When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a Story of Murder, Wild Faith, and End Times is a book written by

Leah Sottile Leah Sottile is an American journalist, writer, and podcast host who lives in Portland, Oregon. Education Sottile graduated from Gonzaga University in 2003. Career Sottile is the author of the book " When the Moon Turns to Blood," about the ...

and published by Twelve Books.

Background

The title comes from the Book of Revelations during which the moon is prophesied to turn red like blood. The book discusses the

Killings of Tylee Ryan and J. J. Vallow Tylee Ashlyn Ryan (September 24, 2002 – September 9, 2019) and Joshua Jaxon "J. J." Vallow (May 25, 2012 – September 23, 2019) were two American children from Chandler, Arizona, who missing person, disappeared in September 2019 and whose ...

. Sottile focuses on the parents' extremist Mormon beliefs. They were particularly fond of apocolyptic literature. The parents were arrested in Hawaii after their children were found dead in their backyard in Idaho.

Reception

The book was a 2023 Oregon Book Awards Finalist for the Frances Fuller Victor Award for General Nonfiction. John Dehlin, of the Mormon Stories Podcast, called it "a critical book for understanding 21st century Mormonism," and Courtney Eathorne wrote in '' Booklist'' that the book is an "exquisitely researched history of LDS and its fringe offshoots." Ron Sylvester wrote in the Spokesman-Review that “Sottile uses the story, unthinkable to most parents, that a mom would participate in the killing of her own children, to weave together an unhealthy obsession, shared by a large swath of Americans that poisons both Christianity and conservative politics.” The '' Publishers Weekly'' review says that Sottile's "attempts to impose broader significance will fall flat for many”.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://www.twelvebooks.com/titles/leah-sottile/when-the-moon-turns-to-blood/9781538721346/
Book excerpt
2022 non-fiction books English-language books Books about religion Twelve (publisher) books