Saints (novel)

infobox Book |
name = Saints
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Orson Scott Card
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Historical
publisher = Berkley
media_type = Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
pages = 720 pp
isbn = ISBN 0-425-07002-6
release_date = 1983
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Saints" (1983) is a historical fiction novel by Orson Scott Card. Saints tells the story of the fictional character Dinah Kirkham, a native of Manchester, England, who immigrates to the United States and becomes one of the plural wives of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.

"Saints" was originally published as "Woman Of Destiny", in contravention to Card's wishes.

Plot summary

The book opens up in 1829 with the desertion of the eight-year old Dinah and her family by Dinah's father, John Kirkham. After enduring many of the horrors of Industrial Revolution England, Dinah's family begins to prosper. Dinah, her mother Anna, and her brother Charles, are converted to Mormonism. But Dinah's elder brother, Robert, as well as her husband, Matthew, do not convert, leading to a permanent schism in the family. The Mormon Kirkhams emigrate to Nauvoo, where the Mormons are building a city.

In Nauvoo, Dinah—who had to endure an unthinkable sacrifice to come to America—becomes the inspiration for the other women of Nauvoo. She is regarded by many as a Prophetess, and, despite not having the priesthood, bestows blessings on others. She also finds herself drawn to the prophet of the Mormon Church, Joseph Smith. He teaches her that her husband in England had proven himself unworthy of her by his rejection of the Gospel and by forcing her to choose between God and husband. Joseph introduces Dinah to the still-covert practice of plural marriage, and they are sealed for eternity as husband and wife. Forced to keep secret her eternal union to Joseph causes strains on her relationships with the other women of the town, particularly, Emma Smith, Joseph's first wife.

After Joseph's death during his incarceration at Carthage, Dinah uses her influence to help Brigham Young emerge as the new Prophet of the Church, largely because he alone of the potential prophet candidates is determined to uphold the Principle (as plural marriage has come to be known among its adherents). During the Mormon Exodus to Utah, she agrees to become one of Young's wives, with the understanding that their marriage will never be consummated.

Dinah lives to the age of 100, not only outliving all her husbands, but also outlasting the practice of plural marriage, which the Church abandoned in 1890.

The Best Day

In this novel Dinah Kirkham is suppose to have written a short story called "The Best Day". In addition to appearing in this novel, it was also published in Card's short story collection "Maps in a Mirror" (1990).

Influences

As with many of Card's other literature, a Christian/Mormon influence is present in this book. However, Card explicity wrote it to appeal equally to Mormon and non-Mormon influences; the book does not seek to proselytize, though it does discuss Mormonism at length.

ee also

*List of works by Orson Scott Card
*LDS fiction

External links

* [http://www.hatrack.com/osc/books/saints.shtml About the novel "Saints" from Card's website]