To Mormons with Love by Chrissy Ross

It's the English major in me that likes to clump books together: maybe the grad student, actually, looking for a fun class to teach. But along the same lines as Mirvis's portrayal of insider/outsider in Jewish culture, a great read is Chrissy Ross's To Mormons with Love. Not about Jewish culture, but about Mormon culture, specifically Happy Valley culture, which is grandly different than Mormon culture at large.

Ross, not a Mormon, moves into a community that is predominately (OK, about 95%) Latter-day Saint. Ross is devotedly Christian, as are her husband and three sons. And Ross talks honestly about what she experiences.

There are two things I really liked about this book. 1) Chrissy Ross is funny! It's a delightful read. Her intent is to explain and entertain, but not to lecture. And 2) There's no agenda here. There are no sides. It's just one woman trying to get her footing. And she actually does become friends with her Mormon neighbors (Imagine!) and they become friends with her. She never says it outright, but the gist of her writing is, "They aren't perfect. I'm not perfect. We can still be friends and not agree. I drink wine. They don't let their kids play on Sundays. We can still be friends."

I liked it. She's honest. She calls it like she sees it and it's not always perfect. It's human. That's what I liked. It's human.

And my very favorite, part, I have to admit, was when she talked about going to her (Mormon) girlfriends at 39, wanting another child and wondering if she's too old. Their response . . . "Girlfriend, this is UTAH. You can be pushing your grandbaby in a stroller and nursing your own baby at the same time. You are not too old!"

See? Foibles and all, you gotta love girlfriends like that.

And I think that's Ross's point.

I think this would be great for any book club, whether you have Mormon readers, non-Mormon readers, or a blend of both. It's a short read, though, so I think you could easily pair it with Mirvis's The Ladies Auxiliary and have one great discussion about insider/outsider religious culture.

Laura and Liz, have you read this one yet? You can get it on Amazon. Worth the money, and then it can be one of those books that's fun to loan out.