The Lonely Polygamist

The Lonely Polygamist follows Golden Richards, a Mormon fundamentalist with four wives and 28 children who runs a struggling construction business in Utah. Despite being surrounded by his large family, Golden experiences deep isolation and finds himself at a crossroads in both his personal and professional life. The narrative shifts between Golden's perspective and those of his fourth wife Trish and eleven-year-old son Rusty, revealing the complex dynamics within this unconventional family system. Their household operates across three separate homes, with daily life marked by strict schedules, economic pressures, and the challenge of meeting everyone's emotional needs. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the American Southwest in the 1970s, as Golden travels between his home compound and a work project in Nevada. His internal struggles mirror larger questions about faith, duty, and human connection in modern America. Through this portrait of an atypical family, the novel examines universal themes of belonging, identity, and the tension between individual desires and family obligations. The text challenges assumptions about marriage, faith, and what constitutes a normal family life.

Readers found the book offered a humanizing, non-sensational look at polygamy through complex characters and dark humor. Many noted the emotional depth in portraying family dynamics and Golden's internal struggles. Likes: - Rich character development across multiple family members - Balance of humor with serious themes - Fresh perspective on polygamous lifestyle - Strong prose and vivid descriptions Dislikes: - Slow pacing, especially in first 100 pages - Too many characters to track - Some found it overlong at 600+ pages - Shifts between viewpoints felt jarring to some Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (7,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (280+ ratings) Sample reader comment: "This is a book about loneliness and connection, about family in all its messy complications. The polygamy aspect is almost incidental." - Goodreads reviewer Critical consensus notes strong writing and character work but divided on pacing and length.

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🌟 Despite being a work of fiction, the novel draws heavily from Brady Udall's own Mormon background and his experiences growing up in a large Arizona family. 🏆 The Lonely Polygamist was named one of the best books of 2010 by Publishers Weekly, The New York Times, and Entertainment Weekly. 📝 Author Brady Udall was appointed as Idaho's Writer in Residence from 2010 to 2013, a position awarded by the Idaho Commission on the Arts. 🌵 The book's setting in a remote desert community reflects actual polygamist settlements that exist throughout Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. 💫 The main character, Golden Richards, has 28 children from his four wives—a number that, while seeming extreme, is actually modest compared to some historical Mormon polygamist families who had upwards of 50 children.