A true-crime investigation of a double murder and the history of Mormon fundamentalism
What it is about
In 1984, Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter were murdered in Utah by two of her brothers-in-law, who said they were following a command from God. Jon Krakauer uses the case to explore the history of the Mormon church and the fundamentalist groups that split from it. The book also asks how strongly held faith can lead to violence.
Who will enjoy it
Readers who like narrative nonfiction on crime and religion.
What you will get
A thoughtful, detailed investigation that was also adapted into a 2022 miniseries. Members of the church have criticized parts of the book.
Under the Banner of Heaven Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Nonfiction · True crime · Religion · Utah
Length
399 pages · ≈ 11 h
More about this book
Characters
The Lafferty family, investigators and the founders of the Mormon faith.
Setting
Utah and the American West, from the 1800s to the 1980s.
What makes it different
It blends a modern murder case with a history of a religion.
Feel
Serious, thorough and disturbing.
In Cold Blood
Into the Wild
Night
The Executioner's Song
Ways of Seeing
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Bringing Up Bébé
The Autobiography of Malcolm X