Christian Living
![Glennon Doyle - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_glennon_doyle.jpg)
Untamed
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Over two million copies sold! "Packed with incredible insight about what it means to be a woman today."-Reese Witherspoon (Reese's Book Club Pick)
In her most revealing and powerful memoir yet, the activist, speaker, bestselling author, and "patron saint of female empowerment" (People) explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet others' expectations and start trusting the voice deep within us.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY O: The Oprah Magazine • The Washington Post • Cosmopolitan • Marie Claire • Bloomberg • Parade • "Untamed will liberate women-emotionally, spiritually, and physically. It is phenomenal."-Elizabeth Gilbert, author of City of Girls and Eat Pray Love
This is how you find yourself.
There is a voice of longing inside each woman. We strive so mightily to be good: good partners, daughters, mothers, employees, and friends. We hope all this striving will make us feel alive. Instead, it leaves us feeling weary, stuck, overwhelmed, and underwhelmed. We look at our lives and wonder: Wasn't it all supposed to be more beautiful than this? We quickly silence that question, telling ourselves to be grateful, hiding our discontent-even from ourselves.
For many years, Glennon Doyle denied her own discontent. Then, while speaking at a conference, she looked at a woman across the room and fell instantly in love. Three words flooded her mind: There She Is. At first, Glennon assumed these words came to her from on high. But she soon realized they had come to her from within. This was her own voice-the one she had buried beneath decades of numbing addictions, cultural conditioning, and institutional allegiances. This was the voice of the girl she had been before the world told her who to be. Glennon decided to quit abandoning herself and to instead abandon the world's expectations of her. She quit being good so she could be free. She quit pleasing and started living.
Soulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member's ability to bring her full self to the table. And it is the story of how each of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honor our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts so that we become women who can finally look at ourselves and say: There She Is.
Untamed shows us how to be brave. As Glennon insists: The braver we are, the luckier we get.
In her most revealing and powerful memoir yet, the activist, speaker, bestselling author, and "patron saint of female empowerment" (People) explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet others' expectations and start trusting the voice deep within us.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY O: The Oprah Magazine • The Washington Post • Cosmopolitan • Marie Claire • Bloomberg • Parade • "Untamed will liberate women-emotionally, spiritually, and physically. It is phenomenal."-Elizabeth Gilbert, author of City of Girls and Eat Pray Love
This is how you find yourself.
There is a voice of longing inside each woman. We strive so mightily to be good: good partners, daughters, mothers, employees, and friends. We hope all this striving will make us feel alive. Instead, it leaves us feeling weary, stuck, overwhelmed, and underwhelmed. We look at our lives and wonder: Wasn't it all supposed to be more beautiful than this? We quickly silence that question, telling ourselves to be grateful, hiding our discontent-even from ourselves.
For many years, Glennon Doyle denied her own discontent. Then, while speaking at a conference, she looked at a woman across the room and fell instantly in love. Three words flooded her mind: There She Is. At first, Glennon assumed these words came to her from on high. But she soon realized they had come to her from within. This was her own voice-the one she had buried beneath decades of numbing addictions, cultural conditioning, and institutional allegiances. This was the voice of the girl she had been before the world told her who to be. Glennon decided to quit abandoning herself and to instead abandon the world's expectations of her. She quit being good so she could be free. She quit pleasing and started living.
Soulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member's ability to bring her full self to the table. And it is the story of how each of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honor our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts so that we become women who can finally look at ourselves and say: There She Is.
Untamed shows us how to be brave. As Glennon insists: The braver we are, the luckier we get.
Editorial Reviews
"Some books shake you by the shoulder while others steal your heart. In Untamed, Glennon does both at the exact same time."-Brené Brown
"This memoir is so packed with incredible insight about what it means to be a woman today, what it means to be ‘good,' and what women will do in order to be loved. I swear I highlighted something in EVERY chapter."-Reese Witherspoon
"Doyle might just be the patron saint of female empowerment. . . . Here she inspires other women to listen to their intuition and break free of what cages them. . . . Her memoir has a message as clear as a ‘go' signal: Find and honor your truest self."-People (Book of the Week)
"Reading Glennon Doyle's memoir, Untamed, is diving into an adventure of what we can become. We collectively grow stronger as we are more willing to ask hard questions."-Ms.
