Courtesy of Jill Duggar/Instagram
Jill Duggar to Release Tell-All Book With Husband Derick Dillard About ‘Red Flags’ In Her Upbringing
Her side of the story. Jill Duggar is set to release a tell-all memoir with her husband, Derick Dillard, called Counting the Cost.
The memoir – which was cowritten by Craig Borlase – will include the “unedited truth about the Duggars, the traditional Christian family that captivated the nation on TLC’s hit show 19 Kids and Counting,” according to the book’s description on Simon and Schuster’s website. Originally set to release late 2023 or early 2024, Jill revealed on Instagram that thanks to the support and enthusiasm from fans, Counting the Cost will hit bookstores on September 12, 2023.
Counting the Cost’s description promises that Jill, 32, and Derick, 34, will share “the secrets, manipulation and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans.”
“Jill and Derick knew a normal life wasn’t possible for them. As a star on the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, Jill grew up in front of viewers who were fascinated by her family’s way of life,” the description states. “She was the responsible, second daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle’s nineteen kids; always with a baby on her hip and happy to wear the modest ankle-length dresses with throat-high necklines.”
The former Counting On star “didn’t protest the strict model of patriarchy that her family followed, which declares that men are superior, that women are expected to be wives and mothers and are discouraged from attaining a higher education, and that parental authority over their children continues well into adulthood, even once they are married.”
After Jill married Derick in 2014, the couple began to distance themselves from her family and became more aware of the “red flags” in her lifestyle.
While Jill and Derick were previously “obedient family members,” they are now “done with the secrets” as they raise their sons Israel, 8, Samuel, 5, and Freddy, 10 months.
“Thanks to time, tears, therapy, and blessings from God, they have the strength to share their journey,” the description concludes. “Theirs is a remarkable story of the power of the truth and is a moving example of how to find healing through honesty.”
Jill isn’t the first of Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar’s kids to write tell-all books about their upbringing.
Jinger Duggar released her memoir Becoming Free Indeed in January 2023, which broke down her decision to leave the non-denominational religious organization, Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP).
The organization, which was established by Bill Gothard in 1961, has faced backlash over the years for the way women are treated.
Gothard’s teaching include “male superiority and female obedience,” rules on how men and women should dress, homeschooling curriculums and expectations that followers will memorize the Bible, according to a July 2016 article in The Chicago Magazine.
Jill has also spoken out against the organization the family was raised to follow and will share her experience with IBLP in the Prime Video docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, which premieres on June 2.
“We were part of IBLP as early as I can remember,” Jill recalled in the trailer while sitting next to Derick.
She then revealed why she wanted to participate in the docuseries. “There’s a story that’s gonna be gold and I would rather be the one telling it,” Jill said.
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