Whipple, author of what some critics consider Mormonism's greatest novel, "The Giant Joshua," is an enigma. Her prize-winning novel has never been out of print, and its portrayal of the founding of St. George draws on her own family history to produce its unforgettable and candid portrait of plural marriage's challenges. Hale, a personal friend, chronicles Whipple's life, nailing each insight down with thorough research in her vast but underutilized collected papers.