emilyctrigg's Reviews (3.52k)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

A well-trained wife is the story of Tia Levings' indoctrination into the IBLP/Christian fundamentalism sphere as a teenager and a young wife. I found this book incredibly interesting-- I love memoirs and autobiographical stories from people who have lived interesting lives.

Tia isn't the most brilliant writer. I found several of her chapters to have sentences that all basically had the same structure/length and a lot of the writing was fairly utilitarian. That being said, I absolutely could not stop reading this book. My husband had to pry it out of my hands one night for me to go to bed! While the writing was fairly simple, Tia knows how to craft a compelling narrative.

Part of why I enjoyed this book so much was because it felt like another path I could have gone down in my young adulthood. I grew up fundie adjacent in the height of the "purity culture" evangelical movement and went to a Christian college. If I had made slightly different decisions, or married a different person, I could have led a life *very* similar to the one Tia was trapped in for so many years. In some ways, this book was incredibly triggering because it was reminiscent of how I was raised or things I was taught as a child.

Tia is an incredibly strong woman who isn't afraid to stand up and be vulnerable with her story if there's any way it can touch someone else's life and perhaps get them out of a bad situation. I'm thankful this story exists in the world and I hope it sparks real change. I would definitely read more from Tia in the future regardless of the subject matter. This is a great read for people who enjoy: memoirs, cult books, were raised in evangelical culture, like non-fiction that reads like fiction.