Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (2)
- Arizona (2)
- Arkansas (2)
- California (11)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware (2)
- Florida (3)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois (2)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (3)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (2)
- Maine (5)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (4)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (1)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (3)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (10)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (2)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (4)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (2)
- Utah (3)
- Vermont (3)
- Virginia (3)
- Washington (6)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (1)
- Washington, D.C.* (2)
International:
- Australia (7)
- Canada (4)
- China (Tibet) (1)
- England (19)
- France (3)
- Greece (2)
- Italy (1)
- Japan (1)
- Norway (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (2)
- Vietnam (1)


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge









Thursday, March 03, 2016
Mormon Mentions: Fiona Barton
7:12 AM
If you're not sure what a Mormon is, let alone a Mormon Mention, allow me to explain: My name is Susan and I'm a Mormon (you've seen the commercials, right?). As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon or LDS Church), I'm naturally concerned with how my religion is portrayed in the media. Because this blog is about books, every time I see a reference to Mormonism in a book written by someone who is not a member of my church, I highlight it here. Then, I offer my opinion—my insider's view—of what the author is saying. It's my chance to correct misconceptions, expound on principles of the Gospel, and even to laugh at my (sometimes) crazy Mormon culture.
--
In The Widow, a debut novel by Fiona Barton, Detective Inspector Bob Sparkes is looking into the disappearance of a 2-year-old girl. He and a sergeant knock on the door of a person of interest in the case:
When he [Mike Doonan] cracked open the door onto the walkway, it was not his Good Samaritan neighbor with his Saturday delivery of lager and sliced bread but two men in suits.
"If you're Mormons, I've already got enough ex-wives," he said, and made to close the door."
(quote from Page 77 of uncorrected proofs)
You'd be surprised how many times police procedurals mention detectives knocking on doors being mistaken for Mormon missionaries. It's the clean-cut, suit-wearing thing, apparently. This particular mention, with its not-very-subtle reference to polygamy, made me laugh out loud. Although plural marriage has not been practiced in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the mainstream church is vastly different from its splinter groups, including fundamentalist sects that continue the practice) for over 100 years, the polygamy misconception/stigma remains. Even while I chuckle over this quote, I want to make one thing perfectly clear: members of the modern LDS Church do not practice polygamy. Okay? Okay.
1 comment:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)

Reading
First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong
Listening
Don't Sing at the Table: Life Lessons From My Grandmothers by Adriana Trigiani
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
-
Sunday Salon: December 21, 20263 hours ago
-
Oh William!: Elizabeth Strout4 hours ago
-
Bookshelf Bounty6 hours ago
-
Stacking The Shelves7 hours ago
-
-
Week in Review #5111 hours ago
-
Bookish Quote of the Day!!!17 hours ago
-
-
-
The Storm By Rachel Hawkins21 hours ago
-
-
-
American Fantasy1 day ago
-
Head Cases by John McMahon1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
A Review of A Very Uncanny Christmas2 days ago
-
Unwrapping the Names of Jesus3 days ago
-
-
-
November reading2 weeks ago
-
Happy Thanksgiving!!3 weeks ago
-
-
-
November TBR - pending1 month ago
-
Sorry About the Spam…3 months ago
-
-
No Roundup this month7 months ago
-
Sunday Post #5688 months ago
-
One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery9 months ago
-
-
-
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus1 year ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?2 years ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?3 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ▼ 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction



So glad to see a sense of humour about this, lol!
ReplyDelete