Love Times Three Our True Story Of A Polygamous Marriage (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
What an amazing functional family! My interest in Polygamy (purely intellectual) started years ago when a friend told me to begin watching Big Love. I soon became hooked and was devastated when it ended. Then came Sister Wives and that was a fascinating look, scruples and all at an alternate lifestyle. Last year sometime, I watched a special on The Dargers after originally seeing them on an episode of Sister Wives. I was intrigued by the vast difference between the two families.This book is written by Joe and all three of his wives and also accounts from a few of the children, now adults. It appears to be an honest account of the challenges they face living their principles, including the difficulties of raising such a large family and how they work together as a unified team to maintain a happy and healthy family environment. The wives seem to have genuinely close and loving relationships with each other and aren't afraid to discuss the challenges of living this lifestyle. One of the things I found most interesting is that they admit to feelings of jealousy, they don't deny it or that it is a part of their lives. But then when I thought about it, most monogamous couples experience jealousy, isn't it a normal fact of life? Whether you're monogamous or polygamous, jealousy happens in most relationships, it's part of the human experience and it all comes down to learning to trust, also a lesson for most of us.I really enjoyed reading about this interesting and diverse family. Better written than the Brown's memoirs of polygamy, probably due to the addition of Brooke Adams. I did actually learn a few things about Fundamental Mormonism. I can certainly see the deep devotion the Dargers have to their religion. It doesn't even come off as particularly fanatical or way out of line. The Dargers try very hard to portray themselves are regular, every day Americans. I think they achieve it in this book to the best of their ability. I still have lingering questions about the religion. It's so secretive! I suppose in this regard it makes it hard to accept polygamy when there are some really strange concepts in Mormonism to begin with. The tone of the book was positive. It does show that not all polygamous marriages are full of abuse. Yet, a common theme that does arise is poverty and the use of the welfare system.Each of the wives and Joe have their own sections. They tell their story in chronological order from each of their perspectives. At the end, there are three sections from three of the older children. Loves Times Three is polygamy through rose-colored glasses. It's the other side of the sensationalized FLDS compounds. The Dargers seem like nice, respectable people, who distance themselves from others in their religion who do wrong, and live relatively normal lives in the suburbs.I guess what I really need to read is a well-researched, comprehensive book about Mormonism to satisfy my curiosities.
What do You think about Love Times Three Our True Story Of A Polygamous Marriage (2011)?
I resent the Dargers for getting married, because it led to the publication of this book.
—Angellll
