The Book of Mormon Girl: A Memoir of an American Faith (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781451699685)

In her sweet, funny, and impassioned memoir The Book of Mormon Girl, Joanna Brooks sheds light onto one of America's most fascinating but least understood religious traditions.From her days of feeling like "a root beer among the Cokes"--Coca-Cola being a forbidden fruit for Mormon girls like her--Joanna Brooks always understood that being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints set her apart from others. But, in her eyes, that made her special; the devout LDS home she grew up in was filled with love, spirituality, and an emphasis on service. With Marie Osmond as her celebrity role model and plenty of Sunday School teachers to fill in the rest of the details, Joanna felt warmly embraced by the community that was such an integral part of her family. But as she grew older, Joanna began to wrestle with some tenets of her religion, including the Church's stance on women's rights and homosexuality. In 1993, when the Church excommunicated a group of feminists for speaking out about an LDS controversy, Joanna found herself searching for a way to live by the leadings of her heart and the faith she loved. The Book of Mormon Girl is a story about leaving behind the innocence of childhood belief and embracing the complications and heartbreaks that come to every adult life of faith. Joanna's journey through her faith explores a side of the religion that is rarely put on display: its humanity, its tenderness, its humor, its internal struggles. In Joanna's hands, the everyday experience of being a Mormon--without polygamy, without fundamentalism--unfolds in fascinating detail. With its revelations about a faith so often misunderstood and characterized by secrecy, The Book of Mormon Girl is a welcome advocate and necessary guide.

Author: Joanna Brooks
ISBN-10: 1451699689
ISBN-13: 9781451699685
Publisher: Free Press
Language: English
Published: 08/07/2012
Pages: 240
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.45lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.60d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/25/2012 pg. 167
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2012
Booklist 08/01/2012 pg. 8
Library Journal 09/01/2012 pg. 104
Christian Century 10/31/2012 pg. 39