The Duggalos: Jinger and the Holy Goalie

[Churchhoney]

34 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

 

I wonder if the entire book is a 'whine-all'?

Well, the book can't have more depth and breadth than the minds of the people who talked it aloud into their ghost writer's voice recorder. And I think we already know that those two people are a bit limited in the range of what they think about and talk about....

Plus, the ghost writer was probably charged with making it as dramatic and exciting as possible. So she had to pump them for details that would fall into that negative-stuff-that-happened category, since it at least has conflict of some sort....

So....yeah....more whine than cheese. And that's probably the better parts.....😁 

The non-whine parts are likely so boring you can't read for more than three sentences without going off to do something else or falling into a deep sleep....

Edited April 28, 2021 by Churchhoney

[cmr2014]

7 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

While I feel bad for Jinger, I also feel she's exaggerating a bit. There were plenty of days she could invite her "friends" over when the film crew wasn't there and I highly doubt they had overnight guests that often. Jing makes it sound like they had folks sleeping in their home weekly.

This chapter definitely explains why they took the girls off SM. They would get so much shit about it after folks read the book.

I wonder if the entire book is a 'whine-all'?

It ALL sounds made up to me.

Friends? Cookouts? I don't believe any of it. Who would buy Jinger's diary for 100K? Maybe for $10, but 100K?

It all sounds like stuff that Jinger (or the ghost writer) thought would be issues growing up on television: acquaintances sucking up to be on tv, regular life be interrupted by filming, etc. That's just not who they are or what they believe in. JB and J'chelle were 100% proud that their kids had no friends outside of the family. Filming was the most regular, structured thing that any of them ever did. Jinger wasn't missing out on any sleepovers, or softball games, or choir practices because of the show.

I do believe that JB and J'chelle -- at least initially -- invited weirdos with big families to stay with them. JB would have absolutely expected his family to be welcome to camp at their houses any time they wanted.

 

[Scarlett45]

14 minutes ago, cmr2014 said:

I do believe that JB and J'chelle -- at least initially -- invited weirdos with big families to stay with them. JB would have absolutely expected his family to be welcome to camp at their houses any time they wanted.

I believe this too. 

[Churchhoney]

Alternate Title: Too Young, Unreflective, Repressed and Boring to Publish a Memoir. 

On the bright side -- Anything providing evidence of the overall jerkiness and idiocy I believe to be the hallmarks of Jim Bob and Meeeechelle Duggar is a meritorious effort, at least to some degree, in my view. 

Edited April 28, 2021 by Churchhoney

[emmawoodhouse]

I want to know how they remembered that one girl had a backpack. Who's to say that a girl with a purse didn't steal the diary? Yeah, a lot of questions regarding credibility.

[GeeGolly]

9 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

I want to know how they remembered that one girl had a backpack. Who's to say that a girl with a purse didn't steal the diary? Yeah, a lot of questions regarding credibility.

Especially if the TTH was basically a fellowship B & B, like Jinger would like us to believe. 

Or more likely, they had maybe four guests a year and it was easier to narrow down.

[crazy8s]

Jing has been an adult and married how long? I can't recall even one pic of her with a "friend" in texas or L.A. now maybe one of you all with a better memory can pull one up.

We see Jer with friends and we see Jing with his friends/food or Jing taking pics of Jer. 

no pics shopping with friends or anything.

oh but that one filmed thing where she fake shopped on the TLC dime with Jana.....

Edited April 28, 2021 by crazy8s

[GeeGolly]

Just now, crazy8s said:

Jing has been an adult and married how long? I can't recall even one pic of her with a "friend" in texas or L.A. now maybe one of you all with a better memory can pull one up.

We see Jer with friends and we see Jing with his friends/food or Jing taking pics of Jer. 

no pics shopping with friends or anything.

oh but that one filmed thing where she faked shopped on the TLC dime with Jana.....

I think there's been maybe three or four pics of Jinger and "friends", since Laredo.

[emmawoodhouse]

1 minute ago, GeeGolly said:

Especially if the TTH was basically a fellowship B & B, like Jinger would like us to believe. 

Or more likely, they had maybe four guests a year and it was easier to narrow down.

That's more likely. I doubt their place was a revolving door of leghumpers. It definitely isn't now.

