A Well-Trained Wife

"Terrifying. So scary to realize that modern day people are complicit in religious subjugation of women. Satisfying to read one woman's account of waking up to the nonsense. The writing is competent too. 3 1/2 stars."

"<strong>Good read</strong><br/><br/>I Liked this book but whatever happened to Allen? Did he just fall off the earth? I feel like there was no justice for the crap she went through."

"As someone who grew up in this, she does a good job portraying this belief system and how damaging and abusive it is"

"TW: SA, DV, suicidal ideation, death of a pet, religious trauma/abuse, death of a child <br/><br/>Wow- this was a heavy read but so important. <br/><br/>Tia shares her experience of being in a patriarchal marriage, where she was under full control of an abusive husband along with encouragement from church leaders to obey and be a “better wife.” We live in a devastating reality where powerful men in leadership positions— in government, church, organizations, etc.— amplify the narrative that they dictate women’s voices, needs, and bodily autonomy; they “know what’s best” because they believe we’re more naive and are expected to be meek… because we’re lesser. It’s a culture where women are often viewed as having no value apart from their husbands, children, and homes. There’s no room for women to have thoughts and opinions in a patriarchal society, and this view, coupled with errant religious teachings, creeps into a dangerous territory that is far too easy for men in power to cross into.<br/><br/>Thank you, Tia, for sharing your story of finding your voice, autonomy, and self-compassion. It was heartbreaking yet beautiful. <br/><br/>My favorite quote from this book:<br/><br/>“When Donald Trump ran for president and talked about grabbing women by the *****, and then was lauded by Franklin Graham and Jerry Falwell Jr. and called a man of God, and all the Christians of my youth on Facebook applauded him and voted for him, I knew my problem wasn’t with spirituality or the divine. It was with the systems and personalities who’d sought to gain control and power in Jesus’s name, amen.”"

"As someone that grew up in a very strict Pentecostal church and family (and still unfortunately have to live here), this kinda of feels too close to home. One thing I have to say is that I hate the patriarchal system and how easy it is to manipulate young women into believing something that openly oppresses them. I am so glad that Tia is out of that world and living her best life."