Share with your friends

Customize readability

Brigham's Brides

Name: Brigham's Brides
Author: DW Plato

DW Plato 4 stories

This story contains themes of: attempted rape, miscarriage, statutory rape, pedophilia, explicit imagery, exploitation

Secrets Sex Love Death Mature

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.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author: DW Plato

Status: Complete

Chapters: 44

Rating: n/a

Age Rating: 18+

Legal stuff and dedication

Editing by Kimberly Hunt of Revision Division, Baltimore, MD USA

This manuscript is meant for entertainment purposes only.

Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

No part of this book shall be copied or reproduced without explicit permission from the author.

BRIGHAM’S BRIDES

Written by D.W. Plato

This book is dedicated to my biggest fan, my best friend, and my sister.

(Fortunately for me, they are one and the same person.)

Love you, Sis.

Let DW Plato know what you thought about this chapter!

HARPER_GRACE

Hey,

I just finished reading your story and I really loved it. The characters felt so real and every scene kept me completely engaged. I also have a few ideas on how we could enhance it visually if you are open to exploring them.

a year

Further Recommendations

Westward Journey Homeby marremom

Iohannes Gellius: “I finished this with that specific kind of emptiness you only get from a story that was genuinely great. The good kind of empty. The kind that means something real just ended.”

Read Now

Ginny: A Yearning to Belongby Gary M. Roberts

Leigh: I like the story line. It has been a good read. Thank you

Read Now

Angel of Mercyby Gladys

Luretha Fairley: A very nice family story that anyone can read

Read Now

Walker's Trailby Gary M. Roberts

Bethany Stacey: I found the writing to be engrossing and couldn’t stop reading. The family had to go through so many obstacles and in the end came out of it for the most part in tackled

Read Now

AMISH SIBLINGSby sandrabecker

embam1969: Read this story before and was very entertained. It has the realistic settings of an Amish community and Sarah's wish to open a restaurant is outside of the faith's guidelines.Loved the interaction between the characters, and how Sarah's parents secretly let her explore her culinary talents. I hig...

Read Now

Faith through famineby Jessica Ennis

Suretha: One of those books that I couldn't put down. I cried with the twins, longed for Ireland ( a country I've never seen) with her and felt the desperation during the famine. "Chef's kiss"

Read Now

SWORD OF PEACEby Louisa Bauman

nathangunn: I don't normally like historical dramas, but I read this book recently and loved it. The story was gripping, the pace fast and I really felt that I was there. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Read Now

THE VOYAGE OF MARY-KATE DONOVANby Bethanie Romkey

Jason Huskey: What an amazing love story, wish it didn't feel so rushed at the end but a good read any ways.

Read Now

Dirty Facesby McWillis

Elmer: Clear concise writing style pulls one into the 'Deep South' which the author is obviously familiar with (With the exception of Oatmeal ... in the South it would be grits), Oatmeal being more a Midwestern breakfast barf. Anyway, the writing draws one slowly into the tale, and after reading two chapt...

Read Now

Brigham's Brides

Story Notes

Summary

Legal stuff and dedication

Further Recommendations

Galatea Stories

Newest Collections

Popular Collections

Other Collections