Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage by Kody Brown

Mar 03, 2013 ♥ Marlene♥ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, religion, memoirs

Started watching this series last week or so. (watched all seasons, playing catch up) At first I really liked all of them, but after a while you see the cracks they so try to hide. They try to show how great they live together but they are all very jealous. Reading this book it proves I was right about one woman. The one I liked most at first, is the one I like least now. The over controlling Meri. Reading this book it so confirms that she is not such a nice woman as she tries to portray on the...more Started watching this series last week or so. (watched all seasons, playing catch up) At first I really liked all of them, but after a while you see the cracks they so try to hide. They try to show how great they live together but they are all very jealous. Reading this book it proves I was right about one woman. The one I liked most at first, is the one I like least now. The over controlling Meri. Reading this book it so confirms that she is not such a nice woman as she tries to portray on the show. She wants to be boss and always plays the victim.

I think she is postponing her decision if she wants to try for another child, because then she wont be pitied anymore. It was always poor Meri, who has only 1 child. ONLY!! Now that she could have another her role will change. She will not be able to play the victim cause she had the chance to have a baby. You also see on the show what a big spender she is.She wanted the biggest house with many bedrooms. And with the house that they are (not) going to buy, she has to have the 5th bedroom cause she has to have the wet bar. (what ever that is) ;)

Then you have saint Robyn. She seems nice , they all do but they are all so very conservative. Kody pretends he lets his kids choose their lives. Well we all watched he is constantly harping on that what he thinks is best,and makes sure they do what he wants.
I think I like Janelle and Kristine best.

Things that caught my eye is that when Robyn entered the picture,Meri and Kody decided the other 2 women did not need to know. Meri enjoyed her little secret with kody.

It is also obvious that Meri has treated Janelle very nasty. I have never heard or read about her really apologizing for that. She is always full of excuses.
Poor Janelle who slept in a little back room, having to watch Meri and Kody making out and being romantic. Meri who wanted Janelle to do it all her way in the kitchen.
Even in this book she blames Janelle, saying she is not honest to herself. No she is non-confrontational. which does not mean you are not honest!

She also stats she does not tell all because she wants to protect Janelle. To me this feels like she means Janelle did some horrible stuff but out of the good of her heart Meri is not going to tell. (rolls eyes)

I can go on and on with all the highlights I made reading this on my kindle.

Another thing. yes they tell a bit of the jealousy but I still feel this is a very superficial book. They talk about their faith only that they explain how they live. I still do not know their beliefs.

After reading this book where they showed a little of the cracks it is obvious that they hide most of it on the show.(less)

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Jun 13, 2012 Nanci Booher rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am not a religious person and have not been exposed to much in the way of religion. I am sad to say that I have a preconceived idea of polygamy--underage brides out of touch with the world, many many babies who are not taken to the doctor or exposed to modern conveniences. When I started watching Sister Wives on netflix, I was appalled and intrigued at the same time. So when I found out that Janelle had written a book, I had to read it. The show started 16 years after their lives together star...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Ashley rated it 2 of 5 stars

After the first couple of chapters, it all just felt like it was getting regurgitated over and over again. The writing style was as flat and uninteresting as reading a textbook, and it all just felt very... whiny.

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May 15, 2013 Lexi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: poly

I picked up this book expecting to have nothing in common with the people in it, except that I too can be in love with multiple people at the same time. I am not LDS, and I am certainly not FLDS. My inlaws are LDS, but they took pains to stress to me that plural marriage is not part of their world view. For a long time it wasn't part of mine, either. But even though I didn't enter into poly for religious reasons, and even though not a single member of my Pod ascribes to Mormonism, I found much o...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Greg Bates rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, book-club

Over at the Onion AV Club (who, sadly, have not reviewed this book) there's a good review complaining about the recent rise in what they call the "tell-some" novel. Traditionally, tell-all books are supposed to tell all, just as it says on the tin, but more and more celebrities are choosing instead to churn out tepid, wishy-washy garbage that teases juicy details while coasting on the subject's status. By these standards, Becoming Sister Wives isn't even a tell-some, it's a tell-nothing.

I read...more Over at the Onion AV Club (who, sadly, have not reviewed this book) there's a good review complaining about the recent rise in what they call the "tell-some" novel. Traditionally, tell-all books are supposed to tell all, just as it says on the tin, but more and more celebrities are choosing instead to churn out tepid, wishy-washy garbage that teases juicy details while coasting on the subject's status. By these standards, Becoming Sister Wives isn't even a tell-some, it's a tell-nothing.

