'Avery's captivating story set in the world of polygamy depicts the struggles of two teenage girls deciding whether to follow beliefs ingrained in them from birth. Shocking and empowering, Hidden Wives is a page-turning debut that will stay with the reader. Claire Avery has woven a stunning tale that could be ripped from today's headlines. When Rachel's future husband is finally announced, violence erupts, and the girls must find the strength to escape the only life they have ever know.before it's too late. When Rachel is forbidden to see him, her absolute faith in the Prophet is severely tested.

Her friendship with the newest member of the community, the young and handsome Luke, starts as an attempt to save his agnostic soul, but ends with the pair falling helplessly in love. But for Rachel, who will be married to one of the many powerful community leaders vying for her hand, disobeying the Prophet means eternal damnation. As Sara, chosen to become her uncle's fifth wife, grows more distraught over her impending incestuous marriage, she begins to scrutinize the faith she has followed blindly her entire life. Having long since reached the 'age of preparedness,' they will soon be married off to much older men chosen by the hidden sect's revered Prophet. Fifteen-year-old Sara and her beautiful sister, Rachel, are too young to legally drive a car-but are approaching spinsterhood in Utah's secret polygamist Blood of the Lamb community.

Hidden Wives by Claire Avery