Model Mormon: Fighting for Self-worth on the Runway and As an Independent Woman

by Rosemary Card

When sixteen-year-old Rosemary Card left Salt Lake to become a model, she had no idea what awaited her in New York City. As her career took her around the globe over the next two years, Rosie experienced the highs and lows of the fashion industry and learned firsthand the strength found in being true to yourself, listening to guidance from the Spirit, and discovering confidence as a single LDS woman. Now retired from modeling, Rosie shares her inspiring true story of how focusing on developing her mind and heart in the process of becoming more like Christ blessed her with opportunities and challenges she could never have imagined!

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Lds, Church, Religion, Biography

151 pages, Paperback

Published June 12, 2018

Reviews

[Mckenna Clarke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t get through it. The bad writing and the author’s preppy, middle-schoolish voice made me cringe. What made me stop, though, was when she referred to one of the early members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as “one of the OG apostles.” I just couldn’t.
I respect her good intentions and all the good this book has done for others, but this book is not for me.

[Kassie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel honored to know Rosie personally (we studied abroad in Jerusalem together and she actually took my engagement pictures!) and I’ve always known she was an amazing and strong and kind person with so much to admire, it was almost intimidating to me. Following her these recent years and seeing her success with her company has been so fun, but reading this book was soo incredible. It’s fun and easy to read and she keeps you laughing but the lessons she shares and teaches are spot on. Definitely a book I will own and share with as many others as I can. It was so inspiring to me!

[Renae Rockwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rosie Card is one of the most relatable women I have had the pleasure of stalking on Instagram. She is courageous, sincere, and faithful. I don't miss a single one of her posts, and was looking forward to reading more about her story.

This book was difficult to read. It was a mess of personal experiences, musings, Gospel doctrine, and quippy jokes. It was like reading 150 pages of instagram posts. Which I think is probably more the fault of the publisher, because Rosie has such a great story. I just wished for more structure and focus.

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a darn hard time finishing this book even though it was about 150 pages. It seems to me that it was written for about an 8th grader if that. She is definitely not a writer.

[Beth Given · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though the casual tone really grated on me (I almost abandoned the book a couple times!), overall I appreciated the fresh perspective and unique stories that Rosie Card (who I already know through social media) shares in her book. The last chapter, in which she shares the evolving, growing nature of her faith, was my favorite.

[Marilee C-R · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written for young adults/teens. The slang, hastags, acronyms were a bit distracting. The writing could have been tightened. But, the message is compelling and important for girls. The importance of gaining independence and learning through experience was illustrated through Card's story. I appreciated how she included Heavenly Mother in her journey. I will share with my neice and daughter.

[Charley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. I had expected Rosie to spend more time telling her story of being a model and how that lead to starting Q.Noor. She did tell those stories but not in as much detail as I expected and they didn’t directly relate either. But as she said, it’s her story and she told it how she saw fit.

[Christopher Angulo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to hate this book because I'm not too fond of the author's previous publications (podcast and twitter). The first few chapters were in keeping with my feelings about the author, but then it got into the modeling portion. That part was great. I loved the stories and experiences. I wish that the book was more about that as that is what the title suggests. Sadly, this only lasted for a few chapters. The chapter on her Q.Noor business was great too. Memoirs are great because they share unique experiences and what they learned from them and how it shaped their worldview. This memoir is half full with these unique experiences and insights, and for that it gets 3 stars.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book was very different than I expected. I thought we'd get a story of how you could be a model and Mormon and what experiences Rosemary had as a model. We did get that but it was actually a lot more. There were plenty of things she discussed about our religion that were thought-provoking. She quoted some really great talks that made me think about things I hadn't before. It was an interesting glimpse into her life and I loved the way she talked about modesty and that we need to teach it differently and the end of her book talked about how it's ok to have questions about the church because it leads to more learning and understanding.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do editors exist anymore? Or does someone simply get a book accepted for publication and that's it? A talented editor could have really helped Ms. Card find her voice, focus her message, and lose the poor writing. Her voice is better suited to a casual blog or instagram post rather than a published book. It comes across as very immature with endless slang and even hashtags, to the point that it became difficult to wade through the "legit"s and "rad"s to dig out what she was actually saying. Yes, I realize she wrote it at 29. She told us that in the book too many times for a reader to ever forget. But the style needed to be elevated to do justice to some of the rather decent points she tried to make in the book. Despite my lack of enjoyment reading the book, I did google Ms. Card before the end to see what company she had started, and will probably check out her line when I buy my next temple dress.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book club selection I would never have read on my own. She has had an incredibly interesting life in her 29 years. She has some valuable insights, but it felt like I had to dig them out from a lot of distractors. I think she is confused about who her audience is and so she fails to write appropriately for any demographic. She isn’t a gifted enough writer for her words to be able to appeal to all at the same time. Her voice is too young and slang-ridden for older generations, but too philosophical and long-winded for young people. I think she should choose the latter audience and edit this book down so that teens and twenty somethings will not be turned off by how wordy and slow this book is a lot of the time. And what’s with all the editing errors?!!!?

