Book Review: Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
Genre: Non-Fiction – True Crime - History
Age: Adult
Format: Paperback
Prior to this book, my knowledge of Mormons was limited – I was vaguely aware of the kind of lifestyles they lead; I knew their leader was Joseph Smith, I’ve heard some of the songs from the musical The Book of Mormon. And I think this kind of level of knowledge is likely common for non-religious British folks. So, this book contained a lot of information and events I was simply completely unaware of.
Krakauer starts by focusing on a horrific crime committed by two Mormon Fundamentalists, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who murdered their sister-in-law and niece. Krakauer then uses these murders to lead into the history of Mormonism, but not before making it clear that the fundamentalists are a separate fraction from the mainstream church, and it’s the fundamentalists who practice polygamy, the mainstream Mormon church having long ago given up the practice. Something Krakauer does really well is explain everything in a clear way; it feels like an assumption the reader is going in with very little knowledge, but not in a way that makes the book feel condescending.
Instead, he builds things up, guiding the reader back and forth, explaining the history of the church, while highlighting interviews with current and former Saints, and often pausing to explain complicated family histories within the Mormon communities, both the ‘mainstream’ church and fundamentalists.
His tone towards the Mormons is often sympathetic balanced with critical, and it’s clear Krakauer has a deep understanding of the culture, history, and issues surrounding it. It’s a fascinating read, and Krakauer doesn’t shy away from any aspect, often infusing parts of the narrative with an almost dry wit that saves the tone from getting too dark (where appropriate), while other aspects are covered with the sense of gravity required from the events being discussed.
This book was a real eye-opener, not just on the fundamentalists and polygamy, but the way the church operates, the founding and persecution early Mormons faced, and the violence baked into this very American religion. It’s really hard to say everything I’d want to about this book in one review, but I will end by saying if you haven’t read this yet, you really, definitely should.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social
I purchased this book.
