The Bishops Wife, Mette Ivie Harrison
The Bishops Wife, Mette Ivie Harrison
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The Bishop's Wife

Author: Mette Ivie Harrison

Narrator: Kirsten Potter

Unabridged: 10 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/30/2014

Synopsis

In the predominantly Mormon city of Draper, Utah, some seemingly perfect families have deadly secrets.Inspired by an actual crime and written by a practicing Mormon, The Bishop’s Wife is both a fascinating look at the lives of modern Mormons and a grim and cunningly twisted mystery.Linda Wallheim is the mother of five grown boys and the wife of a Mormon bishop. As bishop, Kurt Wallheim is the ward’s designated spiritual father, and that makes Linda the ward’s unofficial mother whose days are filled with comfort visits, community service, and informal counseling.But Linda is increasingly troubled by the church’s patriarchal structure and secrecy, especially as a disturbing situation takes shape in the ward. One cold winter morning, a neighbor, Jared Helm, appears on the Wallheims’ doorstep with his five-year-old daughter, claiming that his wife, Carrie, disappeared in the middle of the night, leaving behind everything she owns. The circumstances surrounding Carrie’s disappearance become more suspicious the more Linda learns about them, and she becomes convinced that Jared has murdered his wife and painted himself as an abandoned husband.Kurt asks Linda not to get involved in the unfolding family saga, but she has become obsessed with Carrie’s fate—and with the well-being of her vulnerable young daughter. She cannot let the matter rest until she finds out the truth. Is she wrong to go against her husband, the bishop, when her inner convictions are so strong?

About Mette Ivie Harrison

Mette Ivie Harrison is the author of numerous books for young adults, including the critically acclaimed Princess series. She holds a PhD in German literature from Princeton University and is a nationally ranked triathlete. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, she lives in Utah with her husband and children.

About Kirsten Potter

Kirsten Potter is an award-winning audiobook narrator who has performed on stage, film, and television. Having graduated from Boston University's School for the Arts, she has received recognition from the American Academy of Achievement and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Deborah on September 05, 2015

This is a fairly enjoyable tour guide through Mormonism, and an absolutely hot mess of a mystery.......more

Goodreads review by Emily on January 03, 2015

Linda Wallheim is the bishop's wife. A mother of five boys and the surrogate mother of her ward in Draper, Utah. She's used to late-night phone calls, visits, and responds to the call for help. When her friend, Carrie, disappears, leaving behind her young daughter and husband, Linda fears for the wo......more

Goodreads review by Meredith (Trying to catch up!) on March 19, 2015

I found the plot intriguing but the narrator's focus on her stillborn daughter became redundant. I think that Harrison has potential.......more

Goodreads review by Ellen on January 25, 2015

I'll never forget the cab driver who drove me from the Salt Lake City airport to my hotel, telling me that the Mormons in that town weren't all as upstanding as they seemed and proceeded to tell me about secret bars for Mormon men who kept up appearances to their wives and the rest of the world. I r......more

Quotes

“[The] solution is nicely surprising, and Linda has an engrossing voice, at once modest and assured.” USA Today

“The Bishop’s Wife has good reason to draw a large readership…Linda is such a welcome character: In her role as Sister Wallheim, she encourages women to speak freely, at least to her, and to escape the shame that has burdened some of them since childhood.” New York Times

“Kirsten Potter portrays a strong, intelligent, outspoken woman in Linda Wallheim, who is the bishop’s wife of the title…Potter is reserved as Linda reveals secrets that sully the picture-perfect ideal of the LDS church. Potter’s voice takes on a gravitas appropriate to the revelations of misogyny behind the male-dominated religion, including the abuses that occur behind closed doors.” AudioFile

“A wonderfully written mystery…The Bishop’s Wife is not only a great story but a revealing look at Mormonism and its followers.” New York Journal of Books

“Turns a critical eye toward some long-held norms of a historically patriarchal religion. Throw in a wickedly twisted mystery—actually, two—and you have the makings of a page-turner that is revealing and thought-provoking.” Hutchinson News (Kansas)

“As she unravels these multilevel whodunits, Linda takes us through some of the intriguing complexities of Mormonism and her own fascinating doubts. I hope a sequel, with Kirsten Potter narrating again, is in the works.” BookPage (audio review)

“A stunning contemporary mystery set in Mormon country…Harrison, a Mormon herself, easily transports readers into a world most will find as unfamiliar as a foreign country.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The mystery surrounding Carrie drives the plot, but Linda herself is the most compelling thing about young adult author Harrison’s debut adult mystery.” Booklist (starred review)

“A measured exploration of a small religious community filled with dark secrets.” Library Journal

“Harrison, herself a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is known for her children’s fantasy books. This decidedly adult tale adds twists aplenty to an insider’s look at a religion replete with its own mysteries.” Kirkus Reviews

Awards

  • Indie Next List
  • LibraryReads Pick
  • Publishers Weekly Pick
  • Voice Arts Award
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