Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary
The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary
The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary
Ebook495 pages6 hours

The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Finalist for the 2015 Association for Mormon Letters Award

“This just may be my favorite true-life amazing-but-true tale—never has threatening an aircraft been funnier or more thought-provoking.” —Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother and Homeland

“I devoured the more than four hundred pages of this memoir in what was essentially one sitting . . . A welcome addition to the library of Mormon autobiography—educational and highly entertaining.” —Richard Packham, Dawning of a Brighter Day

1987. A faltering missionary named Bill Shunn lands himself in a Canadian jail, facing charges of hijacking and the prospect of life behind bars.

1844. A frontier prophet named Joseph Smith lands himself in an Illinois jail, facing charges of treason and the prospect of imminent lynching.

What binds these two men together? This riveting memoir—by turns hilarious, provocative and thrilling—answers that question in style, weaving from their stories a spellbinding tapestry of deception, desperation and defiance. Answer its call and you’ll never look at a Mormon missionary the same way again.

“You will read few other books as smart, funny, honest, and heartbreaking as The Accidental Terrorist, and I unreservedly recommend it to you as both a home-grown cautionary tale and a highly original coming-of-age saga.” —Michael Bishop, author of Ancient of Days

“The book grabs you on page one and never lets go. Fantastically written, beautifully paced, The Accidental Terrorist reads like a novel instead of a memoir. Only in novel form, no one would have ever believed these events could have happened. Believe it. William Shunn lived every word of this book. That he can share it so eloquently is a tribute not just to his writing skill, but his strengths as a human being.” —Kristine Kathryn Rusch, USA Today bestselling author

LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 10, 2015
ISBN9781941928547
The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary
Author

William Shunn

William Shunn is the author of the acclaimed 2015 memoir The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary. Since his first publication in 1993, his short fiction has appeared in Salon, Storyteller, Bloodstone Review, Newtown Literary, Asimov's Science Fiction, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Science Fiction Age, Realms of Fantasy, Electric Velocipede, and various anthologies and year's-best collections. His work has been shortlisted for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the Association for Mormon Letters Award. His chapbook An Alternate History of the 21st Century appeared from Spilt Milk Press in 2007, and his novella Cast a Cold Eye, written with Derryl Murphy, came out from PS Publishing in 2009. He lives and writes in New York City.

Read more from William Shunn

Related to The Accidental Terrorist

Related ebooks

Cultural, Ethnic & Regional Biographies For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Accidental Terrorist

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5

1 rating0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    The Accidental Terrorist - William Shunn

