Mormon Mother: An Autobiography by Annie Clark Tanner

Annie Clark was a Brigham Young Academy student when she became the plural wife of Joseph Tanner, a faculty member and future Mormon church administrator. Although "Mr. Tanner's" attentions were directed more toward his other wives, Annie nonetheless bore him eight children. Her attempts to understand this loveless product of her church's bidding are impressive and poignant. Even her wedding was unhappy--conducted in secrecy and not immediately consummated. She spent the night with her parents. After a simple dinner, she thought, "Well, this is my wedding supper." Not until three weeks later did her husband arrive to sleep with her, then returned to his first wife. Within six months he was courting another young woman. Twenty-nine years later, according to Annie: "One Sunday morning as my husband and I stood on the front porch of our home together, he informed me that he would not come to Farmington to see us any more." Their marriage ended as unceremoniously as it had begun, with another surprise when, "As he stepped from the porch to the walk, he turned to add: 'You must look to your brothers for help.'" She would receive no alimony or child support. In the end, even though Annie was a good mother, she was, like so many other plural wives, little more than a mistress to her husband. [publisher blurb]