"Filled with hopeful messages . . . encourag[ing] women to reject the status quo and follow their intuition . . . This testament to female empowerment and self-love, with an endearing coming-out story at the center, will delight readers."-Publishers Weekly
"She is a terrific storyteller. . . . Whether discussing her children or the world outside, challenging conformity, confronting misogyny, or standing up to religious bigotry, her goal as a memoirist (and as a person) is to defy expectations and to help others break out of their cultural cages so that everyone can find their own version of humanity. A bracing jolt of honesty from someone who knows what she wants to say and isn't afraid to say it."-Booklist (starred review)
"An emotional gut punch . . . an in-depth look at a courageous woman eager to share the wealth of her experiences by embracing vulnerability and reclaiming her inner strength and resiliency. Doyle offers another lucid, inspiring chronicle of female empowerment and the rewards of self-awareness and renewal."-Kirkus Reviews
"This memoir is so packed with incredible insight about what it means to be a woman today, what it means to be ‘good,' and what women will do in order to be loved. I swear I highlighted something in EVERY chapter."-Reese Witherspoon
"Doyle might just be the patron saint of female empowerment. . . . Here she inspires other women to listen to their intuition and break free of what cages them. . . . Her memoir has a message as clear as a ‘go' signal: Find and honor your truest self."-People (Book of the Week)
"Reading Glennon Doyle's memoir, Untamed, is diving into an adventure of what we can become. We collectively grow stronger as we are more willing to ask hard questions."-Ms.
"Filled with hopeful messages . . . encourag[ing] women to reject the status quo and follow their intuition . . . This testament to female empowerment and self-love, with an endearing coming-out story at the center, will delight readers."-Publishers Weekly
"She is a terrific storyteller. . . . Whether discussing her children or the world outside, challenging conformity, confronting misogyny, or standing up to religious bigotry, her goal as a memoirist (and as a person) is to defy expectations and to help others break out of their cultural cages so that everyone can find their own version of humanity. A bracing jolt of honesty from someone who knows what she wants to say and isn't afraid to say it."-Booklist (starred review)
"An emotional gut punch . . . an in-depth look at a courageous woman eager to share the wealth of her experiences by embracing vulnerability and reclaiming her inner strength and resiliency. Doyle offers another lucid, inspiring chronicle of female empowerment and the rewards of self-awareness and renewal."-Kirkus Reviews
Readers Top Reviews
DeltaH
The cover is pretty and thats about it. The structure of the book was horrific. She jumped all over the places with rambly short stories mixed in with bouts of lecturing and patting herself on the back by what shes accomplished. I eye-rolled so many times when she recounted her life using such specific detail and direct quotes to the point that it seems overly exaggerated. I especially did not like the tone of the writing, she seems angry rather than a person that has finally discovered joy and love in life. I couldn't even finish this book, I called time of the death around 1/3 of the way through. Do not get sucked into the hype of this book and take a pass!
jaimeKatie G.C.C. an
This is not really a memoir- more like preaching. I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. She actually compares her young daughter to a prophet. (Eye roll) She falls crazy in love with a woman the first time she saw her (eye roll....sorry don’t believe in that sort of thing.) Also, the whole thing felt insincere. How can she recall a story that happened years ago, and use these perfectly worded quotes? It just felt really contrived. I actually stopped reading it. I’m not sure why there’s such hype about it.
EmendezHolly
I don’t understand the hype or appeal of this book at all. I got about 30% through and had to toss it aside. She essentially says that you should live by whatever you feel or believe at the moment, which by her own admission, changes all the time. Any decent therapist will tell you that this is really terrible advice. So I’m not going to listen to whatever else this woman has to say and you probably shouldn’t either.
