Jinger Duggar Vuolo is hoping her fans will all pick up a copy of her new book, Becoming Free Indeed, but there’s another book on the shelf with her name on it that she hopes people won’t read.
In a new interview with E! News to promote her new book, Jinger cringed when the subject turned to Growing Up Duggar, the book she co-wrote with her sisters Jana, Jill and Jessa in 2014.
“In that book I shared a lot of principles that I had been raised on through [IBLP founder] Bill Gothard‘s teachings, and I encouraged young girls to do courtship, to have certain modesty guidelines, listen to certain kinds of music, and now I look at it and say, ‘Ugh. I promoted that?'”
Jinger explained that, at the time she and her sisters wrote the book, they were under the impression that the IBLP standards they were regurgitating in Growing Up Duggar would help the readers become successful.
“My younger self would have looked at [the book’s teachings] and said, ‘Oh, that’s great.’ But now I look at it and I’m like, ‘Oh, I wish I hadn’t have said that,” Jinger said, grimacing.
“I wish I could go back to those girls who bought my other book and be like, ‘Ugh, don’t read it!'”
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If you haven’t read the jewel that is Growing Up Duggar, it’s basically the four oldest Duggar girls (who were in their early twenties and late teens at the time) spewing “the blessings and advantages of living the Duggar lifestyle,” which includes being obedient to your parents, avoiding pants and never being alone with a boy unless you’re married and ready to make blessings.
In the interview, Jinger also gave an update on where her relationships stand with her sisters. While she noted that some of her family members “are still in the [IBLP] system,” she acknowledged that “a lot have kind of walked away from it.” (We know that Jill no longer follows the IBLP teachings, but Jinger did not specify which family members are still part of Gothard’s group.)
While the tabloids have stated that Jinger is feuding with various sisters over the years, Jinger said that she actually has a good relationship with all of the older Duggar girls.
“I think all of my older sisters [Jana, Jessa and Jill], I’m so close with, and my younger sister Joy,” Jinger said. “We always had such a tight bond between the sisters and I keep in contact with all of them often because it’s so easy to just be able to FaceTime, even though I’m so far away from them. So we still have close relationships.”
In other interviews, Jinger noted that she hasn’t spoken to her oldest brother, Josh (who is currently locked up in federal prison), in over two years.
Jinger has not, however, discussed where her relationships with her youngest sisters, or any of her other brothers, stand.
“I’m hopeful that a lot of my family members will read this book,” she said.
Jinger has said that she and her parents (who are still diehard Gothard followers) “have just sought to talk about those things and, at times, agree to disagree.”
To use The Ashley’s Amazon Associates link below to order Jinger’s book, Becoming Free Indeed, click here.
You can watch Jinger’s full interview with E! News below.
RELATED STORY: Jinger Vuolo Talks About How the Duggars Feel About Her New Beliefs; Looks Back On Her Family’s “Crazy” Modesty & Courtship Rules
(Photos: ABC News; Amazon; TLC)
5 Responses
I feel like now it’s Jana’s turn. Find an independent man who will tell her how she has been brainwashed from young age, she doesn’t need a ton of kids (I feel like Jinger releasing this book also prob means her and Jeremy are family planning cuz she hasn’t been pregnant for like 2 years now which is a lot for a Duggar) to be happy and then there will be a third member of this family who got out of the claws of their horrible parents! (Yes, she is old enough to go on her own but unfortunately not in this family)
I hope she finds her happy place, independence and truth without a man to tell her what she should believe.
She doesn’t need another person in her life that she has to follow, admire and support in public no matter the nonsense and homophobic hate they rant, like her sister(s).
I wish an equal relationship for her and the option to disagree.
I honestly feel like the only reason Jana has stuck around this long, is to protect her younger siblings from her parents (and the older siblings that still believe in the cult and drink the koolaid). While it’s NOT her responsibility, or, rather, it shouldn’t be, I believe she’s taken it on anyway.
It’s entirely likely that she just doesn’t want a relationship at this point in her life anyway, especially seeing how it has affected her other siblings. She could be aware enough of herself to know she’s not ready for, or in need of one.
I still believe, though, the main reason she isn’t in one is because whether it is with someone in the cult or not, it would pull at least some of her away from her younger siblings. She’s not stupid, I am absolutely certain she’s aware of the dangers they’re in being in that cult, and family/house. I am positive she understands that if she leaves, they’ll be in even worse danger, but there is very little anyone (read: authorities) can or will do about the danger they’re in right now. CPS doesn’t give a flying rat’s left nut about these kinds of cults until, or unless, physical violence becomes a regular occurrence-even a few instances (physical, sexual, emotional and psychological) won’t matter, which is maddening. I know it doesn’t, because others in that same cult have been reported for exactly that, and CPS doesn’t care. Brainwashing isn’t considered child abuse by any standard, in any country, anywhere in the world, oddly (it should be).
Regardless of what Jinger says, she still drinks more of the koolaid than she should (though I commend her for drinking less). I do hope eventually she realizes it.
So proud of Jinger! I’m sure there are more “blessings” in that cult who wish to speak out, but are afraid of the money Jim Boob will cut off. He sure set them up to be dependent on his ass…
Obviously the under 18 siblings are all being forced to swallow that crap by their godawful parents