(132) The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dancy by Elna Baker

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance.


Whew. Isn't that a mouthful? Seems like an awfully big title for such a relatively small book, no?

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up Elna Baker's memoir. There are so many rumors & propaganda floating around the internet about the Mormon faith that I was curious to read what a young lady had to say about her faith and living in New York City. I did not expect to laugh, but I did. Often.

Elna Baker has a self deprecating way of writing that you just can't help but laugh. Her detailed tales of a Mormon childhood, to her battle of the bulge, all the way through being a young Mormon woman of dating age in New York City are really quite funny. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to laugh at her naivete or say "Oh honey, no...." So I did both. From her tragic choice of Halloween costume, to her realization that her successful weight loss could be attributed to speed, Elna Baker is a real girl with real issues struggling to find the balance between her religion and the real world that she lives in.

TNYRMSHD (even the acronym is LONG) was a fun, enlightening book. It dispels some myths about a "mysterious" religion and shows that Mormon girls aren't all that different from you or me.
Lisa Mandina said...

Sounds really good! I'll have to find it!

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