I've read several novels that deal with polygamy and always found them interesting so I was drawn to this novel about a mother and her two teenage daughters who are fleeing from their polygamous compound. Amarenth was one of fifty wives, but decided to flee her husband when she finds proof that her husband is not as honorable and honest as she once thought. Yet her daughters Amity and Sorrow have never known a life outside of polygamy - they cannot read, they have never heard of a map, and have never seen a working television. "No phone, no electricity. They cooked with propane and heated their house and outbuildings with wood from their forests. They weren't on the grid." The family ends up with farmer Bradley after wreaking their car in Oklahoma, and struggle to adjust to life after the compound.

I had a hard time connecting with the characters of this book, in part because this is written in a sort of dreamy language that alludes to its meaning rather than clarifying intent. Amaranth, previously called Amy, fell into the life of polygamy as a desperate and lonely teenager, who was tricked by her husband. She seems to fall for the polygamous life by degrees and inches, until the final straw forces her to confront the reality of what her life has become; "Who was her husband, who claimed to be God? Who was her child to believe him? Who was she to have sanctioned this when it all started so long ago, back when their faith was made of charity and compassion, a dream of creating a family for women who had no one? How had love led them here?"

Most distasteful is Sorrow, who fights her mother every step of the way in her attempt to be reunited with her father. Sorrow believes herself to an oracle and a chosen one. Sorrow is unforgivable in her willingness to hurt anyone that stands in her way, including her sister. Although Sorrow deserves some leeway because she simply longs for the only life she has ever known, her ruthlessness is unwarranted. I wondered the whole book how Amity, but especially Sorrow, could ever have a normal life after the childhood they had experienced. On the other hand, this seems more possible for Amity who is willing to break what were formerly rules in her old life and wishes to explore the new world she finds herself in.

All in all, I found the characterization in this weak and the relationships stilted. The use of flashbacks helped clarify details about why these women were fleeing, but I found the narrative style too metaphorical at times: "She can grow on his land and be planted. She can learn to root herself and hope to flower. She can plant what was sacred and see what would grow" Finally, I'm unsure of what sort of life Amity will know now that she and her mother have found freedom - in the form of a struggling farmer in the middle of rural Oklahoma who is struggling to provide for himself and his father, let alone taking on other people.

A story about a woman and her two daughters fleeing from a religious polygamous cult. Amaranth decides to leave with her two girls who had been raised within the cult and no nothing of the mainstream world. The girls struggle is vivid as they knew no other life, the hold the religion has over them is stronger than that which had been holding Amaranth back. They begin to live life again on the farm of a man whose is grieving the loss of his wife.

Very disappointed in this book. First the pacing was extremely slow. I couldn’t get invested in any of the characters. I was hoping to see a story of strong women who were brave and bold enough to leave a cult behind but that’s just not what we got.

Amity & Sorrow is an unforgettable story of family ties, polygamous relationships, oppression and desperate attempts to stand your own. I have devoured this book in one sitting, for it was completely captivating and engrossing, with themes of devotion, betrayal, as well as the good and bad hiding deep within.

I have always been completely fascinated by stories about people living a life much different from my own. Amaranth's desperate attempt to get away from her controlling, abusive husband and his polygamous compound elicited a visceral response from me. I couldn't help but feel both fascinated and disgusted, amazed and terrified. I thought this was an amazing book. Well written, compelling, memorable.

Received as a free copy from NetGalley.

The book was interesting and I had high hopes. I didn't like this book. It wasn't an easy read as I couldn't get past the author's writing style. I was also expecting strong women due to their experience and that didn't happen. The book was a disappointment.

An interesting and thought provoking story.
Many thanks to Little Brown and Company and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

My main reaction at this point is just feeling thankful to have finished. Amity & Sorrow started out with an interesting premise and unusual imagery, but didn't really go anywhere. By the midpoint, the story felt flat and lacking in energy, and I had to convince myself to finish.

I'm very unsure as to why I downloaded this book, because it was definitely not a book for me. I can see that the writing is well done and will appeal to those who like this genre and style of book.

I did not have a chance to read this book, but it is effecting my feedback rating. I am giving books 5 stars that I haven't read to improve my feedback rating. I am not recommending the book for my classroom or students since I have not read the book. There needs to be a better system of leaving feedback for books not read.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and I did not receive any compensation for this review.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this touching book. The characters were memorable. I recommend this book.

An interesting view of a strange family setting from differing generational aspects - looking at relationships within and outside the family itself

I jumped to read this thinking after watching Sister Wives and things that focus on Warren Jeffs this would be a great read. Unfortunately it just fell flat for me. I felt like I was trudging through, just trying to get to something that grabbed me...it never came. There was a lot of opportunity, and maybe I will reread it at some point but not likely.

I was particularly drawn to this one by the descriptive copy—anyone who's followed me for a while knows I'm fascinated by cults and the idea of "utopia" and what leads people to choose this life.

As much as I wanted to love this (and I didn't hate it), it overall just fell a bit flat. It was fine, nothing was wrong, and it was a decent read, but I felt as though we jumped between Amaranth (the mother) and Amity and Sorrow too much, and I never understood how each woman/girl felt about the things that had happened to them. Instead, it was driven by events rather than characters, and even the events were a bit underdeveloped.

An okay read, but I would probably steer readers to books like The Book of Essie instead.

I'm always interested in reading about cults and the effects they can have on their members. This was an ok read, not amazing, but interesting enough. I felt sorry for Amity, who just didn't know anything else, poor kid.

Good but not amazing.

Not what I was expecting at all. I came into this hoping for a book about hardship and the strength of women against the odds, but instead it was a very pastoral tale that lacked some oomph. The author spends a lot of time on the details of everyday farming life and this just wasn't of interest to me.

I just did not like this book. I could not get into it. Could not connect with the characters and it just did not hold my interest. I managed to finish it but barely. I’m sorry but it was just not that good to me.

If I'm being honest, I really didn't connect with this book at all. I wanted to love it, but it just didn't happen. I ended up DNFing it.

Cleaning out my netgalley so that I know what I have and what is not downloaded and this one is not in my kindle. Sorry I never got around to reading it.

Wow, what a story... amazing and intriguing, didn't want to put it down!

I kind of forgot to read this one. I pulled it up on my Kindle and decided to give it a go. And then I couldn't put it down.

Amity and Sorrow are sisters born into a polygamous cult. Their mother, Amaranth is the first wife. By which she means the only one to marry him on paper.

When the police come and her husband tries to burn down the temple, she grabs her girls and runs. Not stopping until she crashes in Oklahoma.

The book goes between Amity and Amaranth's point of view. Amaranth spends half her time going over the story of Before...the cult, her childhood. How she ended up there, one of 50 wives. But as it becomes clear what happened right under her nose, she knows she has to do what she can to atone. Can she save her daughters?

It's dark, it's sad, there is little laughter anywhere in this tale. But it is captivating, and it moves so quickly...mostly because the tension never lets up. It's amazing!