Sandy Kindydana dunn
As a Christian I feel this book goes against my Christian morals and values. I purchased this book based on Reese's book club recommendation. It is by far the worst pick she has made in my opinion. Glennon not once mentions that the Christian faith is based on the Bible-the Word of God. She blames the church leaders for following it. We can't add or take away from the Bible to conform to her lifestyle choice. I see a woman who still deals with inner turmoil even though she listens to her "knowledge" and "imagination" and claims that this is her way to get out of her cages and live a more fulfilling life. She's clearly a mess still. She's all over the place. It seems that her "meds" aren't helping her as she's clearly still unstable. I think the real issue is that she's missing God in her life. Instead she thinks she is free by making her own rules not following His. Clearly she's not. She's still in her own cage dealing with her own inner demons and is confused as ever.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Part One
caged
sparks
Four years ago, married to the father of my three children, I fell in love with a woman.
Much later, I watched that woman drive away from my home to meet with my parents and share her plan to propose to me. She thought I didn't know what was happening that Sunday morning, but I knew.
When I heard her car return, I settled into the couch, opened a book, and tried to slow my pulse. She walked through the door and directly toward me, bent down, kissed my forehead. She pushed my hair aside and took a deep breath of my neck, like she always does. Then she stood up and disappeared into the bedroom. I walked to the kitchen to pour some coffee for her, and when I turned around, she was right there in front of me, down on one knee, holding a ring. Her eyes were certain and pleading, wide and laser focused, sky blue, bottomless.
"I couldn't wait," she said. "I just could not wait another minute."
Later, in bed, I laid my head on her chest while we talked about her morning. She'd told my parents, "I love your daughter and grandchildren like I've never loved before. I've spent my entire life searching and preparing myself for them. I promise you that I will love and protect them forever." My mother's lip quivered with fear and courage as she said, "Abby. I have not seen my daughter this alive since she was ten years old."
Much else was said that morning, but that first response from my mother jumped out at me like a sentence in a novel begging to be underlined:
I have not seen my daughter this alive since she was ten years old.
My mother watched the spark in my eyes fade during my tenth year on Earth. Now, thirty years later, she was witnessing the return of that spark. In the past few months, my entire posture had changed. I looked regal to her. And a little scary.
After that day, I began to ask myself: Where did my spark go at ten? How had I lost myself?
I've done my research and learned this: Ten is when we learn how to be good girls and boys. Ten is when children begin to let go of who they are in order to become what the world expects them to be. Ten is when our formal taming begins.
Ten is when the world sat me down, told me to be quiet, and pointed toward my cages:
These are the feelings you may express.
This is the version of womanhood you will mimic.
This is the body you must strive for.
These are the things you will believe.
These are the people you may love.
Those are the people you will fear.
This is the kind of life you will want.
Make yourself fit. You'll be uncomfortable at first, but don't worry-eventually you'll forget you're caged. Soon this will just feel like: life.
I wanted to be a good girl, so I tried to control myself. I chose a personality, a body, a faith, and a sexuality so tiny I had to hold my breath to fit myself inside. Then I promptly became very sick.
When I became a good girl, I also became a bulimic. None of us can hold our breath all the time. Bulimia was where I exhaled. It was where I refused to comply, indulged my hunger, and expressed my fury. I became animalistic during my daily binges. Then I'd drape myself over the toilet and purge because a good girl must stay very small to fit inside her cages. She must leave no outward evidence of her hunger. Good girls aren't hungry, furious, or wild. All of the things that make a woman human are a good girl's dirty secret.
Back then, I suspected that my bulimia meant that I was crazy. In high school, did a stint in a mental hospital and my suspicion was confirmed.
I understand myself differently now.
I was just a caged girl made for wide-open skies.
I wasn't crazy. I was a goddamn cheetah.
When I saw Abby, I remembered my wild. I wanted her, and it was the first time I wanted something beyond what I had been trained to want. I loved her, and it was the first time I loved someone beyond those I had been expected to love. Creating a life with her was the first original idea I'd ever had and the first decision I made as a free woman. After thirty years of contorting myself to fit inside someone else's idea of love, I finally had a love that fit-custom made for me, by me. I'd finally asked myself what I wanted instead of what the world wanted from me. I felt alive. I'd tasted freedom, and I wanted more.
