The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

The Glovemaker is a historical fiction novel set in 1880s Utah. More specifically, it is set in a town made up of Mormons who are not closely associated with the mainstream LDS church. They don't practice plural marriage and they don't have a bishop in town, and they want to keep it that way. In fact, they came to settle in this town so they could be Mormon their way, and they don't trust outsiders easily.

When a stranger comes to town, Deborah feels obligated to let him into her house and provide him shelter from the bitter cold for the night. Her husband isn't home, and the stranger sleeps in the barn. She doesn't ask questions but she doesn't have to; it's not unheard of for men to come through their small town on their way to the next, which is a sanctuary for polygamists. Unfortunately this usually means that within a day or two, law enforcement will also come through and ask questions about which way the man went and who it was that provided shelter.

This latest stranger has a more complicated story, which is further complicated when a lone lawman arrives looking for him. Deborah and her neighbor, Nels, must hide the stranger from the lawman and try to help him escape, but when the lawman is critically wounded they have to come to his aid as well.

Framing this story is the narrative of Samuel, Deborah's husband who is away, visiting a nearby town training others in his trade as a wheelwright. Samuel was expected home more than a month ago. Where is he? What happened to him? He should be back any day.

Based on a real town in Utah, this story provides an insight into the culture of the Mormon faith while also feeling like a western. The story is told through alternating narrators using plain language and simple phrasing. The reader is pulled deeper into the conflicts as the stakes get higher. Where is Samuel? Will the stranger make his way to safety? Will the deputy survive? How many more lawmen are coming after him? They don't usually travel alone. And how to keep the whole town safe when they do arrive, seeing what happened to one of their own? Deborah's story is compelling and pulls the reader into her world easily.