The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.82 (910 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1941928560 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 448 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-05-07 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
His work has been nominated for the Hugo Award and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and twice for the Nebula Award. Cast a Cold Eye, a short horror novel co-written with Derryl Murphy, appeared from PS Publishing in 2009. William Shunn left the Mormon Church in 1995 and developed one of the earliest ex-Mormon web sites. Shunn served three years as a national juror for the Art & Writing Awards, and for thre
Like the charismatic prophet Smith--whose own incredible story casts eerie echoes through Shunn's--the young missionary will brave arrest and incarceration in a desperate bid to prove his worthiness, not just to those around him but to himself. But with his few close friendships, his dreams of writing, and his very life on hold, he can't help resenting the imposition of missionary service and the monastic lifestyle it demands. When conflicts with his fellow "elders" spur him to an ill-fated flight for freedom, the stage is set for the ultimate showdown between obedience and agency. A gripping chronicle of slow-motion disaster that unfolds with the inevitability of Greek tragedy, The Accidental Terrorist is also a testament to individual triumph in the face of overwhelming authority.. A seventh-generation Mormon, steeped since birth in the gospel according to Joseph Smith, Shunn yearns to los
Best memoir I've read in a long time @NewNameNoah I first heard the story of "Elder Shunn" from a close friend who was serving on an LDS (Mormon) mission with him in the late 1980's. A few years later I read the story online when the internet was still in its infancy after the author published the story online under the tongue-in-cheek title, "Terror On Flight 789".First and foremost, one need not be Mormon or an "RM" (return missionary) to appreciate this book. The author, Bill Shunn, is a talented writer who has a gift with the written word. As. "This book was hard to put down, and will appeal to anyone that likes a good read." according to Craig Edwards. The Accidental Terrorist is an autobiographical account of the author's Mormon missionary experience, including the crazy and touching things he did as a young 19 year old missionary, heavily indoctrinated with Mormon beliefs and principally concerned with pleasing his church leaders. Shunn’s story is an entertaining reminder of what religious excess can lead to.Along side with telling his mission story, Shunn also describes Mormon beliefs, culture, and practices, and gives the most efficien. You think you know someone until you read their memoir…. I cracked open this book believing I knew the story already: kid is unhappy being a missionary, calls in a bomb threat to go home. (Ok, yeah, I oversimplified a bit.) But no, that is not the story. The story is how he got there, and it is amazing.From the very start, Shunn immerses you in his world of rigid, restrictive religion, where questions are unwelcome and doubt has consequences. It can be disconcerting to realize your entire future is set out for you, and any misstep can lead you to lose y
In fact, keep a stack by the front door. Believe it. Shunn very skillfully interweaves his own personal story with the story of Joseph Smith, Jr., the prophet and founder of the LDS church. . . . Only in novel form, no one would have ever believed these events could have happened. Fantastically written, beautifully paced, The Accidental Terrorist reads like a novel instead of a memoir. William Shunn lived every word of this book. You will read few other books as smart, funny, honest, and heartbreaking as William Shunn's The Accidental Terrorist, and I unreservedly recommend it to you as both a home-grown cautionary tale and a highly original coming-of-age saga." --Michael Bishop, au