I am completely fascinated with the Brown family and am not ashamed to admit that I love their reality show. When I saw that they had written a book, I immediately downloaded it on my Kindle and breezed through it in less than twenty-four hours. It's a very fast read! This book doesn't have stellar writing. I assumed that the Browns had help writing the book, but it doesn't come across as slick or professional. It reads very much like a self published book written by people with zero writing experience. Maybe this made me like it a little more, giving them kudos for doing it themselves. I'm not sure what the truth it and can't be bothered to investigate.
The format bothered me a bit. The book rotates between Kody and his wives, each taking a chapter to discuss a particular topic, like how they came into the marriage and how being on a reality show has affected their lives. It made the read a bit tedious. I would have preferred it being written interview style and if the story had included the opinions of their children and friends.
Setting aside the writing and format, the Browns have an interesting story and they have put themselves at great risk to tell it. I am from a very small family and growing up an only child without cousins, I find large families to be intriguing. I also love reading about fringe groups and cultures that are different than my own. This is what makes the Browns so appealing, the are definitely outside what would be considered the norm, but in many ways, they are no different than the average American family. If they had not come public, many of their neighbors and coworkers would have had any idea that they practice polygamy.
One message that was repeated throughout the book was the idea of patience and understanding in a marriage. I felt like the Browns gave great relationship advice garnered through their years of being a family. This advice could apply to any type of relationship- couples, friends, relatives. The idea of listening and learning what another person needs and knowing that all needs might not be the same for every person. In creating a strong foundation for any type of relationship, you need to listen to a persons needs and then meet those needs with understanding and compassion. The Browns all echoed the sentiment of striving for their personal best and always working towards that never ending goal. A big part of reaching that goal is connecting with each other and their children, making sure everyone feels loved and a vital part of the team. I know that many people will write off the Browns for their beliefs or the fact that they are on a reality show, but all of that aside, I felt like the book offered some great advice towards being a better person. The Browns are all very clear that they are far from perfect and have many faults, but I think this makes them more sincere. This isn't an advice book and it's anything but preachy, it's just a family telling their story and what works (and doesn't work) for them.