I read this book for the same reason I watch the TV show Sister Wives: for the Nabokovian exercise of discerning where the 'cracks' are in the family-friendly facade the Browns produce for millions of people each week and just how screwed up they really are. Plus, my very strange Book Club chose it for April. In novel form, the Brown's family chronicle is less Nabokov and more Rashomon: the book is divided into four sections (respectively: 'Matrimony', 'Sorority', 'Family', 'Celebrity'), in which one wife talks about that aspect of their lives, then the next, and so forth. This makes it fun to spot the differences in, say, how two of the wives describe an event as being one persons fault and the third makes it sound like something completely different; however it also makes the whole thing kind of a slog: by the time you've heard one variant of 'it was hard but it got better', you've heard enough. In addition the writing quality is highly variable depending on which wife is writing: the fact that this carries over through the obvious filter of a paid ghostwriter is staggering.

Repetition and poor writing quality wouldn't necessarily sink a book of this nature; but being boring certainly does. There are a few revelations between the pages, but they're always brought up in a sentence or two and never mentioned again (what was the deal with Kody almost marrying a teenager, anyway?) In fact, the whole book consists of wasted opportunities: if this was the Brown's big chance to make a case for celestial plural marriage, they botched it by filling the book with sniping personal attacks on each other. Hell, they don't even explain what the concept means beyond "one guy marries lots of women" or how exactly it is religiously ordained - things I would very much like to know. They don't make polygamy sound like an ideal lifestyle: it sounds like hell on earth. But much like the television show that spawned it, Becoming Sister Wives shows occasional glimpses of something interesting, then buries it behind schmaltz and fake Mormon smiles. The Browns are much more entertaining when TLC does their editing for them - skip it.
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Feb 17, 2013 Stephanie rated it 1 of 5 stars

If you love to hate Sister Wives the show, you will hate yourself while you read this book. Obviously the reason anyone would read a book about how these five people came to be in a polygamous marriage together would be for the dirty details they might share. Not the sex stuff, obviously they're not going there, but the real emotionally taxing stuff about, you know, SHARING YOUR HUSBAND. But they gloss over 99% of that. They also barely mention anything else interesting, like the financial troub...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Maggie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Short review: If you're not into the show don't bother reading this because it's pretty much four people attempting to justify crappy relationships for 200 pages.

Long review: Yes, I read this book. Why? Because I'm a sucker for any TLC reality show. Also because I'm fascinated by super-religious people and why they choose to live the lifestyles they do. I can appreciate that unlike many reality shows, this one is more about the family and people that actually care about each other rather than d...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Rebecka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

As a fan of the TLC show, I was excited to read the book. While there really isn't much, topic wise, that hasn't already been discussed on the show, the book offers perspectives from each wife- which is something I think the show lacks at times in its goal to present a cohesive family unit. I wish they would have gone more into their religion and what it is that makes them believe in "the Principle" of celesial marriage (of which I still don't entirely understand the concept)and polygamy. I've b...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Cara Dee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Yes... I read this book. Why? Because I think this family and the women are SO interesting. It wasn't a BAD read, in fact it was interesting some of the things the wives had to say that are not revealed in the show.

First things first, Kody's parts were awful to read. I'm not a Kody fan and this book definitely made that feeling concrete. I was surprised by a few of the sister wives and how they treated each other esp. Meri towards Janelle and how Robin was treated while being courted by Kody.

T...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Tonya Heffelbower rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kody, the husband starts and finishes the book; however, the four wives have entries into each section of Matrimony, Sorority, Family, and Celebrity. Each wife explains her story of challenges, struggles, joys, and accomplishments. You can tell each is definitely guarded and never really gives sordid details of the jealousy and difficulties with each wife, only generalities. I understand they need to live harmoniously with each other; however, it would have been nice to have some of the dirty de...more Kody, the husband starts and finishes the book; however, the four wives have entries into each section of Matrimony, Sorority, Family, and Celebrity. Each wife explains her story of challenges, struggles, joys, and accomplishments. You can tell each is definitely guarded and never really gives sordid details of the jealousy and difficulties with each wife, only generalities. I understand they need to live harmoniously with each other; however, it would have been nice to have some of the dirty details. They each are pretty cautious not to completely throw a wife under the bus, but there are definite glimpses into some of the personality conflicts. Meri is abolutely the alpha female and in my opinion, won't let go of that crown. I think she is opinionated, bossy, and inflexible. Janelle is very logical, emotionally guarded, intelligent, and career minded. Christine is bubbly and fun loving but INSANELY jealous and really needs to get that in check in the lifestyle she has chosen. Then there is Robyn, who is personally my favorite, is sweet, loving, level headed, very conscious of others feelings, and a wonderful communicator.

