Mormon Odyssey

By Maria S. Ellsworth

Subjects: Mormons, Mormons, biography, Biography, Women pioneers, Mormon pioneers, Pioneers, Mormon women

Description: Here is the captivating story of Ida Hunt Udall, a plural wife of David K. Udall, an early Mormon leader in Arizona. Her story is told through her memories of her early life; her journal; her "birthday book," in which she made annual entries from 1873 to 1905; selected letters; and Maria Ellsworth's own interpretive material. Born in 1858, Ida Hunt Udall began her Mormon odyssey when she was quite young, pioneering with her family in Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. With the coming of the anti-Mormon crusade focusing on polygamists, Ida was forced to go into hiding soon after her marriage in 1882. She vividly describes her marriage, her life on the "underground" and the prison experiences of her husband as reported to her in letters she copied into her journal. Maria Ellsworth, Ida's granddaughter, weaves these materials into a compelling tale of hard work, courage, sacrifice, and devotion to a family, a religion, and a cause that defined her being and gave meaning to her life. She includes details of Ida's life based on the journals of Ida's sisters, family recollections, and historical documents. Mormon Odyssey provides a "window" on polygamy, with all its conflicts and disappointments, as well as its rewards.