Sister Wife

by Shelley Hrdlitschka

Book Overview

In the isolated rural community of Unity, the people of The Movement live a simple life guided by a set of religious principles and laws that are unique to them. Polygamy is the norm, strict obedience is expected and it is customary for young girls to be assigned to much older husbands.

Celeste was born and raised in Unity, yet she struggles to fit in. Perhaps it's because of Taviana, the girl who has come to live with them and entertains Celeste...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1551439271
• ISBN13: 9781551439273
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.4" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Interesting and Unbiased

This was a quick, interesting, and dramatic read! I really liked that the author let the reader make their own judgment (she didn't spoon-feed any one opinion). I thought the characters were all surprisingly multi-faceted, and the end was satisfying without being too easy. Great book, highly recommended!

Sister Wife: highly recommended...

SISTER WIFE is a gripping tale of three young women who live in the fictional polygamous town of Unity. This ambitious tale takes a look at the polygamous lifestyle, as viewed by three separate narrators. The viewpoint shifts, from chapter to chapter, so readers used to a more straightforward first person, singular viewpoint may find this a somewhat challenging read, but it is well worth the effort. The author does a wonderful job of presenting this polygamous community without ever truly passing judgement. She simply shines a light on the lifestyle that these three girls are growing up and allows us to follow their journey through, around and away from the town of Unity. I was enthralled and captivated by this novel and the truly human focus the author gives us. As I've said, this isn't just the story of a polygamous community - you could get that in a episode of W5. Rather, this leads the reader directly into the minds and hearts of three very different girls who discover just how they need to deal with their situation. I recommend this book highly to both young and old readers alike. It is well worth chewing through. Yours in storytelling, Steve Vernon The Lit Report (Young Adult Novels)

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

In the isolated community of Unity, Celeste and her family live simple, yet structured lives. They are members of the Movement, a religious sect created by a man called the Prophet. In this community, polygamy is widely accepted, strict obedience is expected of all women and children, and young girls are married off to men who are much older than they are. Celeste wishes to be pure of heart, but cannot help asking questions about the world outside of Unity. She also wonders what it would be like to marry for love instead of obligation. Celeste knows that to be a good daughter, she must welcome the Prophet's decisions with open arms, but her growing curiosity won't allow that to happen. Celeste does not wish to bring shame upon her family, but her actions will hurt them more than she intends. I enjoyed this novel because the subject matter is timely, almost as if it were ripped from the headlines of a national newspaper. I also felt that having three different points of view was an excellent idea. Nanette, Celeste's sister, and Taviana, a new disciple of the Movement, discuss their feelings and beliefs within the community while Celeste carries the narrative. These three women have very different experiences within Unity, and yet, they are undoubtedly connected. SISTER WIFE is an interesting look at a polygamous community and how it affects the children within those religious sects. Reviewed by: LadyJay

From S. Krishna's Books

Fundamentalist polygamous sects are becoming more and more popular as a topic of literature in today's society. Shelley Hrdlitschka's Sister Wife capitalizes on this and tells the story of Celeste, a 15-year-old girl who is considered eligible for marriage in the small community she lives in. Though the novel is directed at young adults, people of any age will find this short and simple novel interesting and eye-opening. One thing that struck me about Sister Wife was how open the community of Unity was. From what I have previously read about these sects (both fiction and non-fiction), most of the women in the compounds were barely aware of the world around them. However, Celeste has heard much about the outside world from Taviana, a runaway who has been accepted into the Unity community, and has visited the nearby town and seen the "real world" with her own eyes. I'm not sure how accurate that is (and I have a feeling it isn't very accurate, but I can't say for certain), but it gives Celeste the chance to see that there is more out there than just Unity. The character of Nanette was very unlikeable - she was a bit of a tattler. She claimed that, at thirteen, she was ready for marriage, but displayed no maturity throughout the book. She also had somewhat sexual thoughts which was surprising because I have read elsewhere that many women in these communities aren't even aware of what sex is until their wedding nights. It is also a bit disturbing to read about a thirteen-year-old girl fantasizing about a man the same age as her father. Sister Wife also introduces an interesting notion: that of family loyalty. Celeste debates escaping Unity but can't bring herself to because she loves her family. In this case, it's not that Celeste doesn't know there is something different out there, or that she believes that she will go to hell if she leaves Unity. It is that she will miss her family and would be devastated if they were disgraced by her apostasy. Sister Wife is an easy book to read: despite the serious subject matter, it does not weigh the reader down. It provides an interesting look at a very different way of life and the choices a young girl must make. I recommend this book for young adults as well as adults.

An unbiased look inside a different culture

Celeste was born and raised in Unity, a small community that follows the Movement, a religious lifestyle that practices polygamy and resides without a lot of modern conveniences. She has always had to fight to fit in, whether it be with her huge family, her friends, or even within her religion, always wondering if she were meant to be a wife and mother. At 15, she is set to be assigned to a husband very shortly, a man who will be much older than her, already married to several other women, and a father to many. Celeste is not sure she can be happy within that lifestyle, as her younger sister Nanette has felt she is destined to be a part of. Celeste wishes to rebel against the process, but does not want to bring heartache and shame to her family. Told in alternating voices of Celeste, Nanette, and Taviana, a girl who once lived in the "real world" and stayed for a time in Unity, Sister Wife takes an in-depth look into the life of polygamists and how some women truly believe it is their destiny to be married to a man with other wives and some simply do not. This book is a completely unbiased look into this lifestyle, allowing for the heart of the characters to really flow outward and the message of individuality to come across strongly. Very well-written and filled with realistic and honest characters, Sister Wife is not to be missed, especially after the recent media coverage of the polygamist sect in Texas. This really is an unbiased view, allowing for the real plot to come through. I loved it.