[GeeGolly]

Jeremy said they did an interview with Fox News about the book.

[Churchhoney]

10 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

That's more likely. I doubt their place was a revolving door of leghumpers. It definitely isn't now.

At the time, there were still a lot more active or prospective IBLP people than there are now, though. You know -- misguided loonies looking to model themselves on the Duggar clan. Since they made up the bulk of Duggar visitors always, I expect, that would argue that there could have been visitors every couple months or so, I'd think......At least in some years 

After all, like the Duggars that crowd didn't go to school or work for anybody other than themselves, so they always had time to go wandering around in their RVs or decommissioned schoolbuses, looking to preach to somebody or enjoy the company of likeminded lunatics. .... And heaven forbid they pay for nights in RV parks, campgrounds or, dog forbid, motels. 😁

Edited April 28, 2021 by Churchhoney

[crazy8s]

7 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Jeremy said they did an interview with Fox News about the book.

🤮

[crazy8s]

52 minutes ago, cmr2014 said:

I do believe that JB and J'chelle -- at least initially -- invited weirdos with big families to stay with them. JB would have absolutely expected his family to be welcome to camp at their houses any time they wanted.

I do believe this was true in the early days of TV fame. Even Jill rodrigues and the horde visited (2017).  I  also remember someone on reddit or something telling of JB giving away the canned goods that TLC bought. walking them through the pantry after home church and telling them to take things.

this was all before the faux police car at the gate etc.

but still, even in a pandemic they host parties for hundreds of people. In some pics the stairs going up are blocked off,  in some they are not

Edited April 28, 2021 by crazy8s

[dargosmydaddy]

1 hour ago, cmr2014 said:

Who would buy Jinger's diary for 100K? Maybe for $10, but 100K?

It didn't say someone actually paid 100k for it, just that the seller listed it for that... people list things for all kinds of crazy prices on ebay. If someone was unhinged enough to steal Jinger's diary, they'd be unhinged enough to believe they could sell it for big bucks...

[Churchhoney]

35 minutes ago, crazy8s said:

I do believe this was true in the early days of TV fame. Even Jill rodrigues and the horde visited (2017).  I  also remember someone on reddit or something telling of JB giving away the canned goods that TLC bought. walking them through the pantry after home church and telling them to take things.

this was all before the faux police car at the gate etc.

but still, even in a pandemic they host parties for hundreds of people. In some pics the stairs going up are blocked off,  in some they are not

For a long time, they also considered themselves on a tv-driven mission to win people over to the Gothard philosophy/theology, too, I think. And people who worked for ATI/IBLP headquarters and such have said that in the 2000s, most of the new people who entered the groups came because they were inspired by the Duggars. 

It really wouldn't surprise me if at some point they saw it as part of their mission to open their home to some of the more fervent or "important" would-be converts to boost the cause. I've heard Meeechelle talk about the tens of thousands of young women that Jessa has brought to the correct Jesus because of her example and her mission, so it'd surprise me if Meechelle didn't want to do something similar....After all, the Gothard belief system was and perhaps still is a mission for God, as far as JB and M are concerned.......and it's also flattery for them to be the role models that people want to see. 

And it's at least possible they got some freebies -- and some payment -- from ATI/IBLP, too, to help them be good hosts who'd bring people into the group -- maybe people the org leaders saw as special in some way because they were younger generation or had a lot of kids or money to donate, people with some influence that the Gothardites were interested in, or whatever. There certainly was institutional enthusiasm at ATI/IBLP about using the Duggars as bait to build the organization in those days. A lot of people attest to that. 

Things aren't the same with ATI/IBLP nowadays, though. They're bleeding money and property and the Duggs' inspiration probably stopped inspiring so many people once the Josh stuff happened.....So it would make sense that while they had a certain number of visitors like this years ago, they haven't had them for a long time....

If this was an occasional part of ATI/IBLP recruiting and JB and M were getting some money for doing it, that's unlikely to be something that Jinger would know about, too. All speculation on my part, of course. But I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility that getting paid to host the occasional ATI/IBLP prospects as guests was part of JB's and M's job for their cult. 

Edited April 28, 2021 by Churchhoney

[JoanArc]

2 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I also don't know what kind of parents invite strangers to sleep at their home, especially after four of their daughters were molested. The whole thing is disturbing on so many levels.

