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Favorite Wife

Escape from Polygamy

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Favorite Wife

By: Susan Ray Schmidt
Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
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About this listen

She had no choice in the matter - none of the girls did. Her mission was to give birth to and raise many children in devoted service to a shared husband. Susan was 15 years old when she became the sixth wife of Verlan LeBaron, one of the leaders of a rogue Mormon cult, who was engaged in a blood feud with his brother that from 1972 to 1988 claimed up to two dozen lives.

In this gripping and eloquent book, Susan Ray Schmidt tells the story of growing up on the inside and of her ultimate escape with her children from an oppressive and violent life. Delving more deeply into this mysterious underworld than any previous work, Favorite Wife is a powerful account of the affairs of the heart, coming of age under exceptional circumstances, and the tough choices that are sometimes painfully necessary to preserve human dignity.

Susan Ray Schmidt was once a member of the Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times and the child-bride of polygamist Verlan LeBaron in Colonia LeBaron in Mexico. After eight years of marriage, she left her husband and fled with her five children back to America. She remarried three years later.

©2006 Susan Ray Schmidt (P)2018 Tantor Marriage Mormon Mexico Latin America Cults Nonfiction
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I enjoyed the transparency in this title. All facets shared; the good the bad and the ugly. The journey you take through The Favorite Wife will make you laugh and cry.

insightful,indepth and raw

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Such an interesting story I could not stop listening to it right until the end

Excellent

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If you’re interested in polygamy, you’ll like this story, yes it’s long winded at times but I found it interesting and easy to listen too.

Long story but very interesting

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I very much enjoyed this book, and it is a five star read for me! This is the second book I read on the LeBaron cult, after Anna LeBaron's 'The Polygamist's Daughter' which is written by one of the many daughters of Ervil LeBaron. This book, is written from "the other side" of the family drama, with Susan Ray Schmidt being Ervil's brother, Verlan, sixth wife.

I think what I liked about this was the inclusion of every day life stuff dramatic size her life or make it any more that it was it was filled with humour and tales of friendship and family and just quite a pleasant read.

I am truely glad that both Susan and Irene were able to "escape" polygamy, and I wish that some of Verlan's other wives had been able to escape to.

So good!

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This was a great book. It was very interesting to hear from the author’s early days where she was in agreement with polygamy.

Loved this book. Great way to learn about Mormon history.

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Very interesting book to listen too. The cultures/ cults would be a hard life!! Enjoyed the story

WOW

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The story itself feels a bit Mills and Boon-y only with paedophiles, prophets and poverty not pirates, princesses and palaces. For all that, though it is an interesting yarn. what people will do in the name of their god is; frankly, mindblowing.
The narration is unnecessarily overwrought and detracted from an already emotional story.

What a life!

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