What really is amazing and a testament is that 3 of the 4 marriages have lasted longer than most monogamous marriages. I do feel all four women are more emotionally mature than Kody. I think he found four women who have a tremendous amount of strength, loyalty, and commitment to marriage. It bothers me greatly that Kody doesn't seem to have any real career and had job hopped or been unemployed. I don't know how he provided for his wives and huge family.

My final thought on this book are that they all talk their faith, their faith, their faith. But aside from Robyn, their faith seems to be plural marriage, but little talk of their relationship with God. I am still mulling all those thoughts over in my head and I am sure will continue to do so as I watch the show.

My knee jerk reaction is to look disparagingly on this lifestyle, but I just can't throw stones because somehow these people have made this work and have raised what appear to be happy, healthy, and normal children.

It's not the best book in the world, but if you watch the show, it gives some more insight into each of their personalities. It's worth the read as it only took me 3 days.

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Aug 21, 2012 Janeen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, from-the-library

If you find the show interesting (as I do), this book offers a bit more insight. They discus the positives and negatives as well. It seems like each of the wives have been pretty unhappy at times (Robyn less so). Except for Robyn, they were all super young when they entered plural marriage, and really only Robyn seems to have entered it with anything approaching the maturity needed to navigate such a complicated interpersonal situation. A couple of the wives would refer to how they finally got t...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 05, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, memoir, non-fiction, tv-movie

One of my not-so-secret shames is that I love TV tie-in books so when I saw that a Sister Wives book had come out, I had to get it. (Sister Wives is a reality TV show on TLC that stars Kody Brown, his four wives: Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn, and their seventeen children.)

Becoming Sister Wives is divided into four parts and each wife wrote her own section for each part. Part 1: Matrimony is each wife's story of how they came to marry Kody. Part 2: Sorority is about how the wives get along...more One of my not-so-secret shames is that I love TV tie-in books so when I saw that a Sister Wives book had come out, I had to get it. (Sister Wives is a reality TV show on TLC that stars Kody Brown, his four wives: Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn, and their seventeen children.)

Becoming Sister Wives is divided into four parts and each wife wrote her own section for each part. Part 1: Matrimony is each wife's story of how they came to marry Kody. Part 2: Sorority is about how the wives get along with each other. Part 3: Family is about how the financial side of the marriage works and how the wives raise their children. Part 4: Celebrity is about how the wives' extended families reacted to them being on a reality TV show and how the wives are handling the stress of press tours, etc. Kody wrote the prologue and epilogue.

Since I am a huge fan of the Sister Wives TV show, I'm happy to learn any inside information about the show and family that I can. One of the reasons I like the show so much is that for the most part everyone gets along and there isn't too much drama or negativity. After reading this book, I know that the Brown's are keeping a lot of the more negative things going on in their lives from the camera. The show gives the impression that the first three wives have always been best friends. However, according to the book, they actually have never gotten along that great and are friends on a surface level at most.

Although I mostly admire the Brown's for being discrete on the show and in the book, part of me wants to know some down and dirty secrets! The wives mention fights and conflicts but are vague about details. Janelle writes about moving out several years ago when she and Meri had a really bad fight but doesn't write anything about what the fight was about. Meri writes about how she and Kody courted someone before Janelle but broke of the engagement when things went sour. She gives no details about why. This book was only 270 pages with a pretty big font so there was definitely room for dishing dirt. I can understand why they didn't even though I was somewhat frustrated by it.

This book goes into more of the religious reasons that they believe in plural marriage but doesn't go all the way. I think they are probably afraid of alienating people if they explain the whole deal because it is a very male dominated thing, with the man being the only way his wives can get into heaven. Also, the Brown's emphasize that although they are fundamentalist Mormons, they are not part of the FLDS led by Warren Jeffs. They don't name their domination in the book but according to Wikipedia, they belong to the Apostolic United Brethren, which is fairly liberal as far as fundamentalist Mormon sects go.

