The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance
by Elna Baker
9/10
My Synopsis:
The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance is the memoir of Elna Baker. She identifies herself in many ways: a funny girl, a clueless girl, a fat girl turned thin girl, but mostly a Mormon girl. Not just any Mormon girl, a Mormon girl trying to make a life for herself in New York City. This is her tale of life, luck, love and self-acceptance. We follow Elna through the highs and the lows of being a religiously restricted girl in an uninhibited world. We witness her trying to connect with guy after guy after guy in her constant search for her soul mate. Will Elna find love in the big city or just big disappointment?
My Opinion:
The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker could easily be referred to as Sex and the City: The Mormon Version. Take away the smoking, the drinking and the promiscuity and what you’re left with is one woman’s hilarious struggle to be herself in a world of people who expect her to be someone else. She internally wrestles on a daily basis with the proper way to incorporate her religion into her life yet still have a life to live. Her annual hope of connecting with another Mormon of the male variety is the New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance. I learned a lot about the Mormon religion through this book. Things that were just far-fetched ideals in my eyes were explained with Mormon principles that I didn’t previously understand. Often the brunt of jokes, this book shows just how hard it is to be Mormon. The way it tells of Elna’s struggle to figure out who she is and what she believes is heart-wrenching at times. The story-telling was very real. It felt like Elna was writing in her secret journal – not sharing her triumphs and tragedies with the world. It is a great book for anyone who has ever questioned the faith they were raised to believe. It is also a great book for those looking for a laugh. The Mormons are not the brunt of the joke in this book. They are a wonderful people with different yet amazing beliefs and I highly recommend this book. 9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment