Book Review of
A Well Trained Wife

Lynn's Review

A Well Trained Wife by Tia Levings is a memoir published in 2024.

A Well Trained Wife by Tia Levings is Tia’s memoir about living in and leaving the quiverful patriarchy movement, the same group that the Duggars were part of. Tia was one of the people featured in Shiny Happy People. 

This is a powerful memoir of Tia’s story of escaping abuse and overcoming the years she lived in fear. 

Tia’s life was full of discipline, isolation, and a lifestyle that was strange and different from those around her. It also included abuse, which she hid for years from her family and friends. She couldn’t get the help she needed because in her world, women were not allowed to have opinions. They were to be quiet and submissive. 

I have had trouble formulating my thoughts on this memoir, which is often the case with memoirs for me. I can’t stop thinking about this book, but I am having trouble putting my thoughts into words. 

This book is a troubling story of what can go wrong when Christians and the church take God’s word and change it into what they want it to be. It is also a sad story of powerful people using God’s and His word to justify sin. 

If you have read Becoming Free by Jinger Duggar and other similar books, I think you will probably enjoy Tia’s memoir. I will say that Tia’s book is very different than Jinger’s. Jinger’s book is a Christian book. I would describe Tia’s more as a memoir of her life, not necessarily a Christian memoir.