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Lost Boy

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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.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is characterized by a conversational tone that aims for accessibility but occasionally detracts from the overall quality due to awkward phrasing and structure.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative offers a compelling and unique insight into the author's experiences in the FLDS church, highlighting abuse and the family's eventual exodus from the sect.

Setting:

The setting is enriched with details about life in the FLDS community and the stark contrast to the outside world after departure.

Pacing:

The pacing fluctuates, at times feeling uneven, yet it maintains a level of engagement that keeps readers interested.
E very child believes he’s special. But when you are number ten of twenty, with three “sister-mothers”—two of whom are full-blooded sisters—and a grandfather whom thousands of people believe speaks di...

Notes:

Brent Jeffs provides a male perspective on life in the FLDS church, which is often overlooked in other memoirs.
His family left the FLDS church together, which is uncommon as most individuals leave alone.
Brent was sexually abused by his uncle, Warren Jeffs, who was the prophet of the church at the time.
The book reveals new details about Warren Jeffs that were not included in previous accounts of polygamy.
Brent and his brothers repressed memories of their abuse until therapy helped them recover those memories.
Despite facing difficulties, Brent Jeffs managed to find love and happiness after leaving the church.
Brent's mother was supportive of polygamy, even when complex family dynamics arose between the wives.
Brent's family struggled with living polygamy outside the protection of the FLDS, facing various challenges.
The writing style of the book is conversational but critiqued for being unpolished at times.
This memoir contributes to the understanding of the unique challenges faced by boys in the FLDS community, especially when expelled.

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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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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