Quest for the Secrets of the Armor Book

"Saints" is an interesting novel by sci-fi author Orson Scott Card. But this book isn't sci-fi at all, it is pure historical fiction.

The book is set in the Nauvoo era of LDS Church history. We meet (fictional) Dinah Kirkham in industrial England, where a series of tragic events leads her to Mormonism and emigration to Nauvoo. There, she encounters figures from Church history, and becomes involved with the religious developments of that time. Namely, polygamy.

"Saints" is vividly written, and certainly the genre invites comparison to "The Work and the Glory". The most vivid contrast is between the experience of reading the two; "The Work and the Glory" feels like you are watching a theatrical production dramatizing Church history, with starched gingham dresses and bearded villains. "Saints" on the other hand, gives the feel of actually living and breathing in that era.

As with any historical fiction, the weakness of the book is the liberties it takes with some of the non-fictional characters. We don't know everything Joseph Smith or Brigham Young may have said or did in private (after all, if we knew, it wouldn't be private), and OSC involves these characters in situations and conversations that humanizes them to a degree that may be uncomfortable for some who prefer a more idealistic view of these men. Hopefully, this book can serve to stir a desire to learn more about the history of Nauvoo and Joseph Smith's teachings, and not be used as the last word on any of the subjects it discusses.

This is especially true for a certain scenario involving Eliza R. Snow, Emma Smith, and a flight of stairs. You will definitely want to read up on the history of that story before accepting it's validity.


And a final warning: This book is much more frank in its depiction of "The New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage" than anything you'll find at Deseret Book. Disturbingly so, for some. There is nothing offensive, but much that will certainly raise some eyebrows. Not recommended for younger teenagers, or people who are sensitive to the practical realities of Nauvoo-era polygamy.

(If you do read this book and want to read up on the history behind it, I would recommend Glen M. Leonard "Nauvoo: A Place of Peace, a People of Promise" and the Nauvoo chapters of "Mormon Enigma".)