Book 16 - The Telling

Title: Untamed

Author: Glennon Doyle

Genre: self-help/memoir

Whenever I read a book about being a mom, or by someone who clearly places value in religion/monotheistic faith, it really throws my own biases up like stark, ugly walls all around me.

And...this book has both those things. As such, this book is maybe more challenging for me to read than it might be to others with whom those themes might resonate, or who are not grown-ass babies and can look past the things that don't apply to them. Unfortunately, I am clearly neither of those things - but I'm going to try.

The books starts strong. The first couple chapters felt like they were addressed to my issues specifically - the talk about are you actually living how you want to, or are you living according to some set of rules society has placed upon you is right in line with the gentle introspection I've been doing lately. The path the memoir takes, though, is tangential, and in my opinion tries to be too much. She talks about living her truth, even when making that happen can mean blowing up your whole world, and then moves on to sections/chapters/entries about gender roles/norms, parenting, intersectionality, racism, and her own philanthropic/activism work, most of which read a whole lot like sermons and lectures.

Doyle has a lot of interesting things to say, but I wish this book fell more on the side of memoir instead of self-help. Her own experience is so unique, and has clearly been so difficult but liberating for her, and that's what I want to hear about. I don't give a shit about how she thinks self-discovery can make you a better parent, or how to find God within - what I care about is how she does all those things. I want the specifics, because her journey is so interesting. Is that voyeuristic? Um, hell yeah - but isn't that the whole point of memoir?

Rating: 🍓🍓🍓