Audiobook Review: The Duck Commander Family by Willie and Korie Robertson

The Duck Commander Family
Read by Willie and Korie Robertson

Faith. Family. Ducks—in that order. This audiobook gives readers an up-close and personal, behind-the-scenes look at the family in the exploding A&E show—Duck Dynasty. This Louisiana bayou family operates Duck Commander, a booming family business that has made them millions. You’ll hear all about the Robertson clan from Willie and what it was like growing up in the Robertson household. You’ll sample some of Willie’s favorite family recipes from Phil, Kay, and even some of his own concoctions; and you’ll get to know the beautiful Robertson women. You’ll hear from Korie about the joys and hardships of raising a family, running a business, and wrangling the Robertson men while staying fashionable and beautiful inside and out. Discover more about the family dynamics between brothers Willie, Jase, Jep, and parents Phil and Kay. You’ll even meet a fourth brother who isn’t in the show.

I confess that I have not seen their show. But I've certainly heard of it! I think everybody and their brother has. I've been curious about it, so I figured maybe a look into their family life might be interesting. I was right! It begins from both Willie and Korie's childhood and continues until present day. The Robertson family has certainly had it's fair share of ups and downs. I really enjoyed hearing about their adventurous beginnings. Because adventurous they were!

When hunting is more than a sport, when shooting that duck means you'll have meat for supper tonight and missing means you won't, you get pretty good at it. And these Robertson boys are hunters in every sense of the word. I don't think there's a single animal they haven't shot or eaten. It's quite obviously in their blood and they can't imagine life without it. Not being a hunter myself, I could still understand the need to have food on the table and if you can have fun while getting it there, then all the better. ;) Willie and Korie aren't afraid to talk about the struggles they've had and the mistakes they've made either, yet the obvious love and respect they have for Phil and Kay shone through every word. The Robertson's are a family that refuse to stop dreaming and still keep each other grounded at the same time. Life wasn't always easy for them, especially in the early days, but it's a testament to Phil and Kay that their family has stuck together no matter what.

Listening to Willie and Korie talk about their lives made me feel like I was right there involved and part of the family. That was definitely the fun part of them reading their own story for the audiobook. Plus hearing their southern accents made me feel like I was back home again! :D The downside though, is they tend to sound monotone sometimes. The book could have used a little tighter editing also. There were several moments that felt choppy and some repetitiveness that could have been eliminated. And while I do believe that their faith in God is a big part of their life (and I'm absolutely thrilled that they want to talk about it!), they repeatedly mentioned it so often that it started feeling slightly forced by the end of the book. Like they felt they had to add it in there to appeal to a certain audience or something.

But don't let that discourage you. While it's not perfect, this was easily a fun way to be entertained. Life is never dull down in Louisiana! And you get to hear all about the family with the beards and the duck calls. ;) Sharing their hearts as well as lots of recipes and funny stories, they make you feel like you could pull into their driveway unexpectedly and they'd immediately open their doors and invite you in. Then they wouldn't let you leave until you'd been thoroughly filled with Kay's or Willie's cooking and with loads of stories filling your head. A happy thought indeed. :)

"My advice is don't take yourself too seriously. Laugh a lot. Enjoy your time with family and appreciate the unique talents of others. Trust in God, love your neighbor, say your sorry, forgive, and work hard. Sit down to a good meal, turn off your cell phone, respect your elders, and of course, get out in the woods and enjoy some good old frog legs. That's the Robertson way."