Leavitt / Hoiland Response

Response to My Book of Life by Angel:

I thought that it was a fascinating experience, meeting with Martine Leavitt as a class. In relation to Angel’s spirituality, I asked Mrs. Leavitt how much of Angel’s experiences were realistic and how much were her own reverberations from an LDS faith? She responded with something along the lines of, “when I was doing my research, I found that these young girls were deeply spiritual, not religious, but spiritual.” Mrs. Leavitt then responded with a time of when she was researching the book, she worked in a kitchen with an older woman who was a prostitute and found deep connection with her. It seemed as though Martine almost couldn’t believe that this woman was involved in it. She seemed so human. Mrs. Leavitt then continued with, “though they are deeply spiritual, when I was writing the book, I knew that I wanted Angel to see an angel before the book was complete, so that was my part.” This book really impacted me as the reader, yes it was fiction, but written in a poetic form, the style really elevated these girls as discussed in the interview. It opened my mind to the idea that these women who are emotionally and sometimes physically bound to the trade aren’t horrible sinners, but struggling women that have been taken advantage of. Women that are starving for help, but cannot break free. Women that undergo awful and traumatic experiences that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. My Book of Life by Angel, struck a spot in my heart, opening the door of recognition, that these unfortunate women are here in the United States, maybe even in Provo, UT. A place that for some is a sanctuary, for others must be a living hell.

One of the stories that really stood out to me from Hoiland’s One Hundred Birds Taught Me To Fly was under the subheading: Grace. Hoiland addresses an issue that can be considered controversial in the church – that is some church members look down upon, even criticize those who stop attending church. Often inactivity creates separation in what was a strong family as some have difficulty accepting their loved one’s choices. I appreciated the technique Hoiland used to illustrate why her sister Sage stopped attending church. She explains that nearly a decade previously her sister, “moved away [from the church] slowly, almost imperceptibly, after the disappointment of passing on the sacrament trays without being able to lift anything to her lips for too many Sundays left her feeling hopeless and rebellious” (Hoiland 39). She then describes the innocence of their childhood, bringing back fun and nostalgic memories to when the girls were young. She subsequently shifts to the inner struggles her sister had growing up: the battle with anorexia, the drugs, the antireligious boyfriend. She introduces the character of their loving parents and the blindness the excessively trustful eye of religion brings. Hoiland doesn’t seem to hide the flaws of being a religious parent. Her sister’s choices early in life led to limited participation in family events such as baby blessing, temple attendance, wedding participation, etc. The hurt that her sister must have felt is at the forefront of her story. Where many LDS members might look at this girl and condemn her inactivity in the Church, Hoiland plunges deeper, allows readers to really connect, to understand her sisters story, turning feelings of contempt into love. My favorite quote from this story was when she said, “I am embarrassed now to think that I ever questioned the happiness of another because it did not match perfectly my own, but my young heart was not ready to understand that the thread between my sister and me would not even waver let alone break, in the years to follow, even when our lives looked different (Hoiland 41-42). This solidifies her case, and becomes a non-direct didactic moment with whom LDS readers can identify. I’d like to model this tactic of personal lessons learned.