Counting the Cost (Unabridged)
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4.5 • 843 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
For the first time, discover the unedited truth about the Duggars, the traditional Christian family that captivated the nation on TLC’s hit show 19 Kids and Counting. Jill Duggar and her husband Derick are finally ready to share their story, revealing the secrets, manipulation, and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans.
Jill and Derick knew a normal life wasn’t possible for them. As a star on the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, Jill grew up in front of viewers who were fascinated by her family’s way of life. She was the responsible, second daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle’s nineteen kids; always with a baby on her hip and happy to wear the modest ankle-length dresses with throat-high necklines. She didn’t protest the strict model of patriarchy that her family followed, which declares that men are superior, that women are expected to be wives and mothers and are discouraged from attaining a higher education, and that parental authority over their children continues well into adulthood, even once they are married.
But as Jill got older, married Derick, and they embarked on their own lives, the red flags became too obvious to ignore.
For as long as they could, Jill and Derick tried to be obedient family members—they weren’t willing to rock the boat. But now they’re raising a family of their own, and they’re done with the secrets. Thanks to time, tears, therapy, and blessings from God, they have the strength to share their journey. Theirs is a remarkable story of the power of the truth and is a moving example of how to find healing through honesty.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Following the revealing docuseries Shiny Happy People and Jinger Vuolo’s tell-all Becoming Free Indeed, Jill Duggar’s shocking memoir dishes the dirt on her famous family. The former 19 Kids and Counting reality star details her troubling youth and eventual estrangement from her extremely Christian family, describing what it was like living under the oppressive patriarchal rules of Bill Gothard’s scandalous pseudo-cult, the Institute in Basic Life Principles. Duggar also maps her healing journey to a healthier relationship with faith and herself, thanks to a lot of therapy. She narrates her tale with deeply felt sincerity. Whether or not you’ve followed the Duggar family’s story, Counting the Cost is an interesting, triumphant listen.
Customer Reviews
Excellent read!
I finished this book in a day because it was so very interesting and enlightening! I along with so many others have been a fan .. this book was heartfelt and i believe very truthful.. and shed light on the whys and whats we have all had regarding the duggar family. Best wishes to the duggars.. shows just how human we all are even if outwardly things may seem perfect.
Such courageous , Beautiful Book!
I really hope you write again ! You are such a courageously deserving human ! I just finished listening too your book in a matter of 8 hours straight ! You Always where my favorite Duggar 💝 I pray for your healing in strength to continue to grow even stronger !
Personal and well spoken
As many other people have stated this is not the nasty details of many of the negative situations this family and Jill have been through. This book is however, her honest personal experience. As someone who has gone through similar type things with my own parents (money and my younger siblings are such a frustrating topic in my family), I get it. You can and do still love your parents even if they piss you off and do things that are wrong. You can be raised differently than society thinks is “appropriate” and still have a good upbringing. I wish Jill lived by me, she seems like someone I could be friends with, and it saddens me to think she felt like people would turn her private conversations/interactions over to the media. I envy how many sisters she has and the relationships she has managed to keep with them through all of this (I have zero sisters). Growing up is difficult and unfortunately, even religious parents struggle to realize the significance of children getting married. As soon as your child is married, they need to cling to their spouse and too many parents do not respect their children’s marriages. Jill is also a good narrator and I enjoyed hearing the story literally from the author. As someone who watched the show it was both sad and interesting to hear the back story. I am also religious and was raised in a religious household that many people don’t understand and belittle. I’m happy to see her and her sisters stick to their faith and understand the true meaning of faith, bad things happen to good people and unfortunately church goers sin just as much as the rest of us, they just haven’t given up. Church is not made for perfect people it’s made for PERFECTING people. I if you have followed the Duggars and their stories/lives at all I would highly recommend this book.