Bibliographic
Information
The Chosen One by
Carol Lynch Williams. St. Martin’s Griffin (2010).
Price: $16.95 for hardback; $9.99 for paperback
Pages: 224 for hardback; 240 for paperback
This book was originally published in 2009.
Plot Summary
Thirteen-year-old Kyra loves her mothers, father, and her
nineteen siblings. Although she longs to learn more about the world outside of
their compound she loves her family too much to leave. She also knows that the
Prophet and the God Squad would come after her if she were to try. As such, she
is relatively content to help her mothers with chores while sneaking off to the
mobile library once a week to learn more about the world she cannot live in.
Her peaceful life is soon shattered when the Prophet announces that it is God’s
will that she become the seventh wife of her sixty-year-old Uncle Hyram.
Revolted by his cruelty and age, not to mention his family relationship to her,
Kyra balks at the Prophet’s command and begins searching for a way out of the community.
This proves both difficult and dangerous as other women have tried to run
before only to be caught, dragged back, and beaten. While her father promises
to talk to the Prophet, Kyra knows that it is only a matter of time before she
must marry her uncle. Within a month she must find a way to escape or else die
trying.
Critical
Evaluation
This book is by no means an easy book to read as it
contains multiple horrific events including drowning and killing babies, beating
women and children, murder, and child marriage. Initially, I began listening to
The Chosen One on CD narrated by the wonderful
Jenna Lamia however once I reached the scene where a baby is cruelly punished
for crying I decided that I couldn’t continue on and picked up the physical
version of the text. I was surprised at how much this story affected me as I
read multiple disturbing books for LIBR 267 including ones that depicted rape,
burying people alive, and physical abuse. Despite this, I found that The Chosen One was the one that left me
crying in my car while commuting home even though I had yet to reach the truly
disturbing parts of the novel!
Upon reflection I believe that Williams’ story touched an
emotional chord because of her excellent writing and well-researched premise.
The lies the Prophet and his cronies spread seem quite plausible. Like all
cults, they take an established text (in this case, The Bible) and twist its
words. Ironically, in the name of protecting their followers from Satan they
are themselves carrying out Satan’s work. Anyone who has read even a fraction
of one of the four Gospels knows that Jesus would never condone the work of
these men. For example, the Prophet proclaims that any woman who dies in
childbirth or while pregnant cannot go to heaven (p. 49). Nowhere is this
stated in the Bible just as all the other dangerous nonsense he spouts is false
such as a man needing three wives to enter into heaven (p. 141). However, the
part of the novel that made me cry was the Prophet’s pronouncement that if a
baby is unfit physically or mentally he or she should be put to death. “The
unwhole won’t meet God…those who are lacking here [in the head]…or here
[physically]… or here [spiritually]…do not qualify for the kingdom” he says at
a gathering (p. 21). This is utterly ridiculous as Jesus spent countless hours
among the sick, demon-possessed, and socially ostracized. He is the one who
said to let the little children come to him and whoever wishes to enter the
Kingdom of God should look to the purity of children’s belief. The fact that
the Prophet clearly is twisting the Bible for his own sick purposes filled me
with a sense of outrage, even more so when I know that there are cults out
there where members subscribe to such sentiments as those expressed by the Prophet.
However, while the story is clearly an upsetting one, it
refuses to portray polygamy in a negative light; instead it neutrally presents
the lifestyle choice and leaves the reader to judge it for themselves. For
example, while there are wicked men within The Chosen Ones there are also good
ones as seen in Kyra’s father as well as her first love, Joshua. These men
genuinely care for each of their wives and children and try their best to live
out their faith. True, Williams points out that sharing a husband can be
difficult as is referenced in some of the wives’ discussions but overall
readers feel that the dynamics may be able to work for some people.
In an interview with a blogger and English teacher, Carol
Lynch Williams explained that she conducted quite a bit of research for The Chosen One. Initially inspired to
write the book after hearing about a girl who had tried to run away from her
much older husband multiple times, Williams also utilized interviews, websites,
and news stories to create The Chosen
One. She spoke to people who were currently polygamists as well as those
who used to be polygamists. She studied polygamous cults as well as polygamists
who condemned such cults. Clearly the book is well-researched. The only flaw
with the novel, in my opinion, is all the loose ends at the conclusion of the
book. Sadly, Williams emphatically has stated that a sequel will not be
forthcoming.
To read the entire interview with Carol Lynch Williams
visit this website here.
Reader’s
Annotation
When thirteen-year-old Kyra learns that the Prophet has
decreed that she must marry her sixty-year-old uncle she must find a way out of
The Chosen Ones or die trying.
About the
Author
Carol Lynch Williams has written over twenty-five books.
Her most recent book The Haven is set
to be published in 2013. To learn more about her visit her website here.
Genre
Realistic fiction
Readalikes
Keep Sweet by
Michele Dominguez Greene
·
Also about a teen living in a polygamous cult
Escape by
Carolyn Jessop & Laura Palmer
·
A real-life story about a woman who escaped from
a polygamous cult
The Patron Saint of
Butterflies by Cecelia Galante
·
About two teens in a religious cult
Tags
Abuse, brothers, Christian cults, mobile library, polygamy,
Polygamist cults, sisters, Utah
Awards
Won/Lists On
2009—Association for Mormon Letters Award for Young
Adults
2009—Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult
Fiction
2009—Whitney Award for Youth Fiction
2010—An ALA/YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult
Readers
2010—ALA Best Books for Young Adults
2010—Audie Winner for Solo Narration—Female
2010—Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
2010—Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee
2010—TAYSHAS High School Reading List
2011—Carnegie Medal Nominee
2011—Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award Nominee
2013—Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee
Professional
Reviews
New York Times
(mentioned in article)
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)
School Library Journal
Booktalk Ideas
Kyra’s Life
·
List of siblings (7-8)
·
Wishing the prophet dead (5-6)
·
Marrying uncle (26)
·
Decision—don’t want to leave (135-36)
Kyra’s Secrets
·
What’s out there? The world (86)
·
The books
·
Joshua
Bibliotherapeutic
Usefulness
This book could be used to help those who have left
abusive cults. It could also be used to help others better understand those
cults.
Reading
Level/Interest Level
Reading Level: 3rd grade
Interest Level: 6th grade and up
These levels are according to AR Bookfinder
Challenge
Issues
This book includes the following potentially
controversial elements:
·
Book burning
·
Child marriage
·
Drowning baby
·
Killing babies
·
Murder
·
Polygamy
·
Religious cult
·
Some may feel it falsely portrays Mormonism
although the cult is not Mormon
·
Taking Bible out of context
·
Talk of incest
·
Threats of violence
Librarians can point out that while this is a difficult
book to read it can spark discussions on
religious cults, how cults are formed/maintained, and how to help those who
wish to leave them.
Why Was This
Included?
This book was included because I was interested in both
polygamy and how someone escapes a dangerous cult.
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