This book was originally released on October 12, 2004.
St. Martin’s Press rereleased it on May 21, 2025.
Wives and Sisters
Suspense/Family Saga Fiction
Setting – Utah
Publisher : St. Martin’s Press
Publication date : May 21, 2025
Print length : 285 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1429903097
ASIN : B0026UNZQI
When Allison Jensen was six, she and her best friend were playing in the woods near home. One moment her friend was beside her; then she was gone. When no leads emerged, she was given up for dead. Now, years later, trying to fill in the gaps of a patchwork memory, to make sense of the senseless, Allison still can get no answers from the Mormon community in which she lives. Why is she being fed half-truths? Why is her father able to tyrannize and torment as the self-appointed messenger of God? When a brutal attack on her as a young adult makes her desperate to escape Mormon bonds, Allison finds herself on a collision course with community leaders as they cover up the steps of a sexual predator. She must stop them before they find her and keep her from piecing together the tragic past that has haunted her life.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Allison Jensen has had a lot of trauma and drama in her life. Born to a Mormon family, her best friend disappeared while they were playing when she was six. Her father was a disciplinarian and controlling, driven to grow his celestial family. So much so, his wife died giving birth to a child they knew was putting her life in danger when Allison was fifteen. He soon remarried a widow to bring her family into the fold. Then Allison is attacked and wants out of the Mormon community. None of her questions about her friend were ever answered, and she knew the man who attacked her, but the church failed to take any action. Allison feels it is up to her to find answers and get justice before it is too late.
I worked for several years for a company owned by a Mormon family. I learned a lot then about their customs, traditions, and faith. Since then, I have been interested in reading fictional stories that feature Mormonism. As the author had been part of the faith, I was intrigued to read how she would take on this subject matter. I know this is just a snapshot of one family, and I thought she had a fine job, though some say it was unbelievable. I guess that’s why it is fiction, and not fact. Ms. Collins could draw content from her actual experiences, things she has heard over the years, items in the news, and then give it some twists and turns from her imagination. And all that helped me escape into the story.
Allison is a complex character who started questioning her faith from a young age. Rape, murder, hate, mental abuse, physical abuse, stalking, cover-ups, and conspiracies are examined within the pages of her heartbreaking journey that is laid out before readers. She has a hard time trusting anyone, and when she finally does, he is tragically taken away from her. I was invested. I needed to know how she survived it all.
Wives and Sisters is a compelling story filled with heartbreak and self-discovery, tragedy and questions, acceptance, and the fight to move on and beyond all to chaos and drama in one brave woman’s life. While the writing was a little wonky here and there, the story flowed well and kept my attention until the final page. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Collins, but it has me curious to check out her other books.
*This book is from my private collection. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
Natalie R. Collins
I have thirteen published books, several others in various stages of publishing, and am currently working on my next one… or two… or three.
I have dabbled in both dark suspense and cozy mysteries, and am happy to be able to work in both genres.
I have also written for Penguin Putnam, Thompson Gale, BPP, and Sisterhood Publications. I do not have a thing for the word “Sister.” I promise. A lot of my titles just kind of turned out that way. Maybe it’s branding, and maybe it’s eccentricity.
Or both.
Visit my website at: http://www.nataliercollins.com
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that she can take on a dysfunctional family and all their drama and she has turned that up a notch or two in 
was such an interesting story. The letters very filled with depth and surprising topics. Things you would only share with your sister or with a husband you love and miss so much.
About the Author 
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