DEAR GOD. “It happens and lots of families”. So let’s invite as many of them as we possibly can into our literal beds.  Jim Bob and Michelle need to get in one of the private planes and Just Fly Away, Amelia Earhart style. 

 I get, that we have the public will never know exactly what went on in regards to the scandal. But I am now 100% convinced it is probably worse than I can imagine. Both before, during, and after the molestations. 

[BitterApple]

6 minutes ago, JoanArc said:

 

 I get, that we have the public will never know exactly what went on in regards to the scandal. But I am now 100% convinced it is probably worse than I can imagine. Both before, during, and after the molestations. 

Oh, most definitely. I have no doubt in my mind those girls were coached to give a sanitized version of events. I think the occurrences were far greater in number than Boob and Meech led social services to believe.

 

[JoanArc]

[Zella]

2 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Oh, most definitely. I have no doubt in my mind those girls were coached to give a sanitized version of events. I think the occurrences were far greater in number than Boob and Meech led social services to believe.

 

I also think there were more occurrences than were reported. If I am not mistaken, Jim Bob and Michelle tried to frame it as if they were notified after each one--that Josh even willingly came and admitted it to them each time--but from what I recall of the police report, that is clearly not what happened and it was other siblings reporting Josh to them. And even the way the Duggars tried to present it (the molestations weren't that bad because the girls didn't even know it was happening because he was so "sly!") would indicate that there is no way to know, really, how many incidents there really were. 

[emmawoodhouse]

While I think the laundry room and storytime incidents were one-off, I am certain that Jinger and Joy suffered more abuse. It wasn't just touching Jill and Jessa in their sleep, over their clothes. Nope.

[Zella]

I read through the excerpts on Reddit, and what really struck me is that Jinger still seemed to do some special pleading for her parents. She keeps trying to frame everything as a reflection of what awesome people her parents are. So, inviting tons and tons of strangers to the house (and even recognizing they may have ill intentions and that their children are frustrated with this) is a product of them "showing their love" to people. 

[emmawoodhouse]

Stockholm Syndrome, thy name is Jinger. 

[Temperance]

The diary thing is believable to me. The seller was probably young woman who

a) didn't know what a reasonable price was. 

b) thought the Duggars held a higher place in the world. (This especially true if the seller was fundie, fundie-lite, ex-fundie, etc.)

I feel like the leg humpers feel that the Duggar children should be endlessly grateful. After there was always a roof over their head, food on the table, clothes on their backs, etc. 

Every single one of those kids has a right to resent their parents. Parents who signed up them for malignant cult. Parents who hit and blanket trained them. Parents who didn't give them a proper education and left mentally unstimulated. Parents who saw them as numbers. Parents who then exploited and started filming them when they were minors. Parents who controlled every aspect of their lives up to marriage and even then still control most of them. 

Just because they did some or much of the bare minimums of parenting, does not mean their kids should be grateful to them. 

If this is the worst the kids ever say about them, then they get off to easy. I hope both JB and Michelle to have the kids speak out more against their parents. They absolutely deserve it. I hope someday they will be depicted as the irresponsible jerks they are. 

[GeeGolly]

3 hours ago, Temperance said:

The diary thing is believable to me. The seller was probably young woman who

a) didn't know what a reasonable price was. 

b) thought the Duggars held a higher place in the world. (This especially true if the seller was fundie, fundie-lite, ex-fundie, etc.)

I feel like the leg humpers feel that the Duggar children should be endlessly grateful. After there was always a roof over their head, food on the table, clothes on their backs, etc. 

Every single one of those kids has a right to resent their parents. Parents who signed up them for malignant cult. Parents who hit and blanket trained them. Parents who didn't give them a proper education and left mentally unstimulated. Parents who saw them as numbers. Parents who then exploited and started filming them when they were minors. Parents who controlled every aspect of their lives up to marriage and even then still control most of them. 

Just because they did some or much of the bare minimums of parenting, does not mean their kids should be grateful to them. 

If this is the worst the kids ever say about them, then they get off to easy. I hope both JB and Michelle to have the kids speak out more against their parents. They absolutely deserve it. I hope someday they will be depicted as the irresponsible jerks they are. 

