We welcome Zach Larson to our staff…and here is his first Staff Pick!
“Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith” by Jon Krakauer is a fascinating account of the Fundamentalist Mormon (FLDS) church led by Warren Jeffs. At the time this book was published (2003), Jeffs and his polygamous cult were thriving in southern Colorado. Now, Jeffs is serving life in prison for arranging underage marriages and other related charges.
The book goes into a history of the Mormon church from its origins with Joseph Smith in New York to Bringham Young and other famous figures in Utah. “Under the Banner of Heaven” pulls the curtains back on a hidden cult, which sadly involves child abuse, religiously mandated murder of town citizens, and an oppressive lifestyle.
Jon Krakauer is my favorite author, famous for “Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster” and “Into the Wild,” both of which were made into movies. Krakauer is a compelling storyteller, conveying his firsthand research and extensive interviews in an exciting, page-turning manner.
I recommend his other books as well, including “Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman” about the NFL player who went to fight and die in Afghanistan after 9/11/2001. Check out these fantastic Jon Krakauer books and more at the Forest Lodge Library today!
