I Belong to Me - Tia Levings

“I Belong to Me” is Tia Levings's “self-help” sequel to her first book, “A Well-Trained Wife.” I appreciated seeing the continuation of her story here, though this book moves away from her past and instead shares her recovery with the world: religious trauma, nervous-system dysregulation, therapy modalities, identity rebuilding, and the long process of learning to trust oneself again after years of abuse.

While I did not grow up in the world of fundamentalist Christianity Levings describes, much of the book still resonated with me because of my own experience with domestic violence and its emotional aftermath. Levings writes about the recovery from trauma with openness and conviction, interspersing personal stories with reflections on healing. This felt validating to me and will likely feel even more befitting to readers recovering from authoritarian or high-control environments. The sections on emotional abuse, fear, and the body’s response to chronic control were among the strongest parts of the book.

That said, the structure can become repetitive, and some of the therapeutic discussion leans more on personal experience than broader research or clinical expertise. I also missed some of the narrative momentum that made “A Well-Trained Wife” so compelling.

Overall, however, Levings offers an invaluable gift: solidarity. This sort of compassion and deep understanding can be hard to find for readers who navigate religious abuse, and I applaud the author's courage and effort in bringing this book into our world.