On its own, I don't see Jinger's reflection of growing up in the public eye as speaking out against her parents. I see the chapter as Jinger humble bragging about the sacrifices the family made to save souls. If there's more in the book that shine a light on JB & M, I might look at it differently.

Speaking out against one's parents is a really hard place for many folks to get to. There's a lot of hurdles to jump to get there. First they would have to recognize things, like the ones you mentioned, as wrong and/or abusive. They would also need to see them as malicious. And they would need to want to publicly punish their parents. Love and enmeshment make those hurdles very high and in the case of a Duggar 19, there would be a lot of collateral damage.

For the Duggars, its likely harder due to the religious aspect. Even if they recognized some of JB's & M's actions as wrong they probably wouldn't see any malintent. I think the tendency would be for a Duggar kid to look at JB & M as parents who were following the Bible and trying to raise good Christians. 

So I'm not sure any of the Duggar 19 will ever speak out against their parents beyond what Jill & Derick have shared, and to me what the Dillards have shared doesn't really address the big picture.

 

[FizzyPuff]

15 hours ago, SMama said:

Could someone please post screenshots unless it’s against the rules? I could only read one and a half pages. I just can’t figure it out.

[FizzyPuff]

14 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

I've heard Meeechelle talk about the tens of thousands of young women that Jessa has brought to the correct Jesus because of her example and her mission,

How did Jessa out of all of Mechelle kids get picked as the one who brought thousands to their Jesus? 🙄

[Albanyguy]

6 minutes ago, FizzyPuff said:

How did Jessa out of all of Mechelle kids get picked as the one who brought thousands to their Jesus? 🙄

Because Michelle plays favorites and Jessa (along with Crown Prince Josh and Precious Miracle Josie) seems to be one of the few kids Michelle really loves. Narcissist that she is, I think Michelle sees Jessa as the daughter most like HER. Jessa was the "spunky" one, the "hot" one, the one who would have been a cheerleader and mowed the lawn in a bikini if Gothard would have allowed such things.

[GeeGolly]

15 minutes ago, FizzyPuff said:

How did Jessa out of all of Mechelle kids get picked as the one who brought thousands to their Jesus? 🙄

I had never heard that before. Of all the kids, she doesn't seem like the likely star soul saver. 

[Tikichick]

16 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

That really is- also the girls had ENOUGH domestic duties caring for their siblings, much less hosting guests. Also the Duggar girls didnt have much growing up as far as material things (compared to the kids born after TLC came into the picture). For a teenager your bedroom/sleeping space is your sanctuary, not only did they have the big dorm rooms, they had to give up their BEDS, that is so emotionally dismissive, but this is JB & Michelle so I am not surprised. 

Not only that, but if it's true that it was deemed necessary to set limits on showers for the actual residents of the home, there is clearly no bandwidth available for overnight guests.

[GeeGolly]

2 minutes ago, Tikichick said:

Not only that, but if it's true that it was deemed necessary to set limits on showers for the actual residents of the home, there is clearly no bandwidth available for overnight guests.

The whole shower schedule thing was from when they had 14 relatively young kids living in a two bathroom home. I think the TTH has 5 or 6 bathrooms.

[ginger90]

Post by Jana:

[Tikichick]

4 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

The whole shower schedule thing was from when they had 14 relatively young kids living in a two bathroom home. I think the TTH has 5 or 6 bathrooms.

I'm not referring to needing to accommodate everyone taking a shower, I'm referring to flat out being limited to showering only on specific days.   I just read discussion here within the past week talking about the fact it's open knowledge the boys stink because they are only allotted so many showers.   If that's considered necessary they don't have the capacity for overnight guests IMO. 

[GeeGolly]

22 minutes ago, Tikichick said:

I'm not referring to needing to accommodate everyone taking a shower, I'm referring to flat out being limited to showering only on specific days.   I just read discussion here within the past week talking about the fact it's open knowledge the boys stink because they are only allotted so many showers.   If that's considered necessary they don't have the capacity for overnight guests IMO. 

I never heard the Duggars discussing limiting the guys' showers. Can someone point me to where I might find that? The only bathing/shower discussion I heard the Duggars speak about was about 15 years ago.

I also never knew the Duggars stink, although they do tend to look grimy and shiny in most of their pictures. 

[Churchhoney]

3 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

I had never heard that before. Of all the kids, she doesn't seem like the likely star soul saver. 

