Published in 1942, A Little Lower than the Angels was Virginia Sorensen's first novel. It is the story of Mercy Baker, her husband Simon, their children—particularly Jarvie, Menzo, and Betsy, and her associates in the Church—including Joseph Smith, Eliza Snow, John Bennett, Brigham Young. The time period is the Nauvoo era of Church History. Her novel offers, as well, perspectives of the community, the land, and the people of the surrounding counties during the period shortly after Nauvoo received its Charter until the saints are forced to leave.The major focus of the work is not so much on the historical events as it is on the life of the family and how those events interrelate; particularly as seen through the eyes of the major protagonist Mercy Baker. Though Sorensen uses multiple character perspectives to broaden our view of what occurred in Nuavoo, yet it is clear certain individual perspectives are granted a greater validity.

The work, however, is not simply a story, it is an exploration of the human, philosophical, and theological conflicts overpowering some of these early Mormons. In addition, Virginia Sorensen is also telling the story of her husband's ancestor, though the treatment is not biographical but fictional. Her skills are evident at this very early period of herwriting career. At times she is able to endow most of her characters with very human characteristics in spite of their symbolic, thematic, or historical place in the story. And, she can make a phrase crack like a whip, with echoes continuing through the rest of the novel. At a service in which Mercy's baby is blessed, Joseph Smith—while blessing another child—stumbles to a bench, his hand over his eyes. He recovers, saying he has seen a vision of Lucifer fighting for the children. He prayed for them, successfully, but in doing so goodness went out of him as it did from Jesus when the woman touched the hem of His garment. Then:

He smiled. "Bring the little ones; I am strong again."

For a moment, as he stood there, his figure merged with another figure that he had called up by his words, and a wave of feeling passed along the benches. Mercy heard the man behind her scraping his boot-heels on the ground, heard him distinctly as he whispered to somebody beside him: "The God-damned Christer, him!"

She glanced quickly at Simon, but he had not heard; he was completely absorbed in another blessing that Joseph was speaking over the head of another child. (p. 33)

Mercy, though baptised in the novel, is not a converted woman. She is an educated, poetic woman who can see the realistic nature of life all around her. Married to Simon, her joy is in him, her family, and in the home they are creating together. Her pain, her anger, her suffering is in that which separates her from, or destroys her joy. Some critics, while noting the significance of this novel have observed that such difficultiesdo not arise out of circumstances uniquely Mormon. ". . . it seems clearthat Sorensen could have adapted her characters (in A Little Lower than the Angels) to, and worked out their problems in, another environment." (From "Mormon Storytellers" by Dale Morgan in Tending the Garden: Essays on Mormon Literature, page 10.) The criticism is unjust. One central difficulty of the novel, polygamy, is special to the Mormon experience, and particularly as viewed by Nauvoo's women. The other difficulties, though common to others persecuted for their religion, did happen to Mormons. Whether or not individual reactions were typical, worse, or better, the story is still a legtimate area of investigation for a novel. Read within any cultural perspective, this novel offers a true literary experience.

However, the story is more fully realized in certain segments of the novel than in others. Sorensen's telling of her more pristine truths occur when told through the experience of children or women. One thematic pinnacle occurs in Chapter XX, the story of Menzo's Indian Boat. Menzo is the second of Mercy's sons and has a natural affinity for the Native American's in the area. His idolization of their Chief is as intense as that of the Church members' committment to Joseph Smith. In the novel, interestingly, the Chief appears to be a more fully realized ideal figure than Joseph Smith. Menzo learns, almost intuitively with his family carpentry skills, how to build a birch canoe. His handling of it is almost as mystical as the lore which allows him to build it. Certain of his Mormon friends, jealous because he always controls it and won't allow them to row or guide it, steal the boat one night. They are unable to control the naturally light craft, it capsizes, and they drown. Their Mormon fathers, come to the Baker home after the funeral.

Menzo sat still, stroking his canoe. He was there when Elijah Fordham and Joseph Nunn and John Peck came for justice. He knew it was no use, but he said, standing up to them; "It wasn't the canoe's fault—they stole it."

"It wouldn't have happened," Joseph Nunn said brokenly.

"We don't want our boys a pack o' Injuns!" Elijah cried and his ax came down.

And Joseph's ax came down and John Peck's. It lay riddled and sick, like white bones with gay colors where the flesh clung. Menzo turned the color of ashes in the hopper. Then they burned it. But the next morning, and it was a great joy to Simon and a wonder to Mercy, Menzo was out on the ground again, his mouth set. Tamping, tamping, hardening the clay to receive the bark.

It is the above type of realistic, poetic detail with its capability for symbolization and foreshadowing which makes the novel so strong. Virginia Sorensen aimed high in this first work. My reading of it was an intense experience, and I found I needed to devote time to reading it. For me, the novel wasn't a quick read. In the end I felt the complete experience wasn't totally satisfying. Paradoxically, I also feel this is an essential work of Mormon Literature. Signature is certainly justified in republishing it. I would recommend it, and already have, to anyone interested in reading serious Mormon Literature.