Tradwives: Sugarcoating Submission

In this compelling WMC Talks conversation between Soraya Chemaly and author Tia Levings, Tia reflects on her journey escaping a high-control religious patriarchal system and connects her personal story to broader political and cultural dynamics shaping the U.S. today . Through discussion of her memoir The Well-Trained Wife and her upcoming book I Belong To Me, she explores themes of autonomy, trauma, and identity, while unpacking how systems of control, gender roles, and “trad wife” culture intersect with rising authoritarianism. The conversation offers a powerful lens on how intimate experiences of power and abuse can scale into societal structures—and how self-awareness and reclaiming agency are key to resisting them.

For more about Tia and to order her books, visit her website: https://tialevings.com/.