As I recall, she said this in the early period of Jessa's marriage. So I think that a reason for talking about Jessa this way was that at the time Jessa had much more of an individual public presence than most of the others.... She had her social media, her sort of "starring" on the show as the beautiful bride. She was traveling around giving speeches on 'modern modest"... and so on. People were inviting her to go hither and yon and give those speeches..............

Jessa was in a position to be doing a "mission" to the general public and spreading the word......And I'm sure Meechelle figured all that would continue......And, in fact, Jessa's got a helluva lot of social media followers.....So if you're a Duggar, you may well figure that she's saving those souls....

I think her designation of Jessa as the soul saver had a lot to do with Jessa's situation -- she had access to a lot of young women. And if you hear a Duggar, you follow the Duggar, right? 

Edited April 29, 2021 by Churchhoney

[SMama]

3 hours ago, FizzyPuff said:

Thank you! What a circus. Good to know the kids were as disgusted as the rest of us by the tater tot casserole.

[Tikichick]

1 hour ago, GeeGolly said:

I never heard the Duggars discussing limiting the guys' showers. Can someone point me to where I might find that? The only bathing/shower discussion I heard the Duggars speak about was about 15 years ago.

I also never knew the Duggars stink, although they do tend to look grimy and shiny in most of their pictures. 

No idea what thread it's in, but it was news to me as well.   I've always had a reaction to the TTH because I instinctively feel like it reeks the moment I see it, but I never dreamed the family would go about their lives stinky.  The discussion came up relative to pictures of the string of boys who are all a blur to me, I think on a trip with some friends and there was talk of the fact that it was well known the boys always smell.

[Zella]

I just want to point out that she doesn't say the house smells like, you know, stank. She claims it smells of bleach, and I totally thought that was a lie. I don't think these people are that motivated to clean. 

Unless they did frantic overcleaning for guests and then used the wrong amount of bleach because they don't use it often enough to know. 

Again, though, Jinger is not framing this as a criticism of her family. She is presenting it as a criticism of the people who visited. 

Edited April 29, 2021 by Zella

[Tikichick]

2 minutes ago, Zella said:

I just want to point out that she doesn't say the house smells like, you know, stank. She claims it smells of bleach, and I totally thought that was a lie. I don't think these people are that motivated to clean. 

Unless they did frantic overcleaning for guests and then used the wrong amount of bleach because they don't use it often enough to know. 

My comments about the TTH reeking aren't based on Jinger's comments.   It's just my speculation and instinctive reaction whenever I see it.

[Ohiopirate02]

4 minutes ago, Zella said:

I just want to point out that she doesn't say the house smells like, you know, stank. She claims it smells of bleach, and I totally thought that was a lie. I don't think these people are that motivated to clean. 

Unless they did frantic overcleaning for guests and then used the wrong amount of bleach because they don't use it often enough to know. 

Again, though, Jinger is not framing this as a criticism of her family. She is presenting it as a criticism of the people who visited. 

I'm torn on that one because I can see JB and Michelle going one or two ways when they find out company's coming. 

1.  Do absolutely nothing because why should they.  These people are coming to see them, they are beneath the great JB and you only clean for your betters.  And Michelle is lazy.  She may direct her girls to do extra cleaning, but she aint lifting a finger to impress fans before they show up.  Then she plays the role of attentive mother and housewife.  

2. Frantically overclean because they want to impress their fans in order to gain more fans.  But, given the pictures they have released over the years, I really don't see this.  They don't care how they may be perceived by others. 

 

I agree that Jinger is not criticizing her parents.  She would never do that.  She is still in the fold. 

[SMama]

The one thing I don’t believe about that excerpt is Michelle looking into Jinger’s eyes, giving loving advice, then hugging her. 

[BitterApple]

4 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

On its own, I don't see Jinger's reflection of growing up in the public eye as speaking out against her parents. I see the chapter as Jinger humble bragging about the sacrifices the family made to save souls. If there's more in the book that shine a light on JB & M, I might look at it differently.

Speaking out against one's parents is a really hard place for many folks to get to. There's a lot of hurdles to jump to get there. First they would have to recognize things, like the ones you mentioned, as wrong and/or abusive. They would also need to see them as malicious. And they would need to want to publicly punish their parents. Love and enmeshment make those hurdles very high and in the case of a Duggar 19, there would be a lot of collateral damage.

