The Ferry Woman: A Novel of the Mountain Meadows Massacre

by Gerald Grimmett

The Ferry Woman, a novel of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, is a critically acclaimed account of John D. Lee and his relationship with his fictional wife, Emeline, who stays loyal to him up to the day... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 093165968X
• ISBN13: 9780931659683
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Limberlost Press
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Powerful work , A must read

When I heard about this book, I went to the Washington County, Library in Utah. I asked questions about the Mountain Meadow Massacre and the prima nd proper openly Mormon Librarian brought me more and more information on alleged crimes vs the Mormon Church. Not what I had asked for.I asked about Geral Grimmet and the response was "Oh him".This response peaked my interest even more. I am a New Yorker that has lived in Utah for a few years and has seen first handlife behind the "Zion Curtain."Gerald Grimmet is writer that has been ahead of his time. This book has done a tremendous job in using a fictional charachter to expose the dreadful Massacre of innocent pioneer families who were struck down in cold blood by the orders of Mormon leader Brigham Young and the cover up that has lasted over 150 years.Americas first 9-11 attack on innocent people was led by a treasonous Brigham Young who had used his power to gain control over Utah and spread his Mormon Cult. Gerald Grimmet does a remarkable job telling the story of John D. lee from a womans perspective. The fictitous wife of John D. Lee.This is one book that you will not find on the Mormon reading lists in Utah Libraries.Geral Grimmet is a pioneer on the literary scene and tells and extraordinary story about that tragic day in American History.

In the shadow of the lion

Gerald Grimmett's new novel, "The Ferry Woman", is based on the historical event in the history of the West and of the Mormon Church, known as the Mountain Meadow Massacre. Events described in the story are told from the perspective of one of the wives of the only man executed by the legal system for his role in an atrocity that was almost certainly ordered by then church leader and founder of Salt Lake City and the Mormon establishment in the arid western interior of the United States.A primary feature of early Mormon social relations was the aggressive practice of polygamy, which was only abandoned officially by the church as part of a strategy to prevent a military confrontation between Utah, whose leaders were also those of the church, and the US Army contingent then on its way to enforce Mormon compliance with federal laws against plural marriage. The Ferry Woman was one of the wives of John D. Lee, one of those leaders whose directed mission within the church was to settle and develop the Harmony area between Cedar City and St. George Utah. Grimmett is at his best describing the interactions between his characters and their environment.This reader confesses to some uneasiness in the early pages, at the prospect of accepting a woman's perspective from the narrative pen of a male writer. That is dispelled by the surprising sensitivity and care apparent in the effort. One observes that if this is not true to the way of thinking and self-expression of a young orphaned immigrant serial wife of a much older man, and a formidable, hard-working community leader, devoted husband and father, well it should be. Reading, one is overtaken by a growing sense of the book as literature, especially remembering that the Ferry Woman, although realistically and plausibly detailed in the narrative, is still a fictional construct. Knowing its subject already, I went into this book skeptical of its potential for a full and courageous exploration of the dark scenario at its heart. After the first 100 pages, I couldn't stop reading it. I closed the book at last with the feeling that the author had succeeded in something extraordinarily important here. Grimmett has skillfully illustrated how even a humanity motivated, in extremis, by patently flaky beliefs about the nature of existence, can thrive. This is a book with legs, and the time was well spent reading it. A reader with roots in that area of the US that is today within the sphere of influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), with its epicenter in Salt Lake, is likely to agree with the statement of the Poet Laureate of the State of Utah, as quoted on the jacket, that the reaction to the book by modern descendants of the times and personalities described in it, is awaited with eager anticipation. The story is told with a surprisingly precise sense of the supernatural aura that surrounds Mormon history itself, especially as it manifests itself in the `testimony' borne by modern believers

A well-told tale of troublesome times

The Mountain Meadows massacre is a stain on the history of the West, Utah, and the Mormon church. It has never been satisfactorily dealt with from a historical standpoint, and it is unlikely, given the lack of verifiable information and a continuing reluctance on the part of authorities to pick at the scab, that it ever can or will be. So it becomes the duty of novelists to compel us to examine the killings, the cause, and the aftermath. Even if we cannot understand those troublesome times, through a well-told tale we can at least consider--rather than ignore--them.THE FERRY WOMAN is such a tale; so far as I know, the only one. By seeing the incidents and events of those dark days through the eyes of a fictional storyteller, the conflicts and struggles and relationships become personal and emotional, hence more affective than a cold recounting of history. Throughout the book, Emeline (the ferry woman) wrestles with faith, loyalty, authority, loneliness, love, and hate in very human and understandable ways. The story's end is, maybe, a mite tidy. And some Mormons will be offended by Grimmett's portrayal of Brigham Young, legendary builder of the West. It is well to remember, though, that in THE FERRY WOMAN we see this complex man solely through one set of eyes--Emeline's--and as her view is distorted by her experiences, it is both authentic and acceptable.

John D. Lee and the Mountain Meadows Massacre

The Ferry Woman, is an account of the aftermath of the Mountain Meadows massacre, an important incident in the history of American westward expansion. The events described in this book encompasses the eras of Manifest Destiny, the misportrayal of Native Americans to the American public, the building of Western "empires", and 19th century religious cultism, as seen through the eyes of the fictional, Emeline Buxton Lee. Through Emeline, the author explores the personal tragedies that accompanied the mass-murder of 127 California-bound emigrants by Mormon pioneer settlers of "Deseret" in 1857. Key among Emelines' personal tragedies are the trials and eventual execution of the her husband, John Lee, adopted son of Brigham Young, who was, in his own words, "...used by the Mormon Church as a scape-goat to carry the sins of that people." (J. Lee 1877). The author brings to life the experiences of a pioneer woman who is swept up in events far beyond her control. Through the authors portrayal of her, we experience the joys and hardships of pioneer life during the mid-19th. century. Grimmett's intelligent and sensitive treatment of the subject matter, most particularly the challenges of love and integrity involved in sharing a husband who possesses multiple wives, provides a thoughtful and satisfying literary experience. Well done!

A Biblical Test of Mettle

Emeline Lee, the narrator of Gerald Grimmett's The Ferry Woman is a rare, tough, perceptive young woman, and married to John D. Lee, the alleged perpetrator of the Mountain Massacre of 1827 Utah. Her narrative, this gritty novel, extends from the Eden of Harmony, Utah to the literal gates of hell: the exile to the ferry in the wilderness. From this biblical wilderness, the novel proceeds through its story like a desert flash flood: the incarceration of John; Emeline's inadvertent attraction to, and passionate platonic love of, the young river explorer Dellenbaugh; the two trials of Lee, replete with stacked juries and kangaroos and crafty lawyers, particularly the indefatigable Bishop; the release of John after the first hung trial and his stubborn and stupid refusal to run; the eventual execution of John; and Emeline's violent and premeditated confrontation with Brigham Young himself, in collusion with the firebrand Olivia. The gates of Emeline's figurative hell open with her awareness of the dark side of John D and his part in the massacre. It is the nature of John's participation in the massacre that becomes the nagging existential question of the novel and one which the reader cannot easily dismiss. Yes, John tried to dissuade the leaders; yes, he personally killed no one and was even instrumental in saving lives. But, alas, yes, he acted despicably, as Judas Goat without whom the slaughter would not have transpired. John's culpability is the tragedy of the novel. One of its strengths is Mr. Grimmett's understated and spartan treatment of it. John's role in the massacre haunts and disgusts-both Emeline and the reader. Along the way the reader is treated to some fine geographical description, some period dialogue that crackles with wit and authenticity, some not unwelcome poetic flights, some comedy, some epiphany.