Writer Elissa Minor will release a new memoir this October through Oregon State University Press that explores her decision to leave the Mormon Church to find happiness as a queer woman. According to a August 30 report, the book, titled Another Eve: Shame and Desire on the Oregon Coast, reflects on Minor's journey from a lifelong connection to the church to her current life on the Oregon Coast.
Minor, who lives on Oregon's North Coast, credits the local landscape with helping her rediscover her identity. She described the untamed wilderness as a place that reacquainted her to her body through physical activity like running from sneaker waves and traversing steep dunes.
In the memoir, Minor details her history with the Mormon Church, noting her family has been involved for generations, including a great-great-grandmother who was part of the Mormon migration to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. Minor's upbringing included attending church dances and seminary, and her father required her to apply only to Brigham Young University.
Minor stated she decided to leave the church in 2005 after experiencing massive unhappiness and questioning how she wanted to have spent her time after witnessing her father's battle with brain cancer. She noted that she felt treated as a second-class citizen within the church, which she believes contributed to an anxiety disorder she was diagnosed with as a young adult.
The memoir also addresses the complexities of maintaining relationships with former community members. Minor expressed concern regarding how her Mormon friends might react to the book, noting the church has strict edicts regarding literature it classifies as anti-Mormon.
Minor explained that the title of her book references the idea that the church can make women feel replaceable rather than individuals. She noted the goal of being a perfect Mormon woman often came at the expense of being oneself.
The memoir's narrative spans decades, from Minor's wedding rituals in the temple to her subsequent marriage to her wife, Katie, in a small town on the Oregon Coast. Minor wrote that the joy she found in her new life and her chosen path felt sacred.