 

I agree. I don't know if Jinger is genuinely naive or denial is her coping mechanism of choice, but the tone reads like someone recounting traumatizing events but not categorizing them as such. Her privacy was violated numerous times, but on p. 37 she says it's all worth it because the show gave them a platform to draw others to Christ, spread the gospel, yada, yada, yada. 

Also on Instagram live, Jessa confirmed Jinger had an eating disorder, so that's no longer speculation. 

[crazy8s]

4 hours ago, FizzyPuff said:

i  am a bit confused on the page 36. So Jing tells of having to give up her bed to endless strangers and then wonders "who was in my bedroom?"

also interesting she knew to not write anything personal because siblings would snoop/spy/report?

I did laugh on the handwriting part and girls should dot the i s with a heart. exactly how meechelle signs legal documents. was interesting when she said girls should have "pretty, dainty cursive"  who would teach them that?? michelle prints her name on legal documents with the heart over the i - never cursive

[GeeGolly]

45 minutes ago, Tikichick said:

No idea what thread it's in, but it was news to me as well.   I've always had a reaction to the TTH because I instinctively feel like it reeks the moment I see it, but I never dreamed the family would go about their lives stinky.  The discussion came up relative to pictures of the string of boys who are all a blur to me, I think on a trip with some friends and there was talk of the fact that it was well known the boys always smell.

Oh sorry for the confusion. I wasn't looking for the thread, I was looking for where the information originated. The show? A Duggar blog? A Reddit post?

And how would anyone know they always smell, unless they've hung out with them?

[Zella]

14 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

I agree. I don't know if Jinger is genuinely naive or denial is her coping mechanism of choice, but the tone reads like someone recounting traumatizing events but not categorizing them as such. Her privacy was violated numerous times, but on p. 37 she says it's all worth it because the show gave them a platform to draw others to Christ, spread the gospel, yada, yada, yada. 

Also on Instagram live, Jessa confirmed Jinger had an eating disorder, so that's no longer speculation. 

Yes, that's the vibe I get too. It seems like any complaint, no matter how reasonable, was met with "keep sweet," and that was the ruling motto.  

Incidentally, I imagine that Jinger probably lacks the self-awareness or real-world experience to even now really see those events for what they were, though it does sound like how much she disliked it at the time still stayed with her. I imagine she will not anticipate the horrified reaction of many people to reading those stories, but she will just swat off any of that with the thought that any such criticism are from people who hate her and her family and are just being mean. 

I wonder what her editor's response was to all of this. A good editor works to make sure the author's point is understood but also acts as an advocate for readers, pointing out things that the author may not realize could alienate readers or rub them the wrong way. I wonder if, at any point in the production process, an editor tried to query her about how some of this could be interpreted. I have a hard time getting a read on this publisher. The rollout of this book has been a disaster, and I think Jinger and Jeremy are certainly to blame. But the publisher seems to be MIA, so I wonder how diligent anybody's work has been. 

Incidentally, I do think Jinger actually wrote those excerpts, even if they had to be substantially cleaned up by a copyeditor. 

Just for the record--I don't know people who are intimately familiar with the Duggars (I did meet someone who claimed her ex-husband was related to them but she refused to expand on it beyond that). However, living in NWA for most of my life, I have met my fair share of people who have met them. And nobody has mentioned that the Duggars smell. 

Edited April 29, 2021 by Zella

[Ohiopirate02]

4 minutes ago, Zella said:

Yes, that's the vibe I get too. It seems like any complaint, no matter how reasonable, was met with "keep sweet," and that was the ruling motto.  

Incidentally, I imagine that Jinger probably lacks the self-awareness or real-world experience to even now really see those events for what they were, though it does sound like how much she disliked it at the time still stayed with her. I imagine she will not anticipate the horrified reaction of many people to reading those stories, but she will just swat off any of that with the thought that any such criticism are from people who hate her and her family and are just being mean. 

I wonder what her editor's response was to all of this. A good editor works to make sure the author's point is understood but also acts as an advocate for readers, pointing out things that the author may not realize could alienate readers or rub them the wrong way. I wonder if, at any point in the production process, an editor tried to query her about how some of this could be interpreted. I have a hard time getting a read on this publisher. The rollout of this book has been a disaster, and I think Jinger and Jeremy are certainly to blame. But the publisher seems to be MIA, so I wonder how diligent anybody's work has been. 