Although this book is intended for those who watch Sister Wives, I think that it would also appeal to those who want to learn more about modern day polygamy. If you are a die-hard fan of the show like I am, then you need this book for sure.
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Jul 03, 2012 Susan Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I first got interested in polygamy by watching "Big Love" which I thought did a good job showing the difference between the cult type polygamy and the "normal" one. Let me say that I am opposed to a group where there are child brides, wives passed around like currency, lack of education and health care and the dependence on government charity. This is the Warren Jeffers type of practice and I reject it.
The Browns do not practice that form of polygamy. They are all adults who entered the marriage...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Alison Dellit rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: gender, non-fiction, religion

So I read this overnight while awake with a head cold, and looking for something diverting and light. It certainly is that. (I think I spent longer writing this review).

It was hard to know how to rate this book. The Browns are engaged on a crusade to rescue the reputation of polygamy from that of abuse, incest and discrimination and the book is part of that attempt at image repair. That doesn't mean it is dishonest exactly, but it would be naive to think material that would buy into those images...more So I read this overnight while awake with a head cold, and looking for something diverting and light. It certainly is that. (I think I spent longer writing this review).

It was hard to know how to rate this book. The Browns are engaged on a crusade to rescue the reputation of polygamy from that of abuse, incest and discrimination and the book is part of that attempt at image repair. That doesn't mean it is dishonest exactly, but it would be naive to think material that would buy into those images isn't skimmed over. And at the end of the day, you can't achieve real understanding without accepting the possibility of criticism.

In fact, for what it is, the book is more honest than I expected. It's unlikely anyone would come out of reading this thinking that living a fundamentalist Mormon life is easy, or attractive. It tells like a long history of interpersonal struggles and bitter conflicts, one entirely skimmed over on the TV show. Fundamentalist Mormons view polygamy a little like Jane Fonda viewed exercise - something that's good for you because it's painful, difficult and uncomfortable. Because we struggle so hard with misery, they repeat ad infinitum, we become more understanding of other people's misery!More Christlike!. That's what really lies behind "It makes all of us better."

But while the interpersonal relations between the women, and some of the practicalities are laid bare, the book remains disingenuous when it comes to much of the how and the why. In the early part, Kody explains that he is the decision maker, the family patriarch, but is quick to minimise this as being because he is "the common denominator" between all three women. No mention of the role of a (male) priesthood holder in Mormonism, no discussion of divinely ordained gender roles, both of which are core to the beliefs of the church the Browns belong to. It's a bit like explaining communion as something Catholics do because "it tastes good".

It is simply impossible, and duplicitous, to accurately represent fundamentalist Morman views on polygamy without explaining the strong belief in separate gender roles, and a church where men have by birthright divine (and familial) authority that women lack. This is a religion which views salvation as a family affair, and one within which every family member has a very different role.

There are other nasties in the Brown's religion they skim over - no mention of the belief that Black men cannot achieve the religious authority that White patriarchs achieve; and the Browns repeated reference to being tolerant of people with different sexualities obscures their church's position that gay sex is sin, and its opposition to gay marriage.

It is always possible that the Browns, who decline to the name their particular church (it's the Apostolic United Brethren) do not agree with all its teachings. At one point, one of the women mentions that they are viewed as extremely liberal and easygoing within their own community. But if so, they should stop portraying themselves as the average, normal Mormon fundamentalist polygamists. It is more likely, I suspect, that they are following the guidelines Christine reports being taught as ways to handle the media - if asked about your faith, talk in generalities, and bring it back to your family.

Which the book certainly does. The intense love these people feel for their children, their strong belief that their children's lives are enriched by having half-siblings and other adult women around really shines (in fact, the sense that the wives view their own frustrations with this lifestyle as a sacrifice they make for their kids rears it head a few times). It's also clear that for most of the women, Kody represents a much more hands-on father than they've ever known. The intense patriachy they come from was reflected for me in this - Robyn describes with wonder watching Kody clean up a mess on one of his daughter's feet before bedtime, as if she had quite literally never seen a father take responsibility for such a day-to-day task before. Another wife exclaims with pleased shock that Kody actually spent time with other people's children sometimes! It's not worth getting too carried away - there's certainly no suggestion of Kody cooking, cleaning, or taking any domestic responsibility in the book. The women look after the home, and Kody is valued simply for turning up, and given bonus points for emoting. Even on child rearing, the women speak of developing their own discipline methods on their own kids, without reference to Kody. (And if you've watched the show, you'd know that these kids have serious charisma on TV, coming across as smart, smart-arse and appropriately rebellious).

