Bibliography: Williams, Carol Lynch. (May 2009). The Chosen One. New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN: 9780312555115
Plot summary: 13 year old Kyra loves her family, all twenty of her brothers and sisters, and even her three mothers. She has never questioned their polygamous way of life unless sneaking visits to the mobile library to read The Bridge to Terebithia and Harry Potter and Dr. Seuss count. When she falls in love with another young man in the compound but is told by their prophet leader that she must marry her 60 year old uncle and become his seventh wife, she is faced with a tough decision–is family more important than freedom?
Critical Analysis: I have been hearing about this book for months, and after asking several times, finally managed to snag an advanced copy. From the blurbs included, who hasn’t read this book? I remember reading Williams’s The True Colors of Caitlynne Jackson and thinking here is someone to watch–there was such quiet strength and passion in that book. Well, this book is a worthy successor to True Colors, and the quiet beauty of the writing will hopefully not be overshadowed by the subject matter. There are parts of this story that are lyrically written like free verse that beg to be read outloud and savor.
This is Kyra’s story, and there in lies the real heart of the events that unfold. The reader sees everything from her point of view, and so at first are lead to think that things are restrictive, yes, different than what we know, yes, but her unconventional family loves her, allowing her to have her music and her walks and her time to herself in her favorite tree. (They even allow her to spend time teaching the young man that she fancies how to play the piano. This might be the one false note in the story, as I have a hard time believing that this would be allowed.) And then, slowly, as events unfold, we see as Kyra does the horror behind this simple family life. There are scenes that are simply brutal, and make the reader want to shake the characters, tell them to stand up to the leaders of the sect, to run away.
It troubles me that there is no author’s note or references or further reading included at the back of the advanced copy. While there have been a few famous cases of polygamous sects making news, most recently the one in Texas, I think that a book for teens is remiss in not providing them with ways to get more information, to help them if not understand, at least be aware of these very real situations that many girls and women find themselves in.
Readalikes:
Desert Wives by Betty Webb. An entry in the ongoing series featuring P.I. Lena Jones, this suspenseful dark thriller with a sense of humor is a stark compelling look at a modern polygamous community. Even more so than The Chosen One, the author shows the many facets of this lifestyle, as we see a woman who has escaped, a safe house, and man who has come to realize that he no longer wishes to be a part of the community. An invaluable author’s note and references are included at the end.
Review Excerpts:
“Intensely gripping and grippingly intense, the story begins with a gasp…Kyra’s terrible dilemma-escaping her fate means betraying her family-is heartbreakingly real, and the final scenes are riveting and suspenseful.” (Fiction. 12 & up)–Kirkus Reviews
“…this is a heart pounder, and readers will be held, especially as the danger escalates. Williams’ portrayals of the family are sharp, but what’s most interesting about this book is how the yearnings and fears of a character so far from what most YAs know will still seem familiar and close.” –Booklist
