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189 reviews for:
Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage
Meri Brown, Kody Brown, Janelle Brown
2.98 AVERAGE
189 reviews for:
Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage
Meri Brown, Kody Brown, Janelle Brown
2.98 AVERAGE
I was very disappointed with this book. The Brown family has always portrayed themselves as a "normal" family with great love and respect for each other, but this book says the opposite. The sisterwives do not even seem to like on another; they're not even really friends it seems. They complain throughout and do not really focus too much in why they are there: because that's what they believe. Sure they say they have revelations from God, but they do not give us an inside look into EXACTLY what their religion says, which to me, is major since that's the whole reason they broke the law and live under scrutiny.
The book felt like a whining fest, which would've been great for their diaries, not the public eye. They are pretty mean to each other and makes me think that polygamy isn't worth it. I thought they would be more functional. I understand that families fight, but it feels less like a family and more like a business arrangement.
I was also disappointed that Kody didn't have a voice in many of the sections. I understand the book is called "Becoming Sisterwives," but Kody is the whole reason they are all together. Are you telling he has no thoughts on family, being a celebrity and the "sorority" that is his family????
If you want to read about a more unified and organized polygamist family, I would recommend Love Times Three instead of this one.
The book felt like a whining fest, which would've been great for their diaries, not the public eye. They are pretty mean to each other and makes me think that polygamy isn't worth it. I thought they would be more functional. I understand that families fight, but it feels less like a family and more like a business arrangement.
I was also disappointed that Kody didn't have a voice in many of the sections. I understand the book is called "Becoming Sisterwives," but Kody is the whole reason they are all together. Are you telling he has no thoughts on family, being a celebrity and the "sorority" that is his family????
If you want to read about a more unified and organized polygamist family, I would recommend Love Times Three instead of this one.
This review is posted on my blog, Rachel Reading. If you like it, and would like to see more like it, please check it out!
So I do have a major addiction to reality TV, and I really don’t have any shame in that. I also have an addiction to books whether fiction or non-fiction, which help me understand the human experience so much more. I’ve always loved the Browns and found polygamy so intriguing. I never really understood a “good” form of polygamy before their show, I’d only ever heard that “polyamory” was good and that “polygamy” could never work. To me, the Brown’s TV show proved me wrong. I found myself really identifying with these women. Seeing parts of myself in all four wives, having a favorite, liking some better than others, it seemed so natural to me. Ever since them, I’ve always said, that I truly believe that if polygamy is a life that consenting adults choose, go for it. Everyone has the right to choose the marriage and family situation they want to live in, and from what I’ve seen from the Browns, their kids are happy, and healthy, as well as encouraged to be their own person without judgement. Some of the best parenting I’ve ever seen…but onto the book!
The book is broken up into sections, and I really liked the fact that Kody didn’t…really write it. I was much more interested in the wives, their perspectives on things and how they differed. The book was divided into four parts: Matrimony, Sorority, Family and Celebrity. Each wife got their own chapter, and with the exception of the Matrimony chapters which were written by each wife and Kody, they were written by each wife exclusively. The chapters were in marriage order: Meri, Janelle, Christine and then Robyn.
I thought I would go into this book with just a few “highlights”. For those of you who don’t know, I read on my Kindle often, and I have the ability to highlight passages that I identify with or want to keep. I had FORTY highlights in this book, an unheard amount for me, and the majority weren’t just goofy things that I thought were funny, they were actual things I took to heart. This was one of my favorites.
“Religion is by nature elitist. Everyone wants to believe that his way is the right way. Too many people, regardless of their faith, are small-minded enough to imagine that their beliefs, their doctrines, and their rituals are the only way to be saved or to know God. I’m not self centered enough to entertain these thoughts. In no way do I imagine that my family members are the only people who got it right. God speaks to each of us in His own way. He calls a person in that person’s language and reaches individuals in terms they will understand. What I’m called to do is not what you are called to do. I don’t consider followers of another religion any less worthy in God’s eyes or mine. I don’t believe that what’s appropriate for one person, is necessarily appropriate for all. The principle is my calling. It’s probably not yours- and that’s fine with me.”
It was also really refreshing to see these women talk about times when it WASN’T perfect.
“This was not the celestial plural marriage I’d imagined. It was uncomfortable and disheartening”
There’s a million more and maybe at some point I’ll share them all, but this book was full of so much wisdom. I think a lot of what they talk about when it comes to their relationship with their sister wives relates to friendships between women as well. There was child rearing advice, and just…existence advice. I wasn’t expecting to find quotes that were pertinent to MY relationship with God or with my life, in a book from Mormon Fundamentalists.