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Obviously the audience for this is young Mormon women from about 14 to maybe 19 or 20. I am MUCH older than that. I did manage to finish it but it was a struggle. It's rambling and preachy. The only chapters I thought the least bit worthwhile were the ones about her time as a 16 year old model. I know the author meant well, but referring to Jesus as a "dude" and her frequent use of texting jargon did not appeal to me.

[Liz VanDerwerken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would probably place my rating at about 3.5 Stars but I rounded up to 4 because overall I really loved this book. I admire many things about Rosie Card and I felt like many of those things shine through in this book. She articulated many perspectives on gospel and church topics like modesty, the role of women/women’s voices, and the temple that I love and agree with (amen). The tone towards the beginning of the book felt a little juvenile with a lot of 21st century slang thrown in, but I feel as though that was tempered more after the first few chapters. Sometimes colloquial language is fine, but the beginning of the book reads more like a phone conversation with your best friend than anything else. Once that evened out, I really loved what Rosie had to share; her stories about her modeling career, upbringing, young adulthood, and launching her business were all compelling and fascinating. I finally learned the origins of her company’s name, Q.NOOR, and I love even more the ethos behind her brand. I also loved the connections she made between her stories and experiences and gospel principles. She also quotes from some amazing talks and addresses that I also count among my favorites, and it was a great reminder to me of many other messages I’m overdue to reread. Overall I found “Model Mormon” a quick and delightful read and I could see myself rereading it at some point.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the fresh perspective that Rosemary Card gives to so many gospel subjects.
She covers everything from modesty, self worth, marriage, gospel study, and questioning.
Several chapters chronicle her journey as an international model, and while I found all the details a bit boring- I loved the stories she provided of having to really work to uphold her standards in the industry. By reading about her courage, it made me feel like I too could be more courageous when my standards are questioned.
I particularly liked the last chapter on questioning. While I find myself asking more and more questions, it helped me feel less "wrong" for asking why.

[Brooklyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I’ve been waiting for! Rosemary Card is the owner of Q.Noor which I have followed for years. I actually didnt even know about her modeling career until this book was coming out. Her take on the gospel has been so refreshing to me as I’ve followed her on social media and I’ve learned so much from her, this book was a
Great extension of everything I’ve learned from her. I loved hearing her stories but I also loved reading so many of her gospel insights because they really resonated with me. This is the book to read this summer!

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked hearing about Rosie being a model and yet keep working on her testimony. I didn’t agree with everything she said but I liked hearing how she thinks and she sounds really fun. I’d love to hang out with her.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really admire Rosemary Card for all the good she does and her unflinching honesty and allyship. I'm not a huge fan of memoirs, but there were some very interesting moments in her story! 3 1/2 stars.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I loved learning more about the fashion industry and life-as-a-model but my favorite part was the ending, when she decided to dive headfirst into starting her own company. So inspiring about how she used hard work AND faith to make her dreams come true.

[Brooke McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and thought provoking. Can’t have enough books like these in the world written by strong thinking religious women!

[Meredith Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected and just what I needed. Would recommend to teenagers and above.

[Amy Egbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that is just fun to read. You hear Rosie's voice come through strong, and I think she is delightful and funny and despite being very thoughtful it is a very light and easy story. I loved that. It's not a life changing book, but I love that it feels like hanging out with a friend for a few hours. Talking about things that matter, sharing stories, and enjoying each other's company.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a heartwarming, funny memoir about Rosie's experiences as a Mormon woman and as a model for a New York high fashion modeling agency. It reads like you're just having a really great conversation with your best friend. Truly, by the end of the book, I almost had to remind myself that Rosie and I don't actually know each other in real life, because I found myself agreeing with and thinking, "PREACH, SISTER!" multiple times in every chapter, and I just wanted to hang out with her for real. I highly recommend this book to any Mormon woman, especially teenaged Mormon young women, and I want to give this book as a gift to all the teenage girls in my life. I enjoyed this book so much.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my thing. No real story or anything that keeps you turning pages. Every chapter was just a different “dialogue”. She has a cool story but it wasn’t really portrayed in a story like way. Not much of a page turner.

