Love Times Three

The True Story of a Polygamous Marriage

By: Alina Darger, Vicki Darger, Valerie Darger, Joe Darger

Narrated by: James Lurie, Eliza Foss, Kathleen McInerney, Karla Hendrick

He runs his own business and coaches Little League. She drives a minivan, and she'd be lost without her trusty BlackBerry. They go on date nights. Their kids attend public schools, play sports, and take music lessons. They live in a roomy house in the 'burbs. They're about as mainstream as families come. They're also polygamists.

For decades, polygamous families have been forced to hide their lifestyle. Men risk prosecution and economic blacklisting, and women face social isolation and faulty assumptions about what it means to live as a sister wife. But Love Times Three, the first-ever memoir of a polygamous family, is a riveting inside look at a world most of us can hardly imagine, revealing the extraordinary workings of the Dargers' day-to-day life.

Independent Fundamentalist Mormons, the Dargers grew up in polygamous families, and by the time they were in high school, they knew they wanted to live the Principle themselves. But in a highly unusual situation, even for their culture, both Alina and Vicki expressed interest in Joe at the same time. They ultimately courted him together and married him on the same day. Valerie, Vicki's twin sister, joined the marriage 10 years later.

The Dargers move the conversation away from child brides, Warren Jeffs, and the FLDS to more mainstream polygamists who willingly enter into plural relationships as adults. Rather than living in isolated communities, Independent Fundamentalist Mormons are similar to an average American family - except for their family structure.

In this intimate, inside story, the Dargers explain why they chose this path despite the pressures of keeping their relationships secret and the jealousy and personal challenges that naturally ensue, why they believe polygamy should be an accepted lifestyle, and, ultimately, why they hope that by revealing their way of life in public, laws that criminalize their lifestyle might change.

Written in the voices of the four parents, Love Times Three is the story of one man, his three wives, and their 24 children as they live out their faith in a world of prejudice, misconception, and fear, including chapters on the sister wife dynamic, one from Joe on how he juggles his three distinct romantic relationships, and a chapter from three of their children, entitled "My Three Moms".

Despite the risk of legal action, the Dargers know that it's time to counteract Hollywood's sensational interpretation and correct the general public's misunderstanding of polygamy with the truth. Now, for the first time, Joe, Alina, Vicki, and Valerie Darger lift the veil on their so-called taboo way of life.

©2011 Joe, Alina, Vicki, Valerie Darger and Broo (P)2011 HarperCollinsPublishers

well written

Finally a book that describes the positive side of plural marriage! I really enjoyed it.

Great to hear from multiple members of the family!

This book was great and gives me hope that I can have a successful family and happy wives one day.

a multygeneratioal tale

i really like the versions points of view and voices. Each wife and the husband had the a historical story of their family background, how their marriage came to be, viewed on prenrting in this situation and how it was to come out in the media. the older children who wanted to also had a voice.

as a polyamorus person who is also a poligamist (i am a woman married to my wife and my non-binary spouse) I found their experience useful and recognisable even though they come from a very different point of view.

They make a good case for the harm of criminalisation and the inherent receisem in this state of being. They do see the call to legalising thutch garages as going to far but the inequality the non-legaly married partner experiences which is mentioned in one of the chapters is exactly the reason I would certainly advocate for legal status. There is so much internalised fonbia that they and also the polyamorus community does not even dare advocate for equality.

thank you for your opened and bravery in writing this book!

Interesting Story

What did you like best about this story?

It was interesting to hear all three wives as well as the husband tell of their experiences. I have watched Sister Wives and they the Dargers tell their story after seeing the bravery of Cody & his wives going public.

Wonderful story of what TRUE plural marriage is!

What did you love best about Love Times Three?

I so appreciate the fact that they had courage enough to start the turn of the public view of plural marriage! Thank you all! Their lifestyle is a CHOICE that the women were & are open to make! Theirs is a committed family & that's much more than anyone can say for the majority of American society. While I am not LDS of any sort I fully support how they chose to live. How different my life would have been had my parents not divorced & had to deal with all the troubles forced on children of what is so "normal" by today's standards! I do not know them, but is't obvious that the Darger parents are incredibly devoted & capable to emotionally support every member of his family. In addition, anyone ignorant enough to automatically assume that ALL polygamists are child abusing monsters I would ask that you take a look around you. These horrors are all around you. Where are YOU while Millions of "latch key" kids are being abused by "family" & neighbors!?!? I beg you to open your eyes, STAND UP against child abuse! Plural marriage do not equal child abuse! Thank you again, Dargers!

plural marriage lifestyles

the plural marriage lifestyles.

Mind blowing truths to face the consequences and challenges.

Religions reasons to love and stay in marriage for the women mostly.

support true love?

True Love? Or Crazy?

Reruns after Reruns

Would you try another book from the authors and/or the narrators?

No, I would not. The narrators sound too happy about everything. Even the sad parts sound too happy. The narrators spoke as if they were my kindergarden teacher.

What could the authors have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

It was hard to tell the difference in Alina, Vicki, Valerie voices

What didn’t you like about the narrators’s performance?

The spoke as if they were way too happy to be doing this book.