It just goes to remind me, and us, that we have more in common than we don’t. I could relate to these women, see myself in them, see how I would be in the instances they describe and it was amazing.
I really loved this book! It took me a bit to get through, sometimes it was hard to read all the wives accounts because often they would talk about things that we had either seen on the show, or another wife had already discussed. Sometimes even both. I would give this book four stars, and I would recommend to anyone interested in the human experience. Pretty good!
So I do have a major addiction to reality TV, and I really don’t have any shame in that. I also have an addiction to books whether fiction or non-fiction, which help me understand the human experience so much more. I’ve always loved the Browns and found polygamy so intriguing. I never really understood a “good” form of polygamy before their show, I’d only ever heard that “polyamory” was good and that “polygamy” could never work. To me, the Brown’s TV show proved me wrong. I found myself really identifying with these women. Seeing parts of myself in all four wives, having a favorite, liking some better than others, it seemed so natural to me. Ever since them, I’ve always said, that I truly believe that if polygamy is a life that consenting adults choose, go for it. Everyone has the right to choose the marriage and family situation they want to live in, and from what I’ve seen from the Browns, their kids are happy, and healthy, as well as encouraged to be their own person without judgement. Some of the best parenting I’ve ever seen…but onto the book!
The book is broken up into sections, and I really liked the fact that Kody didn’t…really write it. I was much more interested in the wives, their perspectives on things and how they differed. The book was divided into four parts: Matrimony, Sorority, Family and Celebrity. Each wife got their own chapter, and with the exception of the Matrimony chapters which were written by each wife and Kody, they were written by each wife exclusively. The chapters were in marriage order: Meri, Janelle, Christine and then Robyn.
I thought I would go into this book with just a few “highlights”. For those of you who don’t know, I read on my Kindle often, and I have the ability to highlight passages that I identify with or want to keep. I had FORTY highlights in this book, an unheard amount for me, and the majority weren’t just goofy things that I thought were funny, they were actual things I took to heart. This was one of my favorites.
“Religion is by nature elitist. Everyone wants to believe that his way is the right way. Too many people, regardless of their faith, are small-minded enough to imagine that their beliefs, their doctrines, and their rituals are the only way to be saved or to know God. I’m not self centered enough to entertain these thoughts. In no way do I imagine that my family members are the only people who got it right. God speaks to each of us in His own way. He calls a person in that person’s language and reaches individuals in terms they will understand. What I’m called to do is not what you are called to do. I don’t consider followers of another religion any less worthy in God’s eyes or mine. I don’t believe that what’s appropriate for one person, is necessarily appropriate for all. The principle is my calling. It’s probably not yours- and that’s fine with me.”
It was also really refreshing to see these women talk about times when it WASN’T perfect.
“This was not the celestial plural marriage I’d imagined. It was uncomfortable and disheartening”
There’s a million more and maybe at some point I’ll share them all, but this book was full of so much wisdom. I think a lot of what they talk about when it comes to their relationship with their sister wives relates to friendships between women as well. There was child rearing advice, and just…existence advice. I wasn’t expecting to find quotes that were pertinent to MY relationship with God or with my life, in a book from Mormon Fundamentalists.
It just goes to remind me, and us, that we have more in common than we don’t. I could relate to these women, see myself in them, see how I would be in the instances they describe and it was amazing.
I really loved this book! It took me a bit to get through, sometimes it was hard to read all the wives accounts because often they would talk about things that we had either seen on the show, or another wife had already discussed. Sometimes even both. I would give this book four stars, and I would recommend to anyone interested in the human experience. Pretty good!
Even tough I finished this book a while ago I still don't really know what to write about it.
I read the book because I've seen some episodes of Sister Wives on TLC, my guilty pleasure. Because I only watched a few episodes I din't know too much about the family so it was nice to read more about them in this book.
The book sometimes was a bit repetitive. Each of the wives tells her story, but often those overlap. At the same time it was nice to have all the different views so while it did bug me a little sometimes I don't think it would be easy to avoid this.
What makes it hard to write about this book is that I really don't know how I feel about their lifestyle. They seems like a great loving family, and are pretty liberal and modern not something I expected of a polygamist family. The book kind of confused me. Polygamy is so strange to me and something I don't really agree with. It seems sexist and unfair. But at the same time the Brown's do not hurt anyone, seem to like the lifestyle and the women are defiantly not shy suppressed women. They all seem pretty strong. So yeah, I am confused.
The goal the Brown family hoped to achieve with the show and book was to put polygamy in a better light. And while I still don't really understand the lifestyle and I'm not sure if I agree with it, my view of it has changed and they have shown that at least it doesn't have to be scary and demeaning.
