Anonymous wrote:Well. I am glad I read the book (listened to the audiobook with all its extras, actually—including interviews with people mentioned in the book) because this forum made it seem like a gross disaster.

I found it measured and sincere. Funny at times and bittersweet. You don’t have to like her or agree with her deconstruction to recognize it as a well written book that is going to speak to a LOT of us—especially if you did grow up in a youth group in the 90s as a girl. Maybe some of you did not.

I did not. And I think that’s why the slam on 90’s purity culture runs so hollow for me. I, and a lot of my friends, experienced the harms from the opposite view point. Jen and her entire coven all seem to act as if “free sex with whoever, whenever” as a TEENAGER, is the healthier route for life. I can assure you, it is not.

Anonymous wrote:Can we talk about the fact that Brandon announced his engagement on Instagram before he told his kids? Savage. He owed Jen nothing but he did owe his kids a conversation.

How am I not surprised? Remember the kids were immediately and visibly quick to side with Jen during the split. She had always made Brandon seem like the super dad and kids’ favourite. Now she’s changing her story and saying he was mostly an absent father.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a story of “deconstruction” that didn’t end in a bit of scandal, disbelief, lots of divorce, and weirdly intense anger.

Which comes first? The destruction or the fall?

Well. I am glad I read the book (listened to the audiobook with all its extras, actually—including interviews with people mentioned in the book) because this forum made it seem like a gross disaster.

I found it measured and sincere. Funny at times and bittersweet. You don’t have to like her or agree with her deconstruction to recognize it as a well written book that is going to speak to a LOT of us—especially if you did grow up in a youth group in the 90s as a girl. Maybe some of you did not.

I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a story of “deconstruction” that didn’t end in a bit of scandal, disbelief, lots of divorce, and weirdly intense anger.

Anonymous wrote:Yep the fruit of deconstruction is almost always unbelief, and is most often about not wanting to follow sexual morals of christianity.

Yeah. I think a lot of deconstruction is just using intellectual sounding language to dress up shifting the responsibility for one's decisions on to others.

Yep the fruit of deconstruction is almost always unbelief, and is most often about not wanting to follow sexual morals of christianity.

Anonymous wrote:Yes- often, "deconstruction" is actually "destruction".

I'd say usually.

Yes- often, "deconstruction" is actually "destruction".

Anonymous wrote:Jen’s height of fame was around 2014-2016 when she had huge bestseller books and a TV show.

Thanks. That would be when I would place it as well, right in the middle of the decade. Around this time is when I became aware of Jen because a number of women from my small church plant had become fans of her. Some of those women were helped along the path to destruction by her, along with Glennon, Rachel Held Evans, and others.

Anonymous wrote:Question for the world of publishing ladies: Is Jen’s publisher paying for and/or pushing out all of these gossip rag articles? How in the world would US Weekly even know about Big Sis? They keep saying “HGTV Star”. They had one (failed) season of a show in 2014….

Publishers have marketing departments, and a book release like Awake will get a lot of their marketing dollars, but Jen also has her own personal publicist - Heather from Choice Publicity.

It’s the marketing dept and Choice’s job to get as many eyeballs on awake as possible, they are paid to do this . So that’s media coverage literally anywhere - some will be paid, some not (the CBS interview with Gayle would not be paid).

But when Brandon writes a substack post, that’s adding to the story and making the story more interesting. Any media org who covered Awake will be interested in Brandon’s side of the story because of all those clicks, clicks, clicks.

But yes commenters definitely sound like bots.

Anonymous wrote:Ok, another publishing question. Is she allowed to name him and share details about him in a book without his permission? I know that in some memoirs, there’s a disclaimer about names being changed, etc.

I’d be willing to bet that the legal dept. had him read it and sign something. A friend of mine published a memoir with Baker and even people mentioned in only a few paragraphs had to read and sign a doc saying they were ok with it.

What is in Awake is very much about what Brandon is willing to sign off on.

Can we talk about the fact that Brandon announced his engagement on Instagram before he told his kids? Savage. He owed Jen nothing but he did owe his kids a conversation.

Anonymous wrote:Ok, another publishing question. Is she allowed to name him and share details about him in a book without his permission? I know that in some memoirs, there’s a disclaimer about names being changed, etc.

As long as she is telling the truth, she has every legal right to write about anything from their time together. If she lies, he could sue her for libel. But she is free to write about their life.

Wow. This past week just catching up.

It’s amazing to me that the Hatmakers were once truly beloved and respected church leaders who were able to bring together a wonderful and sincere group of people at ANC. Some of the founding families were some of the best people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Seeing Jen and Brandon behaving the way they are now makes me feel like so many of us were victims of two false people with false intentions. How many of you out there feel the same way? I am still in touch with a few of them and it seems like none of the founding families go to ANC anymore.