What if your husband came to you and said, "I want another wife?" Even though polygamy is illegal in America, experts say there are 30,000 to 50,000 people living in plural families across the country.
For most people, the word polygamy conjures up images of child brides dressed straight out of the 1800s. On September 25, 2007, this stereotype was further reinforced when polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was convicted of being an accomplice to the rape of a 14-year-old girl. Yet the isolated, cult-like communities only tell half the story. The other side shows extravagant homes in typical suburban neighborhoods filled with willing wives and dozens of children. What is life really like in a polygamist community? Lisa Ling investigates the changing face of plural families and explores communities that both make and break the stereotypes.
Published 10/26/2007