[Rachel Woodbury · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to like this book, I really did. I think Rosemary is awesome and she shares some great stories. But doctrinally, this book just didn't sit well with me. I felt like the whole book was about questioning the church and what the prophets have taught. She seems to really enjoy being controversial and it felt like she was almost bragging about how her testimony isn't as solid as it was on her mission because she has doubts now. She constantly refers to Heavenly Mother as if she prays to her which made me uncomfortable. I am a firm believer in personal revelation but Rosie seemed to really down play the importance of following the prophet. I also thought it was weird how she ended the book on this huge feminist rant about how there aren't enough women speaking in conference. I did enjoy hearing about Rosie's modeling career but I just don't agree with her opinion on a lot of doctrinal things.

[Janet Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing felt a little clunky and stream-of-consciousness at times and maybe a little too hipster colloquial for my personal taste, but the more I got to know Rosie and her experiences, the more I liked her. I admit I was more interested in her modeling story initially, but I ended up loving her story about starting her business as well as the last chapter and her spiritual insights the very best. Loved the references/footnotes to books and documents throughout the book, which definitely gave me some things to add to my reading list. I found it interesting how we can have totally different experiences and still arrive at similar conclusions about faith and God and grace and love. She seems like someone I’d love to sit down and have lunch with and talk about Mormonism and feminism.

[Lindsey R.B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Rosie Card and have gained so much from following her on the internet. I deeply appreciate her willingness to speak up and articulate tough or controversial points and perspectives, and I personally take enormous hope in how she modeled living a religious single life well. However, I did not *love* this book. I was not into the style of writing (like a long drawn out FB post), and I didn’t always connect how her stories were meant to her overarching message. They sometimes felt haphazard and sporadic, rather than intentionally placed to convey a point. I think I would have been even less impressed if I didn’t already love and respect Rosie on other levels. Grateful for her writing, but it just wasn’t my favorite read.

[Mairi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down. It was very inspirational and spelled out so simply and beautifully things that I’m often too afraid to say myself. I’m grateful for the loving and brave words in Rosemary Card’s journey so far.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for my daughter for Christmas and then immediately took it to read. My daughter says I bought it for myself.... maybe. It reads more for a young adult, like my daughter. It is written similar to a Facebook or Instagram post. Very transparent, nothing held back and hopeful is what this book is. I have followed Rosemary Card on her Q.Noor Instagram page since I bought my temple dress in 2016— and can I just tell you in the many years I have been attending the temple I have never felt beautiful in what I wore to the temple on a regular basis until I bought one of her dresses, I get compliments all the time! I have loved reading Rosemary’s viewpoint on many topics on her IG page. I need to listen to her podcast as well, Qmore, it’s on my to do list.

From Rosemary’s move to NY when she was a little girl, to her time as a model in NY in her teens, her mission, study abroad to Jerusalem and starting her temple dress company, Q.Noor, my favorite chapter in all of this was her last one, FOLLOW THE TAPPING, “tapping” taken from a book she loves called, A STORY LIKE THE WIND. Tapping comes from inside of us. It leads us to know things that eyes cannot see, the ears cannot hear and the nose...cannot smell.

Some of my favorite passages from this chapter are: “I just got Elder Bednar’d by Elder Bednar” (having just recently read INCREASE IN LEARNING, I knew EXACTLY what she meant when she said that!)

“Sometimes I worry that we too often turn to another human with a high calling to tell us what is and isn’t OK rather than putting in the work to ask God ourselves and to be accountable to the answer.”

“Anyone who has learned to ride a bike knows how scary those first moments are when you feel that steadying hand release it’s grip from the back of your seat. Anyone who kept peddling also knows the thrill and excitement that comes when you realize you can continue without it.

I in no way am I trying to say that we don’t need the spirits guidance in our lives or that we can do this on our own. However, I am saying that I believe are heavenly parents want us to be profitable servants to act, rather than unprofitable servant’s to wait around to be acted upon.

In some very real aspects, I am still in the “panicked to be peddling on my own” Phase.”