    *cbook_preview_excerpt.html}ےǑam׬Дi.4P$ZH Ǩʨdge҅“>bvO_~̪gdb*/~9~W|=NC|OX}_3}c3V۔*oT*T4xǡIutR>Va!BVd1}dB=X'|nw 2j:F,pc즱ڧ .kL&ؗ戇o)vu+"^fB7;V=~B @pR1K]=pnƸɯ)dOomy7aǘf{^>cm:`8T#4v;|m]bk4cxn>~0aw)4{c{^Z\\'t56*mog[m[* |O5 a&8Դ톂4\/񣽙i/hrbmu#lkwEnj_CAxh mo0l16-$KX.͇#64hK95dk5ۮbcav7GunmN&ot:͝]m6Eg4Cefj"EgɄd:^+<~o?V׮LC +a |>*me5z ~;loN$Otuc[éXg? KbHYg0Sٵ-¸mjlM;c`#` a kdrsߤ|1 /_&>*S6xȻn{jڴK`OX@I;b{]e|{WRݘf4Woy^|K[۹9?曯7_w畅.SQM]m0K'[z޶TR봓߲maѳ[{|wǹ6_o6bmP\OfKe6۞DRlf?AlkSx厸V Fa t{{COg^3^*Xr_7~6Kajhb1s;9}.w3FNi2.v0Jli<)Yqє`TC3L]670ЌQgCB3amSWÐX![ߦ'5~1`Zz{trbFWmˆ$Y;{Ӗf޾<^0̓-^Sy6<{NfSH\nkwtoddpKs7+Xb C*橒ٍu깞[83/i[[0؏f}2_ܶ?nd 5}k8'ZӾlWslC}*l;(ch^m/|ssMވ߫{pX7*xw(筓 Ftzf[շQopo 4:3c6,I6w]m# cs-vtckĉvk KhT`HZthORĄ԰'%v`N; ̎?Y8̇VB;lb#ߔVPP0ns?0$lklͮDp&vк@fU]>k̅[ Dpyw8-pKebO汽E5dh.&\6b>_Ým?sWϫ+\3 ˯Fу)pn' (t[]?59B ?k2Ј*3<Al`^vD \|7;blp,Ջ|{}om:y4>'`34G@?hU/LQ>6_,j.zGec~o;cjڔ`aj.w'LB "CҴRb>DD]MaV֨9UZ|mq(P;d9Ntuʑnh6]kcKu$nBaxrP<*]O {}f?淈aVfΆ=`, ~;&*{д . 9\y^"/uK!${ k ?Ø݆@ֿ}?#@mW_F?^ZhG#H8_ 9Am/j!$9 PfBk|퇳GF&!GsTgY1oVbMjaň):ɯ @KH@.q_Ȕ1S& X-RDdDH4t)M<#)%ΟJ?"i1 c1aaXخ x!w|-I˩d&c.lxaPga )=_qz`˄CMGVZ9Lf.]%.zN׵tÀǸ4[,a'w0pRyC`hjBWȰjSC*Wj0{`l4  <1(E&m)?~&s``b5{b%'4+A)!-CH{<5̦2'"tWk$Afl|X zpǭ@VznCN)R(+@AlCG07r%9rH"?aAz Kߚ;Ӈ˸a1$?(تIdqn\'.ޫ![2%r,|lQl&Vt~fzͰ-Gb%AݮN, @q`)~6NGe~IX#XBI I1^vE+ m|aqhS8RٟⷕD"0m 9yVjz0tY0LLW˛9=/P__02CO]7?<_(غƚv2d`pY:k!),5sqW(0يP ck@vGDFU$Kݒ8P7yn1ُL@%GE(pqZ" >3&bNѮuVtU?rʉh:nOEZAym`mN[{wi?UA4?9Se1qe!%[WΣ!mHF ?:уpxnK, $5CYSB^Aa({#{aDM @ Edc?;'&'֠dW+p"=kTCf.0|%`zA*q4xud$hIE^nnNbppgNRpRJf1eͣ"8!ʠBWz1LccLkW2zLkITGz0';BIP}Ӫa 7n\vs]j P|Zp87\(|m< 2C`$;j-nnn7;u"޴pP@<`jº$E? zLq^ Su5B=\/ېƠ<[ &*z]餢gn"@ad|fV7p"oD&$c npAN|,}%V&1xl2"2_z\OYts/E6 ̪@HڒrĆHbIZ2JR,Xu0,:NLٳ]MBk$4Ma|kZvX=̇Fw39-l,#PPmQlRy/7|aFV"cAl'L2c>}e7 BP-ƍU: b~e< qʱn6mx<6 Ah$.R۫[t؃l/sF% #ض *~+`^֖2Dv#* GF;YP`ac!