I certainly believe in the possibility of a non-abusive polygamy. And I support absolutely the decriminalisation of polygamy, and letting consenting adults decide on their own marital arrangements. And in a world where most fundamentalist Mormons belong to abusive sects, the AUB's stance on underage marriage (turn 18 before the ceremony please!); education (college is ok, even if they mostly home or church school), and arranged marriage (church leaders still have to approve a marriage, but won't initiate one) is kinda welcome as an alternative. But to show the lives of those living within this faith without showing the basic, and often unpalatable, gender beliefs they rest on makes it just another piece of spin, and not the serious contribution to understanding that it could have been.(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love watching Sister Wives. It was easy to breeze through this book. I really enjoyed getting more perspective from Janelle. All the wives of course, but reading her passages gave me a better understanding and liking of her as an individual. They are strong and seem to be independent women. I don't know how I would act in front of a camera or how much of my personal life I would want to detail for everyone to scrutinize. They are so brave for writing this book and doing their show. I enjoyed r...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Karen Hansen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am completely fascinated with the Brown family and am not ashamed to admit that I love their reality show. When I saw that they had written a book, I immediately downloaded it on my Kindle and breezed through it in less than twenty-four hours. It's a very fast read!

This book doesn't have stellar writing. I assumed that the Browns had help writing the book, but it doesn't come across as slick or professional. It reads very much like a self published book written by people with zero writing expe...more I am completely fascinated with the Brown family and am not ashamed to admit that I love their reality show. When I saw that they had written a book, I immediately downloaded it on my Kindle and breezed through it in less than twenty-four hours. It's a very fast read!

This book doesn't have stellar writing. I assumed that the Browns had help writing the book, but it doesn't come across as slick or professional. It reads very much like a self published book written by people with zero writing experience. Maybe this made me like it a little more, giving them kudos for doing it themselves. I'm not sure what the truth it and can't be bothered to investigate.

The format bothered me a bit. The book rotates between Kody and his wives, each taking a chapter to discuss a particular topic, like how they came into the marriage and how being on a reality show has affected their lives. It made the read a bit tedious. I would have preferred it being written interview style and if the story had included the opinions of their children and friends.

Setting aside the writing and format, the Browns have an interesting story and they have put themselves at great risk to tell it. I am from a very small family and growing up an only child without cousins, I find large families to be intriguing. I also love reading about fringe groups and cultures that are different than my own. This is what makes the Browns so appealing, the are definitely outside what would be considered the norm, but in many ways, they are no different than the average American family. If they had not come public, many of their neighbors and coworkers would have had any idea that they practice polygamy.

One message that was repeated throughout the book was the idea of patience and understanding in a marriage. I felt like the Browns gave great relationship advice garnered through their years of being a family. This advice could apply to any type of relationship- couples, friends, relatives. The idea of listening and learning what another person needs and knowing that all needs might not be the same for every person. In creating a strong foundation for any type of relationship, you need to listen to a persons needs and then meet those needs with understanding and compassion. The Browns all echoed the sentiment of striving for their personal best and always working towards that never ending goal. A big part of reaching that goal is connecting with each other and their children, making sure everyone feels loved and a vital part of the team. I know that many people will write off the Browns for their beliefs or the fact that they are on a reality show, but all of that aside, I felt like the book offered some great advice towards being a better person. The Browns are all very clear that they are far from perfect and have many faults, but I think this makes them more sincere. This isn't an advice book and it's anything but preachy, it's just a family telling their story and what works (and doesn't work) for them.

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Jun 27, 2012 Jackie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I gave this five stars not for the writing but for the willingness of the Browns to share their story in more detail than on their show. I am impressed with them in all their glory and difficulties. Anyone who judges them and their lifestyle needs to read this book to understand how much they work at growing their love and commitment to each other, their children and their faith. As Kody says in the Epilogue:

"This is what makes plural marriage so sacred to me -- this calling to transcend my limi...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Raquel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: june, nonfiction

Am a fan of the Browns' TV show, which has completely changed how I view polygamy. Polygamy is not just practiced by the FLDS--the Warren Jeffs cults where a man takes dozens of wives, engages in sexual abuse, and marries underage girls. In fact, this faith is frowned upon by all other Mormons, including the particular sect that the Brown family belongs to. In this faith, polygamy is not something entered into lightly. The book explained in more detail how things work, though I do wish there had...more Am a fan of the Browns' TV show, which has completely changed how I view polygamy. Polygamy is not just practiced by the FLDS--the Warren Jeffs cults where a man takes dozens of wives, engages in sexual abuse, and marries underage girls. In fact, this faith is frowned upon by all other Mormons, including the particular sect that the Brown family belongs to. In this faith, polygamy is not something entered into lightly. The book explained in more detail how things work, though I do wish there had been more in depth explanation about the religious aspects of it because I am very interested in understanding the faith fully. But it did explain the process of selecting and courting a wife in detail, which was enlightening.

