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eamoore17 's review for:
Growing Up Duggar: It's All About Relationships
by Jana Duggar
This was one of those books that I've wanted to read for over a year, but was incredibly embarrassed about buying from Walmart or borrowing from the library. I could imagine the silent judgment of the librarian as she ran this book across the desensitizer or the sarcastic smirk of the cashier at Walmart as I paid real money for this book. I would have to awkwardly explain that I'm interested in the Duggars in the same way that I'm interested in genocide and colonial violence-- in a strictly academic manner. Thankfully, my library had a digital copy of this, so I downloaded it, reveling in outsmarting the system.
I spent approx. 2 hours reading this book, and honestly, I want those two hours back. I thought that this book would be a deeper examination of the four eldest daughters of the Duggar clan, but it was little more than parenting advice. It wasn't a memoir, it provided very few anecdotes, and offered no novel insight into the lives of these women. At times it was über judgmental, especially in regards to women who don't follow their lifestyle. It was dripping with misogyny and had an air of superiority. The main takeaway I got from this book is that these women were raised in a very insular lifestyle, but don't seem to resent their upbringing. Oh, and abortion is bad. Because we can't have a Duggar book without discussing the "sanctity of life." Seriously, they went from discussing relationships with men and finding a "godly guy" to lecturing about abortion, which seems a great leap, considering that they never discuss (or even mention) sex.
While I would never recommend this book to anyone, it did give me a new appreciation for my own upbringing. Thanks Mom and Dad for just having one of me, for never scheduling monthly meetings to find out my favorite color, and for not teaching me that my only purpose in life is to be a wife and mother. You guys rock!
I spent approx. 2 hours reading this book, and honestly, I want those two hours back. I thought that this book would be a deeper examination of the four eldest daughters of the Duggar clan, but it was little more than parenting advice. It wasn't a memoir, it provided very few anecdotes, and offered no novel insight into the lives of these women. At times it was über judgmental, especially in regards to women who don't follow their lifestyle. It was dripping with misogyny and had an air of superiority. The main takeaway I got from this book is that these women were raised in a very insular lifestyle, but don't seem to resent their upbringing. Oh, and abortion is bad. Because we can't have a Duggar book without discussing the "sanctity of life." Seriously, they went from discussing relationships with men and finding a "godly guy" to lecturing about abortion, which seems a great leap, considering that they never discuss (or even mention) sex.
While I would never recommend this book to anyone, it did give me a new appreciation for my own upbringing. Thanks Mom and Dad for just having one of me, for never scheduling monthly meetings to find out my favorite color, and for not teaching me that my only purpose in life is to be a wife and mother. You guys rock!