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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 289.3092
EAN: 9780739496343
ISBN: 0061628018
Label: William Morrow
Manufacturer: William Morrow
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 448
Publication Date: May 13, 2008
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: May 13, 2008
Studio: William Morrow

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:


In September 2007, a packed courtroom in St. George, Utah, sat hushed as Elissa Wall, the star witness against polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs, gave captivating testimony of how Jeffs forced her to marry her first cousin at age fourteen. This harrowing and vivid account proved to be the most compelling evidence against Jeffs, showing the harsh realities of this closed community and the lengths to which Jeffs went in order to control the sect's women.



Now, in this courageous memoir, Elissa Wall tells the incredible and inspirational story of how she emerged from the confines of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and helped bring one of America's most notorious criminals to justice. Offering a child's perspective on life in the FLDS, Wall discusses her tumultuous youth, explaining how her family's turbulent past intersected with her strong will and identified her as a girl who needed to be controlled through marriage. Detailing how Warren Jeffs's influence over the church twisted its already rigid beliefs in dangerous new directions, Wall portrays the inescapable mind-set and unrelenting pressure that forced her to wed despite her repeated protests that she was too young.



Once she was married, Wall's childhood shattered as she was obligated to follow Jeffs's directives and submit to her husband in "mind, body, and soul." With little money and no knowledge of the outside world, she was trapped and forced to endure the pain and abuse of her loveless relationship, which eventually pushed her to spend nights sleeping in her truck rather than face the tormentor in her bed.



Yet even in those bleak times, she retained a sliver of hope that one day she would find a way out, and one snowy night that came in the form of a rugged stranger named Lamont Barlow. Their chance encounter set in motion a friendship and eventual romance that gave her the strength she needed to break free from her past and sever the chains of the church.



But though she was out of the FLDS, Wall would still have to face Jeffs—this time in court. In Stolen Innocence, she delves into the difficult months on the outside that led her to come forward against him, working with prosecutors on one of the biggest criminal cases in Utah's history, so that other girls still inside the church might be spared her cruel fate.



More than a tale of survival and freedom, Stolen Innocence is the story of one heroic woman who stood up for what was right and reclaimed her life.






Rating: - Truley A Must Read
Stolen innonence is an excellent book, I am not big reader but I could not put this particular book down. I felt so bad for Elissa and everything that warren Jeffs put her through. She was always told to keep sweet. and she did until she got older and finally realized that the lifestyle that she had been taught all her of her life was not the right way to live. Men do not share women. To have to grow up in a house hold with many mothers and then to become a teenage bride on top of that. I am ... Read More

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Rating: - What an excellent book of a remarkable story!
A few months ago I went shopping and saw this book. I remembered the raid that had happened not to long ago in Texas and I was curious about this book. Not being someone who ever really enjoyed reading I decided not to get it since I most likely wouldn't finish it. From then until around Christmas time all I could think about was that I should've grabbed this book and attempted to get through it. The problem now was that I couldn't find it! My mother had asked me what I wanted for Christmas this ... Read More

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Rating: - tells a horrific story with grace and confidence
Either Ellissa Wall is a naturally gifted writer, or else she had an amazing team of editors behind her because this story is really well-written. Not only is the story a compelling read, the writing makes it easy to read as well. Often, tell-all auto-biographies are poorly written, which make the story feel disconnected and disjointed but this is not the case for this book.

It's so hard for outsiders to the FDLS to understand their mindset but Ellissa Wall offers such grace to members ... Read More

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Rating: - A GREAT Read!
This story is quite a page turner. I was horrified at the conditions in which this poor girl grew up, and couldn't help but wonder "what will happen next"? It is a powerful story of faith, determination and the will to follow your heart.

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Rating: - Very good book
This is a good book and gives us the insights of what actually goes on in the polygamous sect

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