Who Would Like This Book:
This memoir offers a rare, unfiltered look at life inside the FLDS from a male perspective - a refreshing twist, since most polygamy memoirs focus on women's experiences. Brent Jeffs, born into FLDS 'royalty,' tells his story with honesty and emotional depth, shining a light on both the loyalty and trauma that mark lives in such insular communities. True crime fans, those interested in cults, non-fiction buffs, and anyone curious about the hidden realities behind closed religious groups will be hooked. If you liked 'Big Love' or 'Under the Banner of Heaven,' this is definitely worth a read!
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers found the writing style overly conversational, unpolished, or lacking literary finesse, which occasionally distracted from the gravity of the subject matter. If you prefer memoirs with elegant prose or deep introspective analysis, this book may feel too straightforward or even a bit repetitive. Parts of the story are deeply disturbing and graphic, so it might not be suitable for those sensitive to abuse or trauma narratives.
About:
Brent Jeffs gives a harrowing account of his experience growing up in and later leaving the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). His recollection of events that took place in his polygamous family provided insight into the struggles a household with more than one wife might face. Brent also explains why boys, even those from privileged FLDS families, are not guaranteed a spot in church leadership and that many are kicked out of the church and abandoned by their families, only to become lost boys. Brent tells his story with the assistance of Maia Szalavitz, and her style makes the book compelling to read and easy to follow. The book details Brent's upbringing in the FLDS, the sexual abuse he suffered as a child, and his struggles with addiction and leaving the church.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Triggers and content warnings for 'Lost Boy' include descriptions of child abuse, sexual abuse, trauma, drug and alcohol abuse, and abandonment.
From The Publisher:
In the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), girls can become valuable property as plural wives, but boys are expendable, even a liability. In this powerful and heartbreaking account, former FLDS member Brent Jeffs reveals both the terror and the love he experienced growing up on his prophet's compound-and the harsh exile existence that so many boys face once they have been expelled by the sect.
Brent Jeffs is the nephew of Warren Jeffs, the imprisoned leader of the FLDS. The son of a prominent family in the church, Brent could have grown up to have multiple wives of his own and significant power in the 10,000-strong community. But he knew that behind the group's pious public image-women in chaste dresses carrying babies on their hips-lay a much darker reality. So he walked away, and was the first to file a sexual-abuse lawsuit against his uncle. Now Brent shares his courageous story and that of many other young men who have become "lost boys" when they leave the FLDS, either by choice or by expulsion.
Brent experienced firsthand the absolute power that church leaders wield-the kind of power that corrupts and perverts those who will do anything to maintain it. Once young men no longer belong to the church, they are cast out into a world for which they are utterly unprepared. More often than not, they succumb to the temptations of alcohol and other drugs.
Tragically, Brent lost two of his brothers in this struggle, one to suicide, the other to overdose. In this book he shows that lost boys can triumph and that abuse and trauma can be overcome, and he hopes that readers will be inspired to help former FLDS members find their way in the world.
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What can you read after
Lost Boy?
About the Author:
Maia Szalavitz is the coauthor, with Joseph Volpicelli, M.D., of Recovery Options: The Complete Guide and has written for The…
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