More than true crime

Leah Sottile has spent years immersed in reporting on the Pacific North West and its various extremist movements. I started following her during the standoff in Oregon by Ammon Bundy and his gang. She lives in Oregon and knows her way around these movements. She is also an amazing storyteller. (Google: "Bundyville") With the Vallow-Daybell case, she delves into the origins of Lori and Chad and the influences that brought them to ruin, especially the LDS church. She discusses the church in detail and the various members of their fringe "LDS family" who gathered around Chad the "prophet". These are details that the news doesn't cover well. There is true crime here, of course, but it is also history and important context for their crimes. I recommend it, worth your credit and your time.

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Nothing even slightly new.

I seems like the author watched a couple of YouTube videos and just wrote a book about it.Even though this case has yet to go to trial, nothing in this book is anything you can't find on there news or a podcast. HUGE waste of money.

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Powerful and insightful

Sottile brings a fresh approach to the difficult story of Lori Vallow's children. This book provides history and context for the world that Vallow inhabited. There is so much that needs to be interrogated, and Sottile does so with powerful imagery and a seasoned reporter's pacing and eye for descriptive detail. Highly recommend.

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

The true crime I didn’t know I needed

I’ve been a big fan of Leah’s writing since I listened to the Bundyville podcast and read the accompanying article. I come from the same geographical area so much of the content was familiar to me, but the way she writes about it is just so accessible and brilliantly illustrates some of the core problems festering in the American fringe, which is all-too-quickly becoming the American mainstream.

In When the Moon Turns to Blood, she’s back at it and taking on an angle I’ve not heard before: the fringe of the LDS church. I’m not usually a fan of the true crime genre, but this is so much more than true crime. There’s a certain urgency to the events in this book that are far more applicable to modern life in America than I want to admit. A must read/listen for sure.

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Don’t waste your money. The author could have delved so much further into the story.

This is a lack luster imitation of “Under the banner of heaven.” Avoid this book.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

An excellent compilation & delivery of complex information!

An excellent, thoroughly, deeply researched presentation of the influences that assisted the development of a psyche that could rationalize murdering children.

This is a very, very good compilation of complex information presented in an easy way to digest.

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So many questions answered in this book

This author did her homework! I was completely immersed start to finish. She touched on reasons why smart people get caught up in irrational cults. Very illuminating. Highly recommend to the curious, objective reader.

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Response to some other reviewers

I enjoyed this book very much and looked forward to listening to it after listening to Leah’s podcasts addressing some of the same subject matter. It is clear that the author is thorough in her research and does a wonderful job of searching for answers. Her own opinions and thoughts weave through the story because she is the voice speaking, writing and researching. She is not forcing anyone to agree with her nor is she saying she knows everything. It should be obvious that when an author is writing and speaking in their own voice (using the pronouns I, me, etc), those writings come from their perspective and thus it is their opinion. If we all start to believe that listening to well-researched and well-written material is a waste of time because it doesn’t fit within your specific belief structure, we are certainly in deep trouble. Did I agree with everything Leah said, no, but that is not a reflection on her work.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Boring

This is more like an anti Mormon book. Yes it talks about the case, but focuses more on crazy conspiracies, than the actual case.

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deep dive

outstanding book. makes sense of the craziness. author breaks down the history that led to this terrible crime.