Women of principle : female networking in contemporary Mormon polygyny /

In Women of Principle Bennion (Univ. of Maine) examines at close range life in a polygynous Mormon community (the Apostolic United Brethren, later renamed the Allred group); she persuasively challenges predominant stereotypes about women's experience in patriarchal religions. Although this book originates from a 1996 PhD thesis at the University of Utah (a five-year study of male-female relations in a polygynous Mormon sect), it suffers from none of the flaws commonly associated with dissertations transformed into books. Women of Principle is brisk, lively, and engrossing. Bennion's composite profiles are skillfully crafted to leave readers with a minutely detailed portrait of daily life in the Allred group; they create a deep sense of empathy with the women encountered in the text. Bennion's use of cross-cultural comparisons (e.g., to the Masai in Kenya) properly situates her study in its larger context. This book explores why women are drawn to the Allred community and how Mormon spirituality directly impinges on members' perspectives on human relationships. When Bennion concludes that "it is monogamy that is in need of explanation, not polygamy," attentive readers cannot help but see what she means. Recommended for general readers and all academic levels. D. Campbell; Colby College