title: Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife
author: Irene Spencer
genre: autobiography/non fiction
publish date: 2007
pages: 385
first line: I edged sideways down the aisle of the crowded Greyhound, careful not to bump anyone with the bulky brown suitcase, which held my every possession: two or three plain cotton dresses, my undergarments, and toiletries-the sparse but precious contents of my hope chest.
rated: 5 out of 5 stars
Irene Spencer did as she felt God commanded in marrying her brother-in-law Verlan LeBaron, becoming his second wife. Her dramatic story reveals how far religion can be stretched and abused and how one woman and her children found their way out, into truth and redemption.
Shattered Dreams is not the type of book I would normally chose to read.
But after my sister and I watched the episode on Polygamists on Oprah, yes I watch Oprah....my sister bought this book. She read it then insisted that I read it so we can discuss, what in my opinion we've already discussed to death, the Polygamist cult. So I borrowed her book and once I began reading, I was found it hard to put down.
Irene Spencer was born into a polygamist family. Her mother, was the second of her her father's four wives, one of these wives was her own aunt: her mother's sister.
Irene goes on to describe how she and her siblings suffered through extreme poverty. As I was reading this book, set in the 1950's, I pitied Irene and these children. It's so incredible that people live this way, and so unbelieveably sad.
'Our polygamy and our poverty made us different, but it also bonded us to each other, especially as our sense of conspicuousness and persecution heightened. We got on by bare necessitites, sometimes wanting even for those, while the other kids routinely enjoy what we knew were great blessings: a new pair of shoes to start each school year, store-bought clothes now and then, and the acceptance of our teachers, administrators, and one another.
I began to hate school and long for the safety of home.'
At age 16, Irene was married to Verlan LeBaron, a 23 year old polygamist with one wife already...his first wife is Irene's own older sister, Charlotte. Irene moves in with Verlan and Charlotte in a tiny home in Mexico. Now when I say tiny 'home' I mean a shack with mice crawling up the walls at night. Irene is torn between her religon and what she truly wants, to be loved by her husband. Charlotte and Irene have an uncomfortable relationship, having to share a husband. All the while Verlan fears that the authorities will come and arrest him for having two wives, one of which is a minor.
I didn't think I would enjoy this read, but after a few pages, I was hooked. Irene's story was very interesting. It's gots plenty of O-M-G moments, the things Irene goes through are hard to believe. Irene explains the polygamist way of life, and thier way of thinking. She quotes thier bible. So the reader gets a better understanding of how she lived, and what was going on in her mind. Polygamist's follow the 'Principle' also called the 'Celestial Law'. Basically men are to have as many wives and children as they possibly can, this will ensure divine rewards in the afterlife. For them, it's all about future glory in the afterlife. But there is plenty of hypocrisy involved.
'This was one of the more vexing contributions polygamous women were called on to make: the recruitment of new wives to thier husband's households. After all, only so many women were born into the Principle, and each man was commanded to wed as many of them as he could. There was terrible competition.'
Irene lives in poverty most of her life, and it only gets worse once she marries Verlan and he begins to take on more wives. Irene is just 17 when her first child is born and Verlan takes on his second wife. Irene also struggles with feeling unloved, since Verlan spends barely any time with her, there is also alot of jealousy between the wives. It's hard to believe people live this way.
Verlan winds up with 10 wives and 58 children! Each time he takes on a new wife, his last wife is supposed to give his hand away in marriage.
'Meanwhile, I inherited responsibility for Verlan's twenty-five children living in that four-bedroom house.
I had to send fifteen kids off to school every morning. They all wore uniforms I had to keep washed and ironed. Four babies were in diapers, and we couldn't think of buying disposables.
I had to bake twelve loaves of whole whaet bread every other day. I cleaned, served, washed dishes, ironed, and cooked for the whole crowd, plus the many visitors who always seemed to be on hand.'
This was a touching, and inspiring story. Irene ends up having 13 children and adopts one child. She struggles with major depression and such heartache for most of her life.
I'm a firm believer that God helps those who help themselves. And this is what Irene Spencer does, she struggles and gets herself out of this horrible situation.
about the author:
Irene Spencer came from five generations of polygamy. As the second of ten wives, she was the mother of 14 of her husband's 58 children. Her captivating story provides an intimate look at the daily struggles Irene faced as a plural wife.
During her twenty-eight years in a polygamous marriage, Irene gave birth to thirteen children (all single births). Her ninth child was adopted as a newborn daughter.
Irene lives in Anchorage Alaska, with her faithful husband of twenty years, Hector J. Spencer, who never leaves her side. At 84 years of age, Hector travels with Irene, proudly basking in her recent, new-found success. They currently reside in Woodbridge, California with Irene's oldest daughter, where Irene continues to write and work on various projects.
visit the author's website: http://www.irenespencerbooks.com/
