources, as well.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a book specifically about the Lafferty crime, you might look to see if anyone else has written a book about that crime, in particular. I do think to understand the situation, some history or insights into Mormonism must be a part of the book, but it doesn’t need to overpower the particulars of this sect.

Overall, this book was not exactly what I was expecting. Once it became obvious that the book was more history than true crime I skipped over whole chapters, feeling I had gotten the point and didn’t need to absorb more historical facts and only read the sections that pertained to Brenda’s murder and the subsequent trial of the Lafferty brothers.

While the book is very comprehensive, well-researched, and well-written, it simply did not deliver what I had ordered- or thought I had ordered, I guess I should say. Should I lower my rating because of that? That’s a hard choice to make- so let me clear that there wasn’t anything wrong with the writing, organization, or the content so from a critically thinking standpoint its an easy 4+ stars- but from a personal perspective, it’s only a three-star experience. So, I’m going to give it 3.5 stars. Round up or down? UGH. I’m on the fence, but I really do have to round up simply because of the obvious effort the put into the book.

3.5 stars rounded up. ( )

Last minute grab for a book club, so I listened to the audio book, and it was a struggle. ( )

1st edition ( )

SO GOOD. I love a well written nonfiction, especially one with a culture other than what I live in, and this one delivered! Extra points for historical context throughout. This is definitely a book I will reread. ( )