I looked hard at my faith, my friendships, my work, my sexuality, my entire life and asked: How much of this was my idea? Do I truly want any of this, or is this what I was conditioned to want? Which of my beliefs are of my own creation and which were programmed into me? How much of who I've become is inherent, and how much was just inherited? How much of the way I look...
caged
sparks
Four years ago, married to the father of my three children, I fell in love with a woman.
Much later, I watched that woman drive away from my home to meet with my parents and share her plan to propose to me. She thought I didn't know what was happening that Sunday morning, but I knew.
When I heard her car return, I settled into the couch, opened a book, and tried to slow my pulse. She walked through the door and directly toward me, bent down, kissed my forehead. She pushed my hair aside and took a deep breath of my neck, like she always does. Then she stood up and disappeared into the bedroom. I walked to the kitchen to pour some coffee for her, and when I turned around, she was right there in front of me, down on one knee, holding a ring. Her eyes were certain and pleading, wide and laser focused, sky blue, bottomless.
"I couldn't wait," she said. "I just could not wait another minute."
Later, in bed, I laid my head on her chest while we talked about her morning. She'd told my parents, "I love your daughter and grandchildren like I've never loved before. I've spent my entire life searching and preparing myself for them. I promise you that I will love and protect them forever." My mother's lip quivered with fear and courage as she said, "Abby. I have not seen my daughter this alive since she was ten years old."
Much else was said that morning, but that first response from my mother jumped out at me like a sentence in a novel begging to be underlined:
I have not seen my daughter this alive since she was ten years old.
My mother watched the spark in my eyes fade during my tenth year on Earth. Now, thirty years later, she was witnessing the return of that spark. In the past few months, my entire posture had changed. I looked regal to her. And a little scary.
After that day, I began to ask myself: Where did my spark go at ten? How had I lost myself?
I've done my research and learned this: Ten is when we learn how to be good girls and boys. Ten is when children begin to let go of who they are in order to become what the world expects them to be. Ten is when our formal taming begins.
Ten is when the world sat me down, told me to be quiet, and pointed toward my cages:
These are the feelings you may express.
This is the version of womanhood you will mimic.
This is the body you must strive for.
These are the things you will believe.
These are the people you may love.
Those are the people you will fear.
This is the kind of life you will want.
Make yourself fit. You'll be uncomfortable at first, but don't worry-eventually you'll forget you're caged. Soon this will just feel like: life.
I wanted to be a good girl, so I tried to control myself. I chose a personality, a body, a faith, and a sexuality so tiny I had to hold my breath to fit myself inside. Then I promptly became very sick.
When I became a good girl, I also became a bulimic. None of us can hold our breath all the time. Bulimia was where I exhaled. It was where I refused to comply, indulged my hunger, and expressed my fury. I became animalistic during my daily binges. Then I'd drape myself over the toilet and purge because a good girl must stay very small to fit inside her cages. She must leave no outward evidence of her hunger. Good girls aren't hungry, furious, or wild. All of the things that make a woman human are a good girl's dirty secret.
Back then, I suspected that my bulimia meant that I was crazy. In high school, did a stint in a mental hospital and my suspicion was confirmed.
I understand myself differently now.
I was just a caged girl made for wide-open skies.
I wasn't crazy. I was a goddamn cheetah.
When I saw Abby, I remembered my wild. I wanted her, and it was the first time I wanted something beyond what I had been trained to want. I loved her, and it was the first time I loved someone beyond those I had been expected to love. Creating a life with her was the first original idea I'd ever had and the first decision I made as a free woman. After thirty years of contorting myself to fit inside someone else's idea of love, I finally had a love that fit-custom made for me, by me. I'd finally asked myself what I wanted instead of what the world wanted from me. I felt alive. I'd tasted freedom, and I wanted more.
I looked hard at my faith, my friendships, my work, my sexuality, my entire life and asked: How much of this was my idea? Do I truly want any of this, or is this what I was conditioned to want? Which of my beliefs are of my own creation and which were programmed into me? How much of who I've become is inherent, and how much was just inherited? How much of the way I look...