I read the book because I've seen some episodes of Sister Wives on TLC, my guilty pleasure. Because I only watched a few episodes I din't know too much about the family so it was nice to read more about them in this book.
The book sometimes was a bit repetitive. Each of the wives tells her story, but often those overlap. At the same time it was nice to have all the different views so while it did bug me a little sometimes I don't think it would be easy to avoid this.
What makes it hard to write about this book is that I really don't know how I feel about their lifestyle. They seems like a great loving family, and are pretty liberal and modern not something I expected of a polygamist family. The book kind of confused me. Polygamy is so strange to me and something I don't really agree with. It seems sexist and unfair. But at the same time the Brown's do not hurt anyone, seem to like the lifestyle and the women are defiantly not shy suppressed women. They all seem pretty strong. So yeah, I am confused.
The goal the Brown family hoped to achieve with the show and book was to put polygamy in a better light. And while I still don't really understand the lifestyle and I'm not sure if I agree with it, my view of it has changed and they have shown that at least it doesn't have to be scary and demeaning.
Ugh Kody! I have no issues with polygamy if that's where your religion leads you. I could not see myself with anyone like Kody even in a monogamous marriage. It's his way or the highway. He makes it a point of alway saying he includes all his wives in his decision making but ultimately it is what HE wants.
The sister wives are said to be strong women. I just didn't get that. The constant complaint of jealousy and questioning their self worth in the family was grating on my nerves. They knew what they were getting into and voluntarily went into this plural marriage knowing that Kody would have other wives so they should have had their insecurities handled beforehand. I will say that I think this whole marriage/family arraingement works because of Robyn. She seems most capable to adapt to all situations that arise and knows how to work through them involving everyone fairly.
While I don't live this lifestyle, I don't judge it either. I learned some aspects of the faith and for that I'm glad I read the book.
The sister wives are said to be strong women. I just didn't get that. The constant complaint of jealousy and questioning their self worth in the family was grating on my nerves. They knew what they were getting into and voluntarily went into this plural marriage knowing that Kody would have other wives so they should have had their insecurities handled beforehand. I will say that I think this whole marriage/family arraingement works because of Robyn. She seems most capable to adapt to all situations that arise and knows how to work through them involving everyone fairly.
While I don't live this lifestyle, I don't judge it either. I learned some aspects of the faith and for that I'm glad I read the book.
I liked this one a little more than the Darger's book about their polygamist family. I guess the Browns just seemed more real? There's a lot more drama in this book, haha.
I am a fan of the TV show, so I was very excited about getting the backstory on the Brown family. I thought this book was great at allowing each wife to tell her story with Kody also giving his perspective. While I don't think anything is present that you couldn't get from watching the show, this was a quick and fun read for me while on vacation.
I liked this book. I find it difficult to 'rate' non-fiction that's about people's lives - it feels a bit like I'd be rating how interesting their life was, or something along those lines.
The best part of this book, for me, was the insight into what Janelle, Meri, Christine and Robyn have experienced in their marriages to Kody. Their struggles and triumphs, and also their perspective on their choice and living with that choice. Janelle's story especially was fascinating to me - she chose Kody for faith and practical reasons, and love has sprung out of that over the years. Realising how hard these women have had to work, and how open they have had to be, really makes me admire them. Being a plural spouse is not easy and these women seem to handle it a lot better than I could ever imagine doing so. I admire their dedication and faith.
I'll admit that at times I was irritated with the impression of Kody that I was getting in the book - it came across a bit as a young kid, thinking 'Oh, this is great, I can be married to multiple women!' But he's stuck it out for the long haul, so I respect his determination as well.
I'd recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed the show, it's interesting to get their perspective on things.
The best part of this book, for me, was the insight into what Janelle, Meri, Christine and Robyn have experienced in their marriages to Kody. Their struggles and triumphs, and also their perspective on their choice and living with that choice. Janelle's story especially was fascinating to me - she chose Kody for faith and practical reasons, and love has sprung out of that over the years. Realising how hard these women have had to work, and how open they have had to be, really makes me admire them. Being a plural spouse is not easy and these women seem to handle it a lot better than I could ever imagine doing so. I admire their dedication and faith.
I'll admit that at times I was irritated with the impression of Kody that I was getting in the book - it came across a bit as a young kid, thinking 'Oh, this is great, I can be married to multiple women!' But he's stuck it out for the long haul, so I respect his determination as well.
I'd recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed the show, it's interesting to get their perspective on things.