by Jill Duggar
First published 2023
Jill Duggar reveals the hidden reality behind her family's popular TLC show 19 Kids and Counting. As the second daughter among nineteen children, Jill appeared obedient to viewers who watched her grow up on television. She followed her parents Jim Bob and Michelle's strict patriarchal rules, wearing modest dresses and caring for younger siblings without question. The family system taught that men held authority over women, that daughters should become wives and mothers rather than pursue higher education, and that parental control extended into their children's marriages. After Jill married Derick, red flags in her family's behavior became impossible to ignore. The couple tried to remain loyal family members for years, unwilling to challenge the system. Now raising their own children, Jill and Derick decide to break their silence about the manipulation and intimidation they experienced behind the cameras. Through therapy and personal growth, they find the courage to tell their story and pursue healing through honesty.
Genres: abuse, autobiography, religion, non-fiction, biography-memoir, family-drama, christian-living
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: breaking-free, found-family, healing
Period: 21st-century
288 pages · Hardcover · Gallery Books
Content warnings: abuse, emotional-abuse, gaslighting, sexism