Sophia may seem an unlikely title for a book that revolves around the life of Joseph F. Smith (son of Hyrum and nephew to the Prophet Joseph). However, the reader soon discovers that the title has been carefully chosen. Sophia Krushchenko is a Catholic postulant from Ukraine who has dedicated her life to becoming a nun. World War I and the Spanish flu epidemic cast Sophia into the midst of events that will test her resolve, tax her stamina and even threaten her life.
Keith Terry's inimitable style carries the reader through a sequence of tumultuous and unpredictable events leading Sophia inexorably toward a chance encounter with the prophet Joseph F. Smith. Then, into the sights of Jared McBride, the headstrong medical intern, who after leaving his home in the Mormon colonies of Mexico, has turned his back on his polygamous upbringings and the Church.
Actual events lifted from the pages of the private, unpublished journals of Joseph F. Smith provide rich material for a story filled with tragedy and triumph, as Sophia, Jared, and the man destined to become the sixth president of the Church each face their greatest challenges.
Details
- 6x9
- 335 pages
- Available in softcover or hardcover style
Why you will want to read this book
This is not just another book of fiction this "fiction" is more real than you would believe... lifted directly from the pages of the private unpublished journals of a rebellious boy who later became a prophet of the Lord.
Read this "Author Note" excerpted from the front matter of the book:
In 2007, one of the Prophet Joseph F. Smith's descendants gave me the opportunity to study that saintly man?s private, unpublished journals. What I discovered is that, prior to his ordination as a prophet, Joseph F. Smith exhibited some decidedly human frailties. I felt strongly that contemporary Latter-day Saints would benefit from knowing that this revered prophet struggled with some of the same temptations and challenges that beset our modern society, so I requested permission to create a story that revolved around this previously unpublished information.
The incidents and events contained in this volume, with regards to Joseph F. Smith, really happened. However, fictional characters and dialogue have been created, and the timing of various events has been altered in order to accommodate the flow of the story, rather than to maintain strict historical accuracy.
Though these stories may raise some eyebrows, my sincerest desire is that those who read this book will feel increased compassion for the boy whose father, Hyrum, was murdered at Carthage, and whose mother, Mary, passed away at the beginning of his teen years. I've displayed the difficulties that perplexed and challenged Joseph in order to promote understanding for the reasons behind the actions of the boy who became the sixth prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
May this book prove to be a source of hope for all of our imperfect souls.
—Keith Terry
About the author
Latter-day Saint author Keith Terry's Sophia is the first novel in his Sons of the Covenant series. His previous series, Out of Darkness, Into the Light sold over 200,000 copies. He and his wife, Ann, are the authors of Emma, which also remains in print after three decades.
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