Book Review: The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith

The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith by Joanna Brooks

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I wanted to like this book more than I did.  The first half was describing what it was like for her growing up as a Mormon.  I guess I was expecting it to be a little bit more interesting.  And while there were a lot of "that's so true" or "oh yeah, I did that", I don't know I just didn't find that reading about it was that enjoyable.  Just "eh".  Although the chapter about the Marie Osmond book was good.  A great telling if what it's like when your 12 years old.  Also, I liked how she pointed out how the young girls image of the perfect Mormon woman (Marie Osmond) is really just an illusion.  That crushing pressure to be the PERFECT Mormon and the PERFECT woman is a very dangerous thing that is VERY prevalent in the church, especially in Utah.



The second half of the book kind of took a turn I didn't expect.  Brooks ends up leaving the church after the church declared feminists, intellectuals, and gays & lesbians to be its enemies.  It was very hard for Brooks being a feminist to see her mentor's get fired from BYU for speaking out against it and being feminists.  I REALLY admire her courage to stand up for what she knows to be right, even though it meant leaving her beloved church.  She still loves the church and it's traditions and wants to be a part of it.  I liked how she kept talking about the church of her grandparents and the church of today and how she will hold onto and keep her faith in the church of her grandparents. 

I love that she is wise enough to take all the good she sees in it and leave what she sees as the bad.  She doesn't have to throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak.  So many people find one fault or one mistake and they have to completely run away from it and fight tooth and nail against it.  Brooks doesn't do that.  She just does what she has been taught all her life (even taught by the church) and that is standing up for what she believes to be right.



I think why I really just didn't love this book was her writing style.  It just tried too hard to be poetic and romantic. Quite a few times I hard a hard time following the actual story or message because I just got lost in the language and didn't get her metaphors and simile's.



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