Welcome to The Shaun Tabatt Show! Today I speak with Anna LeBaron about her book The Polygamist's Daughter: A Memoir (Tyndale House Publishers, 2017).
Here's the ground we cover in this conversation:
- Let’s begin with the book’s cover. It features a picture of you with a black censor bar covering your eyes and your mouth. What did you think the first time you saw that cover and how does it effectively communicate what readers are going to encounter in the book? (00:43 - 03:53)
- Help us to understand the structure of your family of origin. How many wives did your dad have and how many siblings did you have? (03:54 - 05:52)
- Give us a look behind the scenes. What was it like spending your early years inside a polygamist cult? (05:53 - 12:35)
- You left the cult at age 13. Talk to us about the circumstances leading up your escape. (12:36 - 18:16)
- What did it look like for you to adjust from having many boundaries to actually having a level of freedom? (18:17 - 22:14)
- Talk to us about the role counseling played in helping you to peel back the layers and move forward? (22:15 - 27:20)
- What do you hope every single reader takes away from your story? (27:21 - 32:56)
- Every book writing experience is a life-changing journey. How did working on The Polygamist’s Daughter impact you? (32:57 - 36:05)
- What was it like to transition from speaking your story to finally putting it down in writing? (36:07 - 40:34)
- What was it like to read the manuscript to your mom? (40:35 - 45:07)
Tell us the story of how you stumbled into your work as a book launcher. (45:08 - 51:55) - Anna, if the listeners want to connect with you and find out more about The Polygamist’s Daughter, where should they go on the web? (51:56 - 52:30)
About the Book: My father had thirteen wives and more than fifty children . . .
This is the haunting memoir of Anna LeBaron, daughter of the notorious polygamist and murderer Ervil LeBaron. Ervil’s criminal activity kept Anna and her siblings constantly on the run from the FBI. Often starving, the children lived in a perpetual state of fear―and despite their numbers, Anna always felt alone. Would she ever find a place she truly belonged? Would she ever be anything other than the polygamist’s daughter?
Filled with murder, fear, and betrayal, The Polygamist’s Daughter is the harrowing, heart-wrenching story of a fatherless girl and her unwavering search for love, faith, and a place to call home.
About the Author: One of more than fifty children of infamous, polygamist cult leader, Ervil LeBaron, Anna LeBaron endured abandonment, horrific living conditions, child labor, and sexual grooming. At age thirteen, she escaped the violent cult, gave her life to Christ, and sought healing. A gifted communicator and personal growth activist, she's passionate about helping others walk in freedom. Anna lives in the DFW Metroplex and loves being Mom to five grown children.
Connect with Anna:
For additional show notes, visit ShaunTabatt.com/138.