A review by probablyjenna
A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy by Tia Levings

4.5

I love books about unpacking religious trauma, and that is absolutely what you’re going to get if you pick up A Well-Trained Wife. WOW, did my heart just break for Tia right from the start!

Tia Levings starts with a dramatic opening, then eases us backward in time to help show readers how she reached that point. From childhood, church serves as more of a point of fear-mongering than a source of comfort for her. As a child, she has extreme anxiety about the rapture and her general wickedness, despite being so young. As she grows, her people pleasing and conflict aversion tendencies lead her further into very fundamentalist church sectors. By the time she’s married with four children, her life is a terrifying picture of a woman living through domestic violence.

I found this fascinating right from the start, and really appreciated the vulnerability Levings employed as she shares her story. I also appreciate that she shares the aftermath of leaving as well, although I do think it dragged out just a bit. But seeing what her life shaped into after fleeing a dangerous situation was really wonderful, and I imagine was quite healing to write.

There are some big trigger warnings for this, so be kind to yourself and check those out if needed.

Overall, I recommend this one. It’s a frightening look at a world that is far more common than we think.