\aaf9vheBn]!+˱5b's v$ShC AV@?(cmˋF'Ih7~S[|%ޥN(AcJ`ڀ&//QnLo%tZf\iu_rv k  0n4tՏDc݇UON0#g2H $v~nPwA:B&x=@W#,="1i 5ln:fs\'Σg?G B|)1_^bj47i$?@  39C^G `8 Ķ7S&e]Jxr/iGHg0hQs0hy|p$9&(H6pop"wSfdq7nGL)=O \BN #`{@4e 3p僡`ȑ"|z(dWDY^d> NlGi~Pg!&/o&n^n`|^(Vy0]8yyI6'Ƅșhp0Gu3kwPb_ Mܯ;%t{.{Ik~(1dfݼGJu, lHHԽQ :tڠoJ& $+Z-s&48 s-?6-x^ވx{ؾ ӹ98H}ٺx~8{s <"n>B`D`x)xUZJS LP-zG_G/vOC2M d\YHiHAǭ,2`ynss&OKтש!c*Ui QĘ/&h܁9<&GU.ff}Ex%ƀ>N Jpf^]%;ڷ*c.ӺG %8^ٮι_Y?.m$=EoZ"Y |X*'wI3UAzF:gg0}{@ՙ/$м|OpЊF^3$mQyNx[ ukԂlJ:bɶPM%&ym⣪ӊ1%d?_K}ZeI{9 yJgc^X[TDjۖ(IN'oXNR@Ζ|K(L7Wv~Tcc~@A~)[ȲY'`PIrf`6ejcBwpHbueL;E 12f+ )ns8-bKC  1O[cq ~^<12Ns0otm6(P d>`t;iW[O90}d1hAiYt]E?-Дp-GΟ!M$y_DlJW3;=&2ź)}x:m#Y[qե_}ڙ\.#iؕu>PC.`Wyƫމr2B_J^*$2zsشZ%]F,f^ޜʑt.xd>x+.5_􆮒8Lc8_r JfM=s*vnx,Y0Q1$\G [_HTvMmc- Jfg& ?']Ǽgxc&`VJ;(& [qukfpa#]6B=-0a6Y08r0\Y"% ^\g+b62@ٺhcQ㫕8t)ZSJT\6!$Q>/Dmϫwx}dSqd^kCpQn=o!g'B%r=?oZvܛ]LIn^hqak%=A]cR % U_7ITD4g^;wP@릦jf7)RӝN+V(4EZԢ8nŅUAgmklSZ(湪BzD|a@_v[V Mr )Pe<8zȏ5b\ĻphD-x M{ 鞡])-^<=z;:vɄZ0-Qh2*rt6rVK$Ӕz@:YIwށꖚD<#%th%[KkffAW6кa"WGzbia9bOw( ƘO)$cÈ@q1e)I~J/;}_y<#CI̭Ѭi`x{=,ok ]˗!B>+qYjqΦdTj !\mPbLne:YG$^Exez<(Rps$cN>u*Sƕb ua̞6G"0Z[Sfb. rқ'1Z#S[r͈U*`_l) BVb*%U8Bt:4C+\ d܍K'aiePjmǘ8obW ff ׅb/ MMuaߪӼ{ @ wq_R<%x^O֘ątwf-CvkA:Nuc\.yVĤ0V||to 5Sʯ[0o) = =%;%sa#_|5J hK<H9TI,-|ImhR|Uyu-5Fk㓕pU5کChXJʨ+/neZ>\.ZV ^uO*5y *c (h!q#dڗH{Z ٝ05:-*݊B8'Sh\Zo#7Q[̆x聧zgD+jښ>䛠@Eo5Mf%`JO9>;{i5dbzF/NxDeۖNρLyJXȭ:{"Q.<&82,KO}~D2eZӎU4ǩP"Jh @J}ѣG1tx$1ͻmlkDm Sq5 jeB(Ul3Bk;!? B0L@mt) 7!1/&yu;3`y~'7 k %j_ui5jfy7zP(V )Ԫ٫N=) 9WQ{_APŶAP}V`HBCwvGj!y2KySO&O:Ť;XWGxYw㤼W5r,†oYiaa}?j,*bnJQ<Wιv4h޼k'Tq]*("e%Yw6j "^'6LlI\Q~83 ,9~63ÐPfs1tyHf6[\3E|8/RKp~ XEvXGyގg3,61}7SU?XWW/ ~R>%|Ƃ$F+ȄVS.ngX1 w3p"r6O@߻AY5&+\J0,%;WȱFҧ+p=<*'PqŶK|"m02?KVe?0Ԓ|2ը{MwsbVdڭ$~78J-.K0>\4E&;CCq@(ߐ#n`6љL"oNtk-$GA^ pT,uV(#Ov>ege-Cuy {'o媰{TpH* <2LMګι.P{i7>v4,% Lmg9o=ZE?