Very interesting.

This is a book by Jill Duggar, of "19 Kids and Counting" reality TV show fame. She grew up on live TV in front of the whole world as one of the many Duggar kids, used as props by parents Jim Bob and Michelle to evangelize their version of quiverfull, homeschooling, IBLP Christianity. I picked this up after watching the "Shiny Happy People" documentary on Amazon a while back.

In simple terms, Jill tells the story of growing up in her community, and then of the reality show and how it gradually warped their lives until it began to leave room for nothing else. The bulk of the book is Jill and her husband grappling their way free of Jim Bob's viselike authoritarian control. A lot of the time, Jill comes off like a baby deer, wide-eyed and naive - feeling in the back of her mind that something is wrong, but unable to really identify or confront the problem until, gradually, the scales fall from her eyes.

There's still obviously a part of Jill that remembers Jim Bob as a loving father and strong, safe leader, and wishes and hopes that he will someday be that person for her again. Every time he lies to her, steals from her, blames her for problems he's caused, berates her with insults, or guilts her with accusations, her reaction seems tinged with surprised bewilderment. Even after years of this, it's hard for her to really believe that he is a fundamentally greedy and selfish person, who would sell out any member of his family for a crumb of increased power.

This memoir is critical of Jim Bob, and even seems like perhaps an attempt to "set the record straight" in public against all his defamations. Without delving explicitly into his many misdeeds, it is also critical of Josh. It's critical of the way the machine of reality television ate up Jill's childhood and spat it out in exchange for vapid entertainment and ever-growing viewership numbers. On the other hand, Michelle is hardly present and when she is mentioned, it's as a loving mother and devoted teacher. The only possible criticism of her based on what is presented here is that she is a weak enabler, just another victim of her husband.

This was interesting to me not just as a behind-the-scenes look at "what really happened" in the lives of TV personalities, but as an internal portrait of a woman struggling with betrayal by parents she loved and a system she devoted herself to. It's so easy to say "they abused you - cut them off" or "they're bad people - you don't need them in your life," but in reality it's rarely ever that simple.

I'm glad Jill found a supportive husband, and they were able to work themselves and their family free of this mess.