The story of Carolyn Jessop- a plural wife who, with her 6 children, escaped the compound before they moved to Texas- gave me not only an amazing inside look at the life in the FDLS community, but also made clear what an amazingly strong, courageous woman she is.  It's a quick read, but alternately intriguing and heart breaking.  I didn't find it exploitative- as I'm sure the upcoming novels and made-for-tv-movies will be- I just found it inspiring.

The result has been that I now feel like I have a friend who lived this life, making the news stories even more heartwrenching.  These girls and woman believe that their lives- both earthly and eternal- have been destroyed by removal from the complex.  Many are 3rd generation (or more) members of this community.  They must truly feel as though they've lost everything, that they can trust no one,and that there is no hope.  I can't imagine that kind of displacement in my own life, but feel at least that I can begin to grasp their difficulty after reading this book.