Tia Levings’ A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape From Christian Patriarchy is a book you won’t want to put down; however, it should come with a major trigger warning. The book details Tia’s life in and escape from the Fundamentalist lifestyle and a husband with mental illness.
The book is well-written and evokes feelings of being a part of Tia’s experience. I had a panic attack and two weeks of nightmares while reading it. I’m a slow reader. I know what it’s like to escape a similar horror with the ensuing decades of recovery. That was the cause of my panic attack. It brought back the feelings I experienced when living in a truly bad situation for 25 years.
Still, I give the book – and Tia – five stars. I’ve heard so many people ask why someone would spend so many years living a nightmare. It’s because you know the horror you are living with, but trying to escape takes you into the realm of the unknown. Things escalate rapidly when you try to escape. Escape can mean death.
One thing I didn’t realize is how all of this fundamental lifestyle can begin in a First Baptist church. Everyone interprets the Bible differently, and I know a lot of Baptists who do not go in the Fundamentalist direction. I personally have experience with fundamentalists, and this book helped me to see things I’ve always known with fresh eyes. The book is not for the faint of heart, but I wholeheartedly recommend it.