Incidentally, I do think Jinger actually wrote those excerpts, even if they had to be substantially clean up by a copyeditor. 

I know that we can read the abuse in Jinger's account, but do the leghumpers?  We are not the readers for this book, and the publisher knows this.  I do think that the staff at the publishing imprint is the same kind of Christian who still sees JB and Michelle as "good Christians."  The same kind of people who wonder why Josh has not appeared on the show since 2015.  I know enough about Christian publishing and their stance on some straight up harmful inspirational fiction (they support it), so Worthy hiring people who fail to see how Jinger's story may alienate people seems par for the course. 

[Zella]

4 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I know that we can read the abuse in Jinger's account, but do the leghumpers?  We are not the readers for this book, and the publisher knows this.  I do think that the staff at the publishing imprint is the same kind of Christian who still sees JB and Michelle as "good Christians."  The same kind of people who wonder why Josh has not appeared on the show since 2015.  I know enough about Christian publishing and their stance on some straight up harmful inspirational fiction (they support it), so Worthy hiring people who fail to see how Jinger's story may alienate people seems par for the course. 

That's entirely possible! 

[3 is enough]

1 hour ago, Tikichick said:

No idea what thread it's in, but it was news to me as well.   I've always had a reaction to the TTH because I instinctively feel like it reeks the moment I see it, but I never dreamed the family would go about their lives stinky.  The discussion came up relative to pictures of the string of boys who are all a blur to me, I think on a trip with some friends and there was talk of the fact that it was well known the boys always smell.

I remember lots of discussion about the TTH being smelly.  There was speculation that some of the boys were bed wetters and that smell is impossible to get rid of short of tossing the mattresses out, which we all know cheapskate Jim Bob would never do.

Also, the girls walked around with bare feet which were always black so the floors were likely filthy.

Jim Bob and Michelle are the worst.  If you have any doubts that things are better now that most of the kids are married off just look at Jennifer.  That child is never happy and her smiles never reach her eyes.

[MargeGunderson]

43 minutes ago, Zella said:

Yes, that's the vibe I get too. It seems like any complaint, no matter how reasonable, was met with "keep sweet," and that was the ruling motto.  

Incidentally, I imagine that Jinger probably lacks the self-awareness or real-world experience to even now really see those events for what they were, though it does sound like how much she disliked it at the time still stayed with her. I imagine she will not anticipate the horrified reaction of many people to reading those stories, but she will just swat off any of that with the thought that any such criticism are from people who hate her and her family and are just being mean. 

Agree, I don’t think Jinger can reflect on them in anything but a positive light. For Duggars and their ilk, children are not allowed to have their own feelings or opinions, especially if they differ from their parents. Dad and Mom always know best, and are always doing the best for the kids. Anything but blind devotion and happy memories is being disobedient, selfish ungrateful, and worst of all not godly. It’s the keep sweet mentality. If you don’t like it, you’re wrong and should go pray to Jesus to make you a better person. Jinger’s just doing what she’s been taught. I mean, to have your diary stolen and posted on eBay, and your biggest concern is that your handwriting isn’t “feminine” enough? That’s fucked up.

[lookeyloo]

Wasn't there a ghost writer for this book?  She asks Jinger a question, writes up her interpretation of the event, shows to Jinger who says "that's great, you said it better than I could".  I would take everything in this book with a grain of salt.

[Ohiopirate02]

10 minutes ago, lookeyloo said:

Wasn't there a ghost writer for this book?  She asks Jinger a question, writes up her interpretation of the event, shows to Jinger who says "that's great, you said it better than I could".  I would take everything in this book with a grain of salt.

When I look up the book on Baker and Taylor (a wholesaler for libraries), it lists a Bethany Maugher as an author.  A quick Google search shows that Bethany has assisted other writers in publishing their inspirational memoirs.  

https://www.amazon.com/Free-Cyntoia-Search-Redemption-American/dp/1982141115/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1619714396&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.com/Kids-Off-Block-Inspiring-Vulnerable/dp/1540900428/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1619714351&sr=1-1