It was interesting and worthwhile to read some of the behind-the-scenes emotional and logisitical stuff that they don't have the time to explore in the show. This book really delved into the women's relationships with Kody and each other and showed the ins and outs of what a polygamist marriage takes in order to succeed. It also went more deeply into why the family chose to participate in the reality show. All five of the adults in the family said that despite the stress that comes with doing documentary TV, it has been worth it to allow their family to live publicly and without fear and to gain more widespread acceptance of the plural marriage lifestyle. They are able to live as open polygamists and some of the moms even mentioned how wonderful it is to be able to go out together in public as a family--something they hadn't really been able to do until the show aired. Think about that: never being able to acknowledge your family outside of your home. The book and show do a great service to nonconventional families by showing the greater public that these people are just like you. They may live a different lifestyle, but they aren't freaks.

Very quick and easy read and quite insightful. The writing was actually pretty decent too. You are best served to read the book as a companion to the show, though--I think being able to watch the family in action on TV helps enhance the material in the book. (less)

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Jun 06, 2012 Louise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs

Story Description:

Gallery Books|May 1, 2012|Hardcover|ISBN: 987-1-4516-6121-7

The Brown family, open polygamists, are the stars of the popular reality program Sister Wives, a hit for TLC not only because of the unusual subject matter, but also because of the honesty and frankness of the entire Brown family. Now in their own words they reveal even more to help viewers better understand the lifestyle, the family dynamics, the experience of living “on camera”, and the love shared in their unusual fa...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Katie Kenig rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir

I have a few "guilty pleasures" that have to do with reality tv, which my husband thinks is mind-numbing and should be banned. One of those pleasures is The Bachelor. The other, I'll admit it, is Sister Wives, a TLC production about a family from a polygamous Mormon sect in the western US. This book is purported to tell the history of that family and explain some of the background that the TV show does not.

The problem is, the book reads a lot less like a memoir than it does a therapy session whe...more I have a few "guilty pleasures" that have to do with reality tv, which my husband thinks is mind-numbing and should be banned. One of those pleasures is The Bachelor. The other, I'll admit it, is Sister Wives, a TLC production about a family from a polygamous Mormon sect in the western US. This book is purported to tell the history of that family and explain some of the background that the TV show does not.

The problem is, the book reads a lot less like a memoir than it does a therapy session where each member of the family is writing apologies and explanations to the others. There's a lot of "it's my fault my sister wife was mad at me for X though I didn't know it would make her mad at the time and gee I wish we could make up now". And there's some "I saw that this emotional reaction was stemming from X but there was nothing I could do to stop it, and I'm sorry that I let us all explode." And other stuff of that nature.

And when that's not going on, there's a lot of repetitiveness. I get it, the basis of the book is for each of the women to tell the story of their background, their relationships, and their launch to fame in their own words. Cool. But you know what? When they tell the same stories in only very slightly different ways I get bored. And I wonder what was wrong with their editor, that they couldn't scrape out some of the different versions of the same scene for something even slightly different and more interesting.

Those are the bad parts.

The good parts are that you can clearly hear the voices you are familiar with from the show in their written words. You learn a little bit more about their history. I've seen probably 75% of the shows that have aired in the series, and already knew about 50 - 60% of the material in the book. If you follow the show, you'll have the same issue. But that means that almost half or so is new stuff, and some of that gave me some insight into the family that had been severely lacking when I was watching the show. Yeah, I already knew about Christine's blow up over the Robyn's-wedding-dress issue, but didn't know she'd walked off set for three days. I already knew that they'd courted others in the past, but didn't know one was only 17 (Granted, Meri and Kody were young then, too!) since they are so against underage brides. So yeah, there's some dirt. There's some interesting stuff.

But you probably aren't going to be all that interested unless you're already a fan. There's not enough drama for an audience who isn't already invested in this story. It's okay for fans. It's a very fast, light read. I did enjoy it in more places than I didn't, I think, so if you are curious give it a go, but be prepared to skim sections that get slow.(less)

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Sep 01, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a fan of the Sister Wives Show on TLC, I was so excited to read this book with the hopes of the book explaining more about their day to day lifestyles, how they work as a family as well as indulging into some of their more personal moments.

