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Summary
Author Notes
Jack Olsen is the author of thirty-one books & the winner of many awards, including the Edgar & the National Headliners Awards. A former bureau chief for "Time," he has written for "Vanity Fair," "Life," "People," "Paris Match," "The New York Times," & "Reader's Digest." He lives on an island in Puget Sound with his wife & children.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Lovell is a small town in Wyoming whose population is about 50% Mormon; Mormon women are traditionally expected to serve men unquestioningly. Thus, for 25 years John Story, who established his medical practice in Lovell in 1958, was able to molest dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of local women, conducting prolonged pelvic examinations for mere sinus infections and headaches. The examinations customarily concluded with sexual intercourse. Many of the women, incredibly naive about such matters, and virtually reverential toward the doctor, did not realize what was happening to them--and did not resist. The doctor, a pillar of the Baptist Church, enjoyed enormous prestige. This masterful book by the author of Son , as much a searching sociological study as a true-crime narrative, tells what happened in Lovell when these happenings came to light: the community lost its bearings and the doctor was convicted of rape. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
From popular true-crime veteran Olsen (Son; Cold Kill; etc.), the widely publicized case that tore a small Wyoming town apart when the local doctor was accused, then convicted, of raping patients under the guise of giving them pelvic examinations. Lowell, Wyoming, was a town divided largely along religious lines: a Mormon majority and a Baptist minority. When Dr. John Story arrived to start up a practice, he found a warm welcome: a doctor was needed and, though he was a Baptist, his strict habits (which led him to start his own, more fundamentalist church) won the respect of Mormons who flocked to him as patients. But in 1983, after years of suspicions they had tried to dismiss, two sisters came forward with accusations of rape, inspiring dozens of other women (some elderly) to at last speak up. Some victims had been silent because of the Mormon code that seemed to hold women responsible for any extramarital sex; others had taken their case to the police (and not been believed), to Church leaders (who told them to switch doctors), and to the medical association (which did nothing). The 1983 accusers were vilified by the town (even by many Mormons, some grateful for Story's medical care, others sensitive to his claim that the case was a Mormon conspiracy); some lost their jobs and businesses, but Story was eventually convicted and is now doing 15-20 years. Engrossing true drama--and a more balanced than usual picture of Mormon life and values. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Over a period of 25 years, dozens of women in the little town of Lovell, Wyoming, fell prey to the perversions of Dr. John Story, a cunning sociopath who raped his female patients while conducting pelvic examinations. Confused and ashamed that they had "allowed" themselves to be violated, Story's victims engaged in complex mental gymnastics to deal with their horror. Some blamed themselves for what he had done; others convinced themselves that nothing untoward had actually happened. When the law finally caught up to Story, the resulting furor over the question of his guilt nearly tore the town apart. A fascinating, thoroughly appalling true story, expertly chronicled by Olsen. No index. --Steve Weingartner
Library Journal Review
In 1983, Lovell, a town in Wyoming, was rocked by accusations that Dr. John Story, one of its leading citizens, had been sexually abusing his women patients for over 25 years. During the ensuing medical board hearing, criminal trial, and media publicity--including a segment on 60 Minutes --local support was divided between the victims and Story, who claimed that he was the object of a religious conspiracy (most of the women were Mormons). This is an intense, bizarre tale which could have been luridly told, but Olsen ( Son: A Psychopath and His Victims, LJ 11/15/83) shows great compassion for the women; he uses their own accounts in court and from interviews to tell what went on during the doctor's examinations. A disturbing, extremely well-written book, this will leave the reader feeling almost as involved in events as the Lovell citizens. Very highly recommended.-- Sally G. Waters, Stetson Law Lib., St. Petersburg, Fla. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.