Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Growing Up Duggar, Jana, Jill, Jessa, & Jinger Duggar

http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Up-Duggar-About-Relationships/dp/1451679165/ref=sr_sp-atf_image_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398101547&sr=1-1&keywords=growing+up+duggar


Growing Up Duggar: It’s All about Relationships

 

Jana, Jill, Jessa, & Jinger Duggar


Category: Parenting & Families; Faith

Synopsis: The oldest four Duggar girls, stars of the reality TV show “19 Kids and Counting,” discuss a young woman’s most important relationships, with a focus on faith and family.

Date finished: 20 March 2014

Rating: ****

Comments:
It seems disrespectful to start off a book review with the words “this wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be,” but that might be my most honest reaction. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the Duggars, and while I wouldn’t make some of their lifestyle choices, I respect them. I’ve read both of the books by JimBob and Michelle, and this one, written by their oldest four daughters, reads much the same way. The prose is straightforward, easy to understand, non-judgmental, and friendly.

The book deals with a young woman’s relationships with herself, parents, siblings, friends, guys, culture, country, and world (a chapter for each). They talk about their family and personal convictions regarding modesty, dating, entertainment, and serving others. They touch on politics, personal study and careers, the importance of family, and their role in helping others. Everything is filtered through a faith-based lens, because that is how they structure their lives.

I speculate that the girls had some help in writing this book. It sounds very much like the writing in the previous Duggar family books and very little like what the girls sound like when they’re being interviewed on their reality show. That didn’t really bother me. They gave examples for the principles they shared, and when they got preachy, it was adorably so. Much of the book was a rehash of their parents parenting style, but these are young women, and they are naïve to much more than what they experience at home and on their mission trips. You take it all with a grain of salt.

The Duggar family has followers and haters, and a whole lot of people just shake their heads and wonder how they can live that way. A lot of folks put them up as a poster family for all conservatives. A lot of folks throw around the phrases “brainwashed” and “judgmental.” Personally, I think you’ll find in this family what you look for. If you look for a strong, loving, principled family, you’ll see it. If you look for a close-minded, judgmental, fanatical family, you’ll see that. Personally, I find the family inspiring. Though I interpret scripture differently from them, our core values are the same. I appreciate what they do to bring comfort to others throughout the world.

Would you recommend this to a friend?
Yes. This would be perfect for a Christian girl from early teens through young adulthood.

You might also enjoy:
The Duggars: 20 and Counting!
A Love that Multiplies

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