Brigham's Brides by DW Plato at Inkitt

Story Notes

Everyone has heard of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Between them, they had dozens of wives. Could you name any of them? What about the women who settled the West?

Coming from a long line of Mormon wives, I can't help but wonder about the women who were pregnant every other year to hope one or two of their babies (and themselves) would survive. Who were the women who left their homes because of religious persecution and walked across the plains, over mountains, through streams to start a life in the high desert we now know as 'the west'? Their territory wasn't limited back then to just Utah, it covered as far south as New Mexico and Arizona, as far west as parts of California and as far north as Idaho and Wyoming.

Brigham's Brides is the first of a three part series. The time frame covering the beginning of the LDS church to the pural marriage convent and then the murder of the church's first leader, Joseph Smith. Parts two and three will be published July 2026 and 2027.

Summary

For the first sister-wives of the early LDS Church, polygamy was just the beginning—the real story is survival. Amid the harsh beauty of the Mississippi River in the 1840s and the rising tide of religious fervor, two women bound by faith question everything they’ve been taught. Louisa—young and still clinging to dreams of love and independence, believes she is destined to marry Prophet Joseph Smith. As she grapples with her place in a faith that demands silence and sacrifice, she finds an unexpected ally in Mary Ann. Mary Ann—devout and dutiful, accepts the sacred principle of plural marriage. For years, she has borne the weight of obedience, striving to find peace in the shadow of her husband Brigham Young’s growing household. Together, the two women navigate a delicate dance of trust, jealousy, and defiance. But beyond the quiet flats and guarded settlements, danger looms. Tensions fueled by anti-Mormon sentiment are rising, and violence brews at the borders of their fragile community. Brigham’s Brides is a powerful tale of friendship, resistance, and the unyielding pursuit of truth in a world where obedience was the highest virtue—and rebellion the gravest sin. Perfect for readers of Kristin Hannah and Sue Monk Kidd, this novel sheds light on a hidden chapter of American history through the eyes of two unforgettable heroines.