Glennon Doyle’s autobiography Untamed is a book for all women (and men) from all cultures, races, sexualities, and walks of life. Published in March of 2020, it gained immediate popularity and praise following its release. Doyle takes readers through her journey in life so far, including her struggles with eating disorders, addictions, therapy, an unfaithful marriage, and coming out as gay as an adult. Through her writing, she shows women how to break free of the constraints that our society places upon them, and how to define the idea of womanhood for yourself.

Doyle artfully approaches difficult topics in an unintimidating, yet honest way. She has achieved a quality of bluntness in her words while remaining gentle. Constantly repeating the phrase “We can do hard things” throughout the book, she reminds readers that life is, in fact, difficult, but that people are capable of making it through. Doyle provides a beacon of hope for all readers coping with a variety of different struggles. She validates the

Much of Doyle’s focus is on what the role of a daughter’s mother is in today’s culture. She writes about the conflicting aspects of the gender role of an American woman, and the role of a mother in her daughter’s self-esteem and self-image. She makes readers think: “What am I teaching my daughter about womanhood by sacrificing my own self to fit into our society’s idea of what a woman should be?” This is an important question that is not often confronted in pop culture. She tells the story of how she broke free of our culture’s toxic expectations of women and helps other women see how they can do the same.

Doyle’s autobiography is also the love story of her own family. Readers follow Doyle through the end of her previous marriage to her husband to her eventual coming out and marriage to her wife. This is an inspiring story of love, happiness, and triumph. Somehow, Doyle found the perfect words to describe her discovery of her sexuality, the decline of her last relationship with a man, and finally, her entrance into a marriage to a woman.

Doyle also addresses how some of her previous writing no longer aligns with her beliefs and lifestyle. She shares what it was like to lose a group of supporters, and then create a family of new loving supporters and readers. She demonstrates the fluidity of lifestyles, ideas, values, and morales, and the idea that while some of your values may change, others can stay with you forever.
Untamed addresses the progression of Doyle’s mental illness and eventual happiness in a way that is relatable and inspiring. Through her words, she truly captures the emotions associated with the challenges that she and many others face every day.