Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar Are "Bracing" for Jinger Duggar's Upcoming Book
Updated Nov. 10 2022, 4:17 p.m. ET
Given the Duggar family's multiple scandals in recent years, Counting On fans would love nothing more than for one of Michelle and Jim Bob's adult children to write a tell-all. And it looks like that could soon become a (partial) reality, considering Jinger Duggar has a new book dropping in 2023. Let's take a closer look.
As a recap, Jinger and her husband Jeremy Vuolo published a book called The Hope We Hold: Finding Peace in the Promises of God in 2021, followed by a children's book titled You Can Shine So Bright! in 2022.
Jinger Duggar's book 'Becoming Free Indeed' will be released in January 2023.
Jinger has a new book titled Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear set to release on Jan. 31, 2023. HarperCollins Christian Publishing's summary of the book reads: "Jinger Vuolo recounts how she began to question the harmful ideology of her youth and learned to embrace true freedom in Christ."
A more in-depth description explains that Jinger wrote a book in 2014 with her three sisters titled Growing Up Duggar: It's All About Relationships. It also details how her strict, fundamentalist Christian beliefs began to change thanks to the influence of (presumably) her brother-in-law, Ben Seewald, and her now-husband, Jeremy.
Jinger has since clarified that her book won't focus on her parents and siblings; it's merely a look at how she deconstructed the IBLP teachings of Bill Gothard.
"I want you to know, at the start of this book, it is not a tell-all about my family," she said on her YouTube channel. "This is a book about me and my spiritual journey."
"My faith is intact but it has changed. Instead of leaving the faith entirely, I've been disentangling it," Jinger explained. "My new book, Becoming Free Indeed, is that journey. ... In it, I share stories from my life, stories that nobody saw while the TV cameras were rolling, stories of fear and uncertainty — but also of discovery and hope."
She continued: "I share these stories because I want to be an encouragement to any of you who may be struggling to work through what you were taught while still loving Jesus ... When you grow up in a tight-knit community where everyone believes the same things about everything, it can be hard to even consider the possibility that what you were taught may have been wrong. But we all need to, even if it's hard."
What do Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar think of Jinger's book, 'Becoming Free Indeed'?
None of the Duggars have publicly commented on Jinger's book so far. However, a source close to the Counting On family told In Touch Weekly that Michelle and Jim bob are "bracing" for what it could possibly include.
"Jim Bob and Michelle aren't thrilled by Jinger's book coming out, but they are hoping for the best," the insider said. "They're not sure of all the topics she'll cover, but they have prayed about it and hope that it's honest, respectful, and doesn't dredge up too much of their family troubles."
Jinger and Jeremy's book, 'You Can Shine So Bright!,' stirred up controversy in August 2022.
On Aug. 23, 2022, Jinger took to Instagram to announce that her and Jeremy's picture book had officially dropped.
"We wrote 'You Can Shine So Bright!' because we want young kids, like our two little girls Felicity and Evy Jo, to know that they have been created by God with a special purpose!" she wrote. "He wants them to know his love and to share it with the world. We hope this little book engages your kids with the stories and illustrations (@nyha_graphics is AMAZING) and encourages them to want to know Jesus and the love he gives!!!"
Jinger Duggar's book has been called out for being racially insensitive and ableist.
As Katie Joy from Without a Crystal Ball points out, You Can Shine So Bright! offers beautiful illustrations and racial diversity in the children that are portrayed. Unfortunately, the white kids in Jinger's story are consistently associated with positive concepts while the Black children are connected to negative ones.
For example, a white boy is pictured with the pages about "Joy," and a white girl is shown in the section about "Peace" and "Kindness" — meanwhile, a Black girl is depicted stealing a balloon and not sharing toys in the part about "Self-Control."
Some reviewers have also called out ableist language. On another page, the text reads: "He loves you too, more than you know," alongside a photo of a child using a wheelchair.
Many disgruntled readers have taken to social media to air their grievances about Jinger's book. One Instagram user commented: "Why did the little Black girl have all the negative emotions attached to her ?? Not a good look 😢."
Another person wrote: "Book had tons of racial undertones in it."
Yet another person chimed in with: "'Try to obey' and the Black little girl stealing a balloon??"
As this Redditor pointed out, readers weren't too kind in the Amazon reviews, either.
"I was gifted this book and after reading it, I threw it in the garbage," one person declared. "Showing a little girl of color stealing a balloon, saying that a child who has a disability is loved by God too? I will never read this book to my grandchildren."
"The story is very privileged and smacks of a savior complex," another Amazon reviewer wrote.
You Can Shine So Bright! currently has a 2.9-star rating on Amazon, in case you were curious.
Neither Jinger nor Jeremy have addressed the negative reviews. If you're still interested in reading it for yourself, you can buy You Can Shine So Bright! on Amazon. (Or, you know, don't.)
Circling back: What do you think about Jinger's new book, Becoming Free Indeed? Do you think she'll drag her upbringing through the coals? Or do you think she'll respectfully explain how she (partially) deconstructed her parents' ideologies?