THE STORIES WE LIVE
Book Series
Real Lives. Real Journeys. Real Truth.
A Forge Media Storytelling Initiative
Most stories told about polygynous families come from the outside:
assumptions, myths, stereotypes, and incomplete narratives.
This series changes that.
The Stories We Live Series is a three-book collection of real, first-person narratives from women, men, and families living, considering, or learning to embrace biblical polygyny. These books are not written to sensationalize, argue, or persuade.
They exist to bring forward what is rarely heard with honesty and dignity:
the lived experience of those who have walked this path.
The questions.
The struggle.
The refinement.
The responsibility.
The sisterhood.
The stewardship.
The home that slowly becomes.
Three books. Three perspectives. One purpose:
to honor the real lives and real journeys behind real truth.
THE STORIES WE LIVE
BOOK SERIES
About
The Series
The Stories We Live Series was created to give voice to the people who have lived what others often only debate.
Inside these pages are not theories, arguments, or distant observations. They are real stories from real people — women, men, husbands, wives, and families — who have encountered the emotional, spiritual, relational, and practical realities of plural family life.
Some stories may be tender.
Some may be difficult.
Some may be full of growth, repentance,
humility, sacrifice, and unexpected grace.
Together, they form a more honest picture
of a misunderstood family structure.
Our mission is simple:
-
To give voice to those who have lived what others merely imagine.
-
To bring truth, nuance, and human depth to a conversation often shaped by fear or assumption.
-
To provide a safe, dignified space for these stories to be told — anonymously, under a pseudonym, or publicly.
THREE BOOKS. THREE PERSPECTIVES.
ONE PURPOSE.
Book One gives voice to women.
The inner world. The emotional refinement. The fears, questions, strength, sisterhood, and becoming.
Book Two gives voice to men.
The responsibility. The leadership. The weight of stewardship. The failures, repentance, growth, and love required of plural husbandry.
Book Three brings the family together.
The interwoven journey of a first wife, a second wife, and their husband — three voices, one home, many hearts.
Her Heart Had Room
Book 1
Stories of Struggle, Strength, and Sisterhood Within Polygyny
Her Heart Had Room gathers the lived experiences of women who have walked, considered, resisted, wrestled with, or embraced life within biblical polygyny.
These stories may include fear, grief, jealousy, insecurity, friendship, trust, growth, humility, courage, and unexpected tenderness. They reveal the emotional complexity of women learning to navigate a path that is often misunderstood from the outside and deeply refining from the inside.
This is a book about becoming.
A book about resilience.
A book about truth from the women who lived it.
Steward of Many Hearts
Book 2
Real Men. Real Stories. Beyond the Myths of Polygyny.
Steward of Many Hearts brings forward the voices of men — not caricatures, stereotypes, or assumptions, but real men speaking honestly about the weight of responsibility, leadership, love, failure, repentance, and growth.
These are not stories of perfection.
They are stories of refinement.
Stories of accountability.
Stories of men learning what it means to carry responsibility before God and before the people entrusted to their care.
One Home, Many Hearts
Book 3
Three Voices. One Family. A Story of Becoming.
The final book in the series will weave together the interlocking stories of a first wife, a second wife, and their husband.
Three perspectives.
One family.
One shared journey.
This volume will offer a rare, intimate, and powerful look at plural family life lived with authenticity, humility, and truth.
Why These
Stories Matter
Misunderstanding grows when people are spoken about but never heard.
For many, polygyny is discussed only through assumption, fear, controversy, or stereotype. But real lives are more complex than the myths surrounding them.
These stories matter because they restore humanity to the conversation.
They show the questions people actually wrestle with.
They reveal the cost of growth.
They honor the courage required to tell the truth.
They help others feel less alone.
They bring clarity where there has often been confusion.
This series does not claim that every story is simple.
It simply believes that real stories deserve to be told with dignity.
About The Editors
Abraham JF Kilian and Dr. Rochagné Kilian lead The Stories We Live Series with a shared commitment to truth, dignity, and authentic storytelling.
As part of a plural family themselves, they understand that these journeys cannot be reduced to slogans, assumptions, or outside commentary. They carry emotional depth, spiritual weight, relational complexity, and real human consequence.
Together with a dedicated editorial team, they are committed to protecting each contributor’s voice, honoring each story with care, and presenting these lived experiences with integrity.
Every story submitted will be treated with respect, discretion, and seriousness.
How Contribution
Works
We are currently accepting submissions for:
Her Heart Had Room
Women’s stories of struggle, strength, sisterhood, and becoming within polygyny.
Steward of Many Hearts
Men’s stories of responsibility, leadership, refinement, repentance, love, and stewardship within polygyny.
Our Process
-
Submit your story through the appropriate book page.
-
Complete a brief private verification call.
-
Our editors review your submission.
-
We may reach out with follow-up questions if needed.
-
Selected stories move into the editing process.
-
You review and approve final edits before publication.
-
A contributor agreement is completed before final placement in the book.
Identity Verification
Because authenticity matters, each contributor may be asked to complete a brief private Zoom verification call.
This step is not designed to judge your story. It is simply to confirm that submissions come from real individuals and to protect the integrity of the project.
Your privacy will be honored.
Your identity will never be published without your permission.
Your Story Matters
Your journey may be the truth someone else desperately needs.
Whether your story is marked by struggle, growth, grief, obedience, repentance, courage, or quiet transformation, your lived experience has value.
You do not need to have a perfect story to contribute.
You only need to tell the truth with sincerity.
THE STORIES WE LIVE
Book Series
Real Lives. Real Journeys. Real Truth.
A Forge Media Storytelling Initiative
A Maxima Potentia storytelling initiative revealing the lived
experience inside polygynous families through the voices of
women, men, and one shared home.