I was somewhat disappointed in the book, only because I feel it focuses on so many negative perspectives of the lifestyle and so many negative feelings, I was hoping to hear more positive stories! However in saying this I read this book in a total of 24 hou...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Dc13 rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Hubs....(mine...) Tattoos....lots of em. Beard....kinda long and scraggly (sorry honey but it's true!) Mechanic....if you don't have one in your family then you just can't totally understand the fact that no matter how many cuticle brushes you buy THE GREESE AND GRIME NEVER COMES OUT! Temper....must curse at least twice to make sure that light bulb is actually screwed in correctly and knows to stay there! On the whole....pretty fabulous fella.
Try and make him deal with the 'joys' of more tha...more The Hubs....(mine...) Tattoos....lots of em. Beard....kinda long and scraggly (sorry honey but it's true!) Mechanic....if you don't have one in your family then you just can't totally understand the fact that no matter how many cuticle brushes you buy THE GREESE AND GRIME NEVER COMES OUT! Temper....must curse at least twice to make sure that light bulb is actually screwed in correctly and knows to stay there! On the whole....pretty fabulous fella.
Try and make him deal with the 'joys' of more than one wife (OK OK I'll admit I may make it pretty hard for him to be able to see the goodness in anyone ever again... :))....well let's just say he'd go off into the wilderness and become one of those mountain men TV is so loving to show these days, before he'd risk his health and happiness on getting another one of me!

Kody Brown....4 wives people! 4! The fact that the man has ANY of his hair left mystifies me!

As I previously stated, I have developed a rather strange fixation on these people. Can't explain it. Don't get it. Don't fault them for the way they choose to live their lives, I just personally don't get it.

This was really a very well written book! Every chapter skips between Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn...so each is given the opportunity to express their individual voices. And they are NOTHING alike!

All in all, there wasn't actually anything new in this book....that hadn't already been seen on the show. And I have to admit that while watching the show and still after reading this book...I have had a hard time feeling much of anything....good or bad...for Kody. Somehow though, these women....Meri and Janelle especially....were able to put into words the feelings and happiness....jealousy and anger....confusion and fear and most importantly the love and accetance, that dominates their lives. It was very interesting to me to be able to almost hear their different voices as they told their story here.

I still don't get it. But I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for these women who so obviously love their children, their husband and each other....even if they struggle to like each other all of the time.(less)

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Jun 30, 2012 Kerry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me start off by saying that I do watch the show. It is a guilty pleasure of mine but I love to hate Kody Brown. Maybe I've got it all wrong and he is a perfectly wonderful guy but he just comes across as a mostly aloof, often cocky bastard. Although the book changed a lot of my original views of the family it certainly did little to change my opinion of him. Especially when he finds it necessary to write about how his third wife Christine was such a chubber and totally turned him off as he...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Rachel Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm not really sure what to say about this book. I have watched every episode of their show, and I couldn't put this book down--I read it in less than 24 hours. I wasn't surprised by the "secrets" they shared in the book. If you watch the show, the tension between Meri and Janelle is evident. You could tell that Christine had a hard time with Robyn, and understandably so. There are great things about all of the wives and I like the way they work together in so many areas. I can see that there ar...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

I am an avid watcher of Sister Wives, the family's TV show aired on TLC, and have been watching since the first season. I agree with them that their story is an important one; before I learned about them, I didn't really know what polygamy could be like without abuse, incest, and child brides. I think that with the show and now this book, they've accomplished their goal of showing the country that they're just a normal religious family trying to raise healthy kids.

The book itself overlaps with t...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Heather Colacurcio rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

In a candid reflection, the Brown family, subjects of the TLC reality show "Sister Wives" recount the early years of their life as a plural family. From marriage and jealousy, faith and family, re-location and reality tv, the Brown's redefine society's definition of polygamy, leaving us with a family image that is, well, pretty ordinary. The Brown's ability to be honest and open about their faith and lifestyle should in no way be reviled, but should instead, be embraced. What is a family? It's p...more

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May 28, 2012 Kerri rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, read-in-2012, e-book

I liked this book. I find it difficult to 'rate' non-fiction that's about people's lives - it feels a bit like I'd be rating how interesting their life was, or something along those lines.