“We have all heard, plenty of times, the teaching to not be “cafeteria Mormons.“ The meaning behind this idea is to encourage members to completely embrace the doctrine, principles, and culture of our faith. I get it. On many levels, I agree with the idea of it. However, if you can’t presently stomach the meatloaf, but can handle the peas and pudding, fill up your tray with what you can, and come sit with us! There is plenty of room at the Savior’s table. No matter what you choose to leave off your tray for the time being, the Savior has a seat next to him saved for you. Chances are he will try to get you to try just a tiny taste of his sandwich, but his friendship is not conditional upon your plate being a perfect match to his he is just glad you’re there.

One of the most validating passages of scripture at this point in my life is Alma 32:35-36:

After you have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?

Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must you lay aside your faith, for you have only exercise your faith to plant the seed that you might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.”

[Michelle Llewellyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just listened to a Podcast last week (today is Jan 14, 2021 and the podcast was from 2019 while this book was published in 2017 when the author was 29) about YSA in the church featuring the author of this book who recently went from attending her YSA ward to a family ward. Was hoping for MORE of that experience and transition here in this book from what Rosie shared in that podcast. Why did she choose to continue attending a YSA ward for example after graduating from college? Had she noticed any changes that needed to be made to the YSA program before the big 3-0 struck and how did she feel about that? Tell us, Rosie. What it is like being a single, childless, woman in the church when it isn't so cute anymore? Guess we'll never know.

Instead the reader is treated to 146 pages and 12 chapters of stream-of-consciousness flow of all her random thoughts and musings about the world we live in and life in general (she's probably too young to know who Depeche Mode are!) aimed squarely for all the poor, little naïve Beehives reading her book hoping for more juicy details about the glamorous, sparkly (vampire) life of a REAL MODEL who has BEEN THERE. Before returning home from her mission to take up the Mormon Feminist Cause, Rosie worked for a modeling agency and traveled the world seeing both the flashy and the dark, gritty underbelly of the modeling world.

That part of the book was great to read but I was troubled by the watered-down and arbitrary opinions she kept plugging into her narrative such as: "I slept on the couch in the apartment of two gay guys who were totally cool and learned an important lesson-we shouldn't judge!"

Or her confusing story on page 58 about doing a shoot that was actually for PORN except she didn't KNOW and she felt so DIRTY but after a lot of repenting and Atonement she found peace.
Um, excuse me, but what exactly does a VICTIM need to REPENT of???
Rosie never tells us, she just plunges right into her next topic. She really is all over the place with her storytelling and much more liberal than came across in that podcast.

Well, now that President Nelson (to whom she penned a letter back when he as still just an apostle politely asking for more female representation in General Conference and he answered her!) has asked the church to stop using the nickname "Mormon" which the author not only included the title of her book but continuously drops EVERYWHERE throughout this memoir, Miss Card might want to think about writing another book, preferably one that would get accepted by Deseret Book instead the "reject pile" second rate publishing company known as Cedar Fort.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should preface my remarks by saying that I have literally no interest in modeling or the fashion industry, so if that's what is bringing you to the table for this one, I can't offer any useful information.

I picked this one up because Rachel Hunt Steenblik references Card's writings several times in I Gave Her a Name, and I am always on board for hearing people share how the concept of Heavenly Parents works in their lives. I'd also had a vague memory of reading her thoughts somewhere on some of the problems with our modesty culture, and I appreciate the way that our cultural dialogue surrounding this is shifting. OK, and to be honest, I had been battling a nasty stomach bug and I wanted something that wouldn't ask too much of me as a reader but wasn't total trash.

I feel like Card is a very important voice in the cultural dialogue. Based on what I read here, I believe that she would be a powerful public speaker, and influential social media thought leader. That said...it kind of read like transcripts of her public speaking engagements, and very long Facebook posts. The chatty, slangy style that results in places in this book works fantastically in those venues, but often distracted from her message in this venue (although there are definitely readers that this style would appeal to - I can think of friends that LOVE this style of writing). Also, there were some truly awful proofreading errors. I generally try not to be a snob about proofing errors, since we're all human, but there was a doozy right in the conclusion (a repeated paragraph inserted in the middle of another paragraph) that really broke up her momentum at a pivotal moment. I feel like a good editor would have done wonders for helping her message come across.

That said, I am a huge advocate of taking advantages of the podiums you have been given, and a believer in not waiting until you have everything together to show up and say what simply can't wait any longer to be said. Card has a lot of important things to say about women's voices, personal revelation, integrity, facing our questions, and trusting God. She has courage, integrity, and wisdom that we need, and she has a storyteller's instincts. She brings a lot to the table, and she gave me a lot to think about.

I sincerely hope that she continues showing up and doing the work - we are better for it.