Why am I passionate about this?

The Loess Hills of Iowa provide a great place to hike, with leg-stretching hills and diverse species of plants and animals, and a park with the unusual name Preparation Canyon. In 1853 a small band of Mormons built a commune called Preparation. Leader Charles Blancher Thompson kept his printing press busy, publishing over a thousand pages. Few of those pages told about those who lived there. The Shelter of Each Other is the story of the people of Preparation, brought to you by a writer whose imagination fills in blanks and connects the dots.


I wrote

The Shelter of Each Other

By Catherine Richmond,

Book cover of The Shelter of Each Other

What is my book about?

Keziah's secret could get her killed:  she knows the Chief Steward is a fraud.

Since Keziah Sirrine’s husband disappeared on…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch

Catherine Richmond Why did I love this book?

The mid-1800s United States was full of scoundrels, get-rich-quick schemes, and religious fervor.

James Strang was born into this milieu, was baptized into the Latter Day Saints by Joseph Smith, and claimed to be the Smith’s successor.

He located brass plates, translated them, and published them in his newspaper. He and his followers moved to an isolated island in Lake Michigan, where he was crowned king. In 1856, he was murdered.

The leader of Preparation, Charles Blancher Thompson, also grew up in this environment and joined the Mormons. Thompson followed Strang for a while. Like Strang, Thompson published revelations in his own newspaper, moved his followers to a remote location, and became postmaster. In 1858, he came close to being murdered.

The King of Confidence provided cultural context for my book.

By Miles Harvey,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The King of Confidence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The "unputdownable" (Dave Eggers, National Book award finalist) story of the most infamous American con man you've never heard of: James Strang, self-proclaimed divine king of earth, heaven, and an island in Lake Michigan, "perfect for fans of The Devil in the White City" (Kirkus)

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice
Longlisted for the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction
Finalist for the Midland Authors Annual Literary Award
A Michigan Notable Book
A CrimeReads Best True Crime Book of the Year

"A masterpiece." —Nathaniel Philbrick 

In the summer of 1843, James Strang, a charismatic young lawyer…


Book cover of Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

Catherine Richmond Why did I love this book?

The origin of a twentieth century crime is traced to the violent history of the Latter Day Saints.

With Mormons, the line between faith and fanaticism, between belief and delusion, is blurred.

While Preparation maintained their anti-polygamy stance, they struggled with their leader’s use of prophecy and revelation similar to the main group of Mormons.

By Jon Krakauer,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Under the Banner of Heaven as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, this extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities. Now an the acclaimed FX limited series streaming on HULU.

“Fantastic.... Right up there with In Cold Blood and The Executioner’s Song.” —San Francisco Chronicle

Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God; some 40,000 people still practice polygamy in these communities. 

At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty,…


Book cover of Somewhere to Belong

Catherine Richmond Why did I love this book?

The Amana Colonies were the most successful communes in the United States, active from 1856 to 1932.

Elected boards groups of elders made decisions and mediated conflicts. Members worked in a variety of industries. Women managed large kitchens and dining rooms. Visitors, hired laborers, and homeless people were welcome.

Amana was settled by Germans; residents suffered from anti-German violence during World War I. 

Why did the Amana Colonies survive so long when the Preparation group and others lasted only a few years? Amana’s decisions were made by groups and Amana’s spiritual life was anchored in faith and worship.

By Judith Miller,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Somewhere to Belong as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Johanna Ilg has lived her entire life in Main Amana, one of the seven villages inhabited by devout Christians who believe in cooperative living, a simple lifestyle, and faithful service to God. Although she's always longed to see the outside world, Johanna believes her future is rooted in the community. But when she learns a troubling secret, the world she thought she knew is shattered and she is forced to make difficult choices about a new life and the man she left behind.

Berta Schumacher has lived a privileged life in Chicago, and when her parents decide they want a…


Book cover of The Sister Wife: Brides of Gabriel Book One

Catherine Richmond Why did I love this book?

The Sister Wife shows the early history of the Mormons through the eyes of an emigrant woman whose father has joined the Mormons.

When her best friend’s husband dies, the prophet orders her husband to take her as a second wife. Obedience is required to climb the LDS hierarchy. Violence escalates against anyone who questions the leadership.

By Diane Noble,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sister Wife as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Sister Wife is the first book in a new Brides of Gabriel historical series set during the formation of the Mormon edict of polygamy. Award-winning author Diane Noble explores the inner conflicts, emotions, and decisions of three women married to the same man. A moving tale of faith and doubt, love and commitment for fans of Big Love or those who devoured Carolyn Jessop’s Escape, The Sister Wife follows a budding family living in close community with the controversial Mormon prophet Joseph Smith as they are pulled deeper into the world of polygamy.


Book cover of For Time And Eternity

Catherine Richmond Why did I love this book?

For Time and Eternity takes place during the same time period as Preparation.

Her parents forbid any contact with the wagon train camping near their Iowa farm, so when the girl meets a charming young man from the group, she questions their edict. She runs away from home and marries.

Too late, she realizes their theology is not Christian - she's trapped in a cult. The church's requirement that its men commit adultery is only the beginning.

By Allison Pittman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked For Time And Eternity as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

All Camilla Deardon knows of the Mormons camping nearby is the songs she hears floating on the breeze. Then she meets one of them―a young man named Nathan Fox. Never did she imagine he would be so handsome, so charming, especially after Mama and Papa’s warnings to stay away. Though she knows she should obey her parents, Camilla can’t refuse her heart. But even Nathan’s promises cannot prepare her for what she will face in Utah.


Explore my book 😀

The Shelter of Each Other

By Catherine Richmond,

Book cover of The Shelter of Each Other

What is my book about?

Keziah's secret could get her killed:  she knows the Chief Steward is a fraud.

Since Keziah Sirrine’s husband disappeared on a mission trip, she’s survived by making herbal remedies and midwifing. The Chief Steward sells her house to fund the Congregation’s move to the wilderness. Duncan Ross joins the group, hoping for a place to call home. He works with Keziah for the health of the Congregation, and respect grows into love. In the isolation of Preparation, the Chief Steward declares himself anointed of God, demands members relinquish all possessions, and dodges questions about finances. As tensions boil into violence, news of Keziah’s missing husband has Duncan wondering if their love—and Preparation—will survive.

Book cover of The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch
Book cover of Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
Book cover of Somewhere to Belong

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Book cover of The Duty of Memory

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Author Air Force brat World War 2 junkie Gallivanter Beret-wearing Francophile Book hoarder

Vicki's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Separating the true stories from the myths, The Duty of Memory provides a deeper understanding of the diverse motivations that drove ordinary people to join an underground network of French Resistants despite terrible odds and horrifying consequences.

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The Duty of Memory

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The Duty of Memory: An Inspiring Story of Heroic Men and Women of the French Underground Who Risked Death to Aid Allied Airmen During the Nazi Occupation . Based on personal interviews , eyewitness accounts, extensive research, and recently released archival material, comes this inspiring true story of men and women who risked death to help Allied airmen escape capture by the Nazis in occupied France. Separating the true stories from the myths, The Duty of Memory provides a deeper understanding of the multifarious motivations that inspired ordinary people to join an underground network of French Resistants despite terrible odds…


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