Bloggin' 'bout Books: Mormon Mentions: Rae Carson (Part II)

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama

- ~~Alaska~~ (1)

- Arizona

- Arkansas

- ~~California~~ (6)

- ~~Colorado~~ (1)

- ~~Connecticut~~ (1)

- Delaware

- Florida

- ~~Georgia~~ (1)

- Hawaii

- Idaho

- ~~Illinois~~ (1)

- ~~Indiana~~ (1)

- ~~Iowa~~ (1)

- Kansas

- ~~Kentucky~~ (1)

- ~~Louisiana~~ (1)

- ~~Maine~~ (2)

- ~~Maryland~~ (1)

- Massachusetts

- ~~Michigan~~ (2)

- ~~Minnesota~~ (2)

- Mississippi

- Missouri

- Montana

- Nebraska

- Nevada

- New Hampshire

- New Jersey

- New Mexico

- ~~New York~~ (2)

- North Carolina

- North Dakota

- ~~Ohio~~ (2)

- Oklahoma

- ~~Oregon~~ (1)

- Pennsylvania

- ~~Rhode Island~~ (1)

- South Carolina

- ~~South Dakota~~ (1)

- Tennessee

- ~~Texas~~ (2)

- ~~Utah~~ (1)

- ~~Vermont~~ (1)

- ~~Virginia~~ (1)

- ~~Washington~~ (1)

- West Virginia

- ~~Wisconsin~~ (1)

- Wyoming

- Washington, D.C.*

International:

- Australia (2)

- Austria (1)

- Canada (1)

- England (10)

- Ireland (1)

- Italy (1)

- Scotland (1)

- The Bahamas (1)

- Vatican City (1)

Mormon Mentions: Rae Carson (Part II)

1:15 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 first chapter of Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson, Lee and Jefferson talk about going to Mormon Island for supplies. The name, which I'd never heard before, naturally made me curious. I did a little Internet research and this is what I discovered:

In March of 1848, three former members of the Mormon Battalion stopped at the confluence of the north and south forks of the American River near Sacramento, California. There, they found gold. Their discovery brought other settlers to the area. A town grew up on the site; by 1853, more than 2500 people lived on Mormon Island. It had a school, motels, saloons, a winery, a post office, and other small shops. That population dwindled as the Gold Rush waned. When a fire burned down much of the town, it was never rebuilt. By the 1940s, only a few families remained. In the 1950s, the remains of the town were razed to make way for the Folsom Dam. What's left of Mormon Island is now under Folsom Lake. When the water there is very low, however, building foundations and other artifacts from the outskirts of the early settlement can be seen.

*Book cover image from Barnes & Noble; Mormon Lake photos from website for the Folsom Lake Marina

1 comment:

Laura H21 January, 2017 06:04
I wondered about Mormon island too. Thank you for the post!
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add 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!

Books Read in 2026 (asterisks denote favorites)

1. Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane (Jan)
2. When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore (Jan)
3. Atomic Habits by James Clear* [re-read] (Jan)
4. Murder on the Farm by Kate Wells (Jan)
5. Murder at Ochre Court by Alyssa Maxwell (Jan)
6. Not Dead Yet: The Memoir by Phil Collins* [audio] (Feb))
7. The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen (Feb)
8. The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers (Feb)
9. One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day (Feb)
10. A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard (Feb)
11. Bluebird by Sharon Cameron* [re-read] (Feb)
12. The Lake Escape by Jamie Day (Feb)
13. Treacherous is the Night by Anna Lee Huber [audio] (Feb)
14. The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly (Feb)
15. The Missing by Kristen Landon (Feb)
16. Dark and Bright by Catherine Lyon (Feb)
17. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown* [audio] (Feb)
18. Boiled Over by Barbara Ross (Feb)
19. Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O'Connor (Feb)
20. Coach by Jason Reynolds* [audio] (Feb)
21. The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey (Feb)
22. The Claiming by Jasmine Warga (Feb)
23. Dark and Deep by Catherine Lyon (Feb)
24. Ours is a Tale of Murder by Nora Murphy (Feb)
25. Zoom With a View by Jess Cannon (Feb)
26. The Nowhere Child by Christian White (Feb)
27. An Ordinary Kind of Evil by Kelley Armstrong* (Feb)
28. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater (Feb)
29. Murder at 30,000 Feet by Susan Walter (Feb)
30. Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (Feb)
31. You Were Always Mine by Nicole Baart [audio] (Feb)
32. In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann (Mar)
33. A Lie for a Lie by Ren DeStefano (Mar)
34. Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton [audio] (Mar)
35. Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns [audio] (Mar)
36. Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon (Mar)
37. Death at the Dinner Party by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Mar)
38. The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives by Elizabeth Arnott (Mar)
39. A Holiday Homicide by Elile Alexander [audio] (Mar)
40. Summer's Never Over by Darby Bozeman (Mar)
41. The Body in the Woods by April Henry [audio] (Mar)
42. Every Borrowed Beat by Erin Stewart (Mar)
43. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (Mar)
44. Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen (Mar)
45. This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone by Catherine Mack (Mar)
46. A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Mar)
47. Rock-Solid Relationships: Strengthening Personal Relationships With Wisdom from the Scriptures by Wendy Watson (Apr)
48. A Body at the Book Fair by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Apr)
49. Our Marriage is Murder by Carol Goodman (Apr)
50. A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee (Apr)
51. Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce [re-read] [audio] (Apr)
52. Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker (Apr)

Search This Blog

2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

My Progress:

2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

My Progress:

Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2026 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2026 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress

2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress

Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)

My Progress:

2026 Countdown Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2026 Series Reading Challenge

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

My Progress:

2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)

My Progress:

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

My Progress:

European Reading Challenge 2026

My Progress:

2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)

My Progress:

2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:

Mormon Mentions: Rae Carson (Part II)

1 comment:

Readin'

Listenin'

Followin' with Bloglovin'

Followin' with Feedly

Grab my Button!

Blog Design by:

Blog Archive

2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge

2026 Reading Challenge

2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

Books Read in 2026 (asterisks denote favorites)