They might not look like it, but the Duck Dynasty family is far from perfect, and they would be the first ones to tell you so.
Alan and Lisa Robertson wrote a tell-all detailing their troubled past, and the book entitled ;A New Season: A Robertson Family Love Story of Brokenness and Redemption', helped them heal and move on from the past.
The couple recalled their teenage years, where there are plenty of booze and drugs for Alan while his wife Lisa suffered from molestation at the hands of her male relative. This went on for seven years.
Another shocker was that Lisa underwent an abortion and even had an affair with her ex boyfriend for 14 months.
And though the topics were embarrassing and shameful for the couple, they braved it out because they want to show the world how much God's love helped them overcome difficulties.
"We wanted to write our story, and my past has everything to do with our story. We just wanted to put it out there — the good, the bad, the ugly, but also what God has healed us from and brought us through," Lisa told US Weekly.
Her husband added, "I realize there are people out there who only see us through the lens of the show...but it really happened, it really was who I was. And then I became something different...I want people to know that if you're in some bad place, I've been there, and I know the way out."
It was also gratifying for Lisa that others found comfort in her past struggles. "I had one girl tell me she has cried herself to sleep just about every night for the last 25 years after having an abortion, and nobody else knows about it," she recalled. "She regretted it all this time, but she just can't seem to find a place of healing from it. So I thought it was a very unique thing for somebody who is in our position to say, 'Look, I did this. And you can find healing and comfort from Jesus in it.'"
At the same time, the couple grew stronger because of their honesty.
"I think that whenever you go into a marriage, you should be totally honest with the person that you're with," said Lisa. "Throughout the marriage, I was never really truthful about who I was with Alan, and it almost devastated our relationship. To me, honesty is the most important thing. Because if I cannot be honest with my husband, how can I be honest with myself or with God or my friends?"
Alan also stressed that forgiveness is a big deal in marriage. "Forgiveness - not just when something bad happens, but also for smaller things. You have to be willing to offer forgiveness for things someone does to hurt you in a relationship. I made a vow 15 years ago about this; I promised God and Lisa that I would never use the affair to hurt her and hurt us, and 15 years later, I've kept it."