ن'Lߢ`ˣmLAcAxj:ˍKU&)iSdKpD,h`j1"3eRy!hVJ.Pב܋>s/&v fw 6!=BNہ[?-䙮N&y~?vM+ObjSUjvOi؏9UEGE2jEGc=bFuz& ۽'_3*Bm\RJFٚc&Cl0eX}/|[}?CuYɟ@  i2@;'=p\_1Ans}(bQYUbe\A])JERC+1V4-+g\2DS3c 8Ay(6f-8H,#sVbعTC0di{V[NԎ)"5aJf0z=˙Ž' h/Mz㩖 mk *c=v3ma&b|w;ofl} =w_GzMQxmQvZ`zWGG<¶t8x5; a@&i4l"5ZШq}8ƁqCRJS>]2 XiU&Qc|ƠFPvt%0fLqM3Fl\.(:Y}W c'}W-P9ؚ?}2kD T4E"E]uVV}vck{53zϷm*BnD_a53pqB߳01dZ w:/0Q ZS6$cL?<|E {l 7`ŷYM-*򒝞OH:&`9fq+BP^PB1WIrSj@xxtO?[>@^S(ѐYC1I#m/¿H\6i^b6d1 &bA5Fd9 @gd m3vjķTd˄$yzk<8^!ck\`R ;͑ MgWDF9&bqSt<i >E19Ac_=ǪL(i0B+Z5Oށe@L۵IG0"o`HLځ?t*H&犡MT?D[ؓ0D&N AϙJǥ܌q.pEC,:#kA\#ЭtcW/ 'Vp2#|E<1:Z - GdpGel [ 6U c8@D&C~t?#`¢.@eA7~̔y6Vqct{zK^`Gd}Otcn !J,&Zy(7~`laI)UHc@Q `QOK@`vF'~gVM]LWm6rP$JW7aX<DYag$8o7e.B1\) ]H)<~Z=r7nS=MiL8_&QSSaдԬ5ࡩGx泧+ 0-ι>C兏lwܢVV6쳦fʟ%|\A4iX-ȹPplnQIL^Ӑ7Ǭ:T9o-P w9u>wo(qU pLWy4CU|vtt-5fm# Zg|L s{-9&TqsG?wq]dlJY [#:\yQ#OINմ(x*Vlrc.2)[,,'`i:\]:ShTUa^lƦ0vӂ`>կ~K|omJf84Pf$X0lgwӻqfܹ4!јr+WFfj4#"9d )$m] V'qs?jRqs'{1a%l#)eMu0t`~-U|5s0Jc`9lɓM|kX8HU{{rE~R6i%%WdhP"P]w >3]_ ]Q;wۖyCkeriJ6pgcG oME*$/![UiRFͮsj8L#YMk8_w|L8)gZ+8eʴ[xqt4>Gh=f6;2yZV9uqmg]C j^EJySQctVO] ) :WCw;Dڥhދv|oD$8TK; XW}rljYtB*Nn#r2ՉGN2*g}Y2 N*󚪞.si/|*A b5:g#[ X#¥ WC4J~"`z~s q\fSClݔGELfx_Wّr+axAJwbFA3-j g 2;vFRIDg.jWwaeBM ]'8M[g%sXCLk&,>Ю y.GC99m$ 6&q<^\TGf!W|>E ϦYmy-\ ]qVEoyGWLRRؠ } +d3](//45qտ4s(#0g_YKF6TH_vXoS Ar4?8IlQaۢfD/ݷVL}k7cxK!:q4$GSɱĢj;)p@dEb\ 3΄huIK[-O !̽^%&DQk?Dg -}=Pe"Kn'r58gjr)SsWJ5Sl2lɻR/VAr ,)?K3 ɩ8a<MΑO79dh39%%?ߌx9j `LpCu<^F__ .`B yסRŷ]f((W YjuQQ'}]kNqz`j`8@5>t 7T֚Muu^tc+&KU%
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1