The best part of this book, for me, was the insight into what Janelle, Meri, Christine and Robyn have experienced in their marriages to Kody. Their struggles and triumphs, and also their perspective on their choice and living with that choice. Janelle's story especially was fascinating to me - she chose Kody f...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

I've watched the Browns' reality show on TLC so I thought I'd give their book a read. I still don't understand the theological reasons behind their belief in the "principle" of plural marriage, as the book doesn't really get into that. Kody is more articulate in the book than he is on TV, and his explanation about love in plural marriage was a good one: he compared it to a parent with one child, who can't believe they could ever love another child as they do the first -- but when that second chi...more I've watched the Browns' reality show on TLC so I thought I'd give their book a read. I still don't understand the theological reasons behind their belief in the "principle" of plural marriage, as the book doesn't really get into that. Kody is more articulate in the book than he is on TV, and his explanation about love in plural marriage was a good one: he compared it to a parent with one child, who can't believe they could ever love another child as they do the first -- but when that second child comes along, they do love it -- differently, but just as much. Janelle's explanation of some of the benefits of polygamy was interesting. She described how, as a working mother of six with two stay at home sister wives, she was always able to work late when asked, never had to worry about child care, or what to make for dinner. What working woman among us hasn't joked about needing a wife? Much of the book though, like the show, was a dreary collective navel-gazing about their insecurities and jealousies. I am surprised how people who are committed to the theory of a celestial marriage so often seem to be analyzing whether they married the right person and whether they should "stay." It was also sad how lonely many of them seemed to be. One thing I have taken away from this show and book, as well as from the HBO show Big Love, is that while polygamy is the farthest thing from my own personal beliefs, I strongly feel that in America these people should be left alone. If they are not marrying minors, abusing children or cheating the government with taxes or entitlement programs, they should be allowed to live in peace. It is shocking to me that in a society where men regularly father children out of wedlock to numerous women and then support none of them, these families who are working and caring for their children have to live in fear of being jailed and their families broken up. This was a quick read and I give the Browns credit for attempting to shed light on plural marriage, since the secrecy is what leads to a lot of the abuses. (less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good books challenge the reader to look at life and how others live it differently. This is just one of those books. This book leapt out at me as an opportunity to understand this family better. I couldn't wait to read it because I felt the show was a guilty pleasure and the book just one more opportunity to enjoy another fluffy summer read. While it was easy to read, it certaintly wasn't fluff.

This is a fascinating look behind the scenes of Sister Wives, on TLC. I was relieved to hear that the...more Good books challenge the reader to look at life and how others live it differently. This is just one of those books. This book leapt out at me as an opportunity to understand this family better. I couldn't wait to read it because I felt the show was a guilty pleasure and the book just one more opportunity to enjoy another fluffy summer read. While it was easy to read, it certaintly wasn't fluff.

This is a fascinating look behind the scenes of Sister Wives, on TLC. I was relieved to hear that there were petty grievances, jealousy, and very human emotions that aren't always depicted on the show. The book made them seem more normal, more human, and for that, I was willing to overlook some of the story telling that was disjointed. To call it amateur is given. They are amateur writers, but that isn't what you read this book for. You read it because you want to know more about this family who is bravely putting a face on modern American polygamy.

I strongly believe that all should be able to marry. This very normal family puts another face on the marriage equality issue.

If you are at all a fan of the show, it's a must read, but if you aren't, it's still a very good read. I found myself breezing through it, fascinated that women would still make this choice and what price they pay for it. But, there are also benefits to their children and the wives. They juggle and balance together, work together, in ways that I can't imagine.

The opportunity to explain WHY they are polygamists never comes up other than they feel it's sacred. I wanted to know more. More than just the conclusions that I've made on my own with other, very public polygamists (think Warren Jeffs). I'm sure that this is because it is a required secret to keep as a fundamentalist Mormon. But, I think if they're lifting the veil this high, why not go all the way? The time for secrecy is over if true understanding and acceptance are going to take place. Perhaps it will take another generation to accomplish this.

With all of that said, am I a true supporter of polygamy? Well, it's not that simple. I'm not a supporter of any religion that uses secrecy and fear to control others. I find that, in itself dangerous, but not limited to those who's religion steers them towards polygamy. This danger occurs any time religion is used to keep people powerless. Fundamentalists of all religions seem to persecute those deemed powerless and that usually always means women.

This book allowed me to learn a lot about a group of people living a more normal view of polygamy than I have been fed and led to believe by the media. Isn't that what books are supposed to do? Most importantly, it is the story of a family filled with really good people, struggling with very similar challenges to mine, doing it in a lifestyle very different from mine. Great for broadening my mind and making me think about what marriage equality actually means for all United States Citizens. (less)

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