The Husbands and Wives Club: A Year in the Life of a Couples Therapy Group

Abraham, Laurie

ISBN 10: 1400116309 ISBN 13: 9781400116300

Publisher: Tantor Audio, 2010

Synopsis

Starting in spring 2006, journalist Laurie Abraham sat in with five troubled couples as they underwent the searing process of group marriage therapy. Published as "Can This Marriage Be Saved?" the resulting article generated intense reader response. While space limitations allowed Abraham to focus only on one couple in her article, this book, which grew out of it and the reaction it inspired, tells the moving, fascinating story of all five.Writing with the narrative dexterity of a great novelist, Abraham recounts the travails, triumphs, and reversals that beset the five couples as they work with their therapist-and each other-to find out whether they can attain the satisfaction in marriage they originally sought. At times wrenching, at times inspiring, the sessions bring out the long-hidden resentments, misunderstandings, unmet desires, and unspoken needs that bedevil many an imperiled couple. At the same time, these encounters provide road maps to reconciliation and revival that can be used by anyone in a relationship. Along the way, the author draws on her explorations of philosophy and literature, on Freudian theory and modern science, to decode the patterns and habits that suggest whether a troubled marriage will survive or die. The fact that the five couples are ultimately successful makes this not only an important look at the state of marital dysfunction in America today but a reaffirmation of the enduring bonds of love.

About this title

Review

“Abraham skillfully weaves increasingly fascinating sessions of a couples therapy group with meticulous research about love, marriage, therapy, and humanity. The result—part science, part psychology, part riveting drama—left me moved, cheering, and, frankly, floored by how far these couples could come.” —Cathi Hanauer, author of "Sweet Ruin" and editor of "The Bitch in the House"

“"The Husbands and Wives Club" is that rare work of nonfiction that reads like a really good novel—it’s rich in character, drama, and emotional suspense. Laurie Abraham is a remarkably astute observer of the therapeutic process and of the five troubled marriages that lie at the heart of this absorbing and incisive book.”—Tom Perrotta, author of "Little Children"

“Abraham’s premise seems simple: follow a group of couples through a year of marital therapy and see what happens. But the result—narratively, intellectually, spiritually—is a profound, inspiring reflection on one’s own relationship in ways that have the potential to strengthen and even transform it.”—Peggy Orenstein, author of "Waiting for Daisy" and "Schoolgirls"

“What is more interesting to read about than other people’s marriages? This is one of the smartest and most candid books on marriage I know.”—Phyllis Rose, author of "Parallel Lives: Five Victorian Marriages"

""The Husbands and Wives Club" is that rare work of nonfiction that reads like a really good novel--it's rich in character, drama, and emotional suspense. Laurie Abraham is a remarkably astute observer of the therapeutic process and of the five troubled marriages that lie at the heart of this absorbing and incisive book."--Tom Perrotta, author of "Little Children"

"Abraham's premise seems simple: follow a group of couples through a year of marital therapy and see what happens. But the result--narratively, intellectually, spiritually--is a profound, inspiring reflection on one's own relationship in ways that have the potential to strengthen and even transform it."--Peggy Orenstein, author of "Waiting for Daisy" and "Schoolgirls"

"What is more interesting to read about than other people's marriages? This is one of the smartest and most candid books on marriage I know."--Phyllis Rose, author of "Parallel Lives: Five Victorian Marriages"

"Abraham skillfully weaves increasingly fascinating sessions of a couples therapy group with meticulous research about love, marriage, therapy, and humanity. The result--part science, part psychology, part riveting drama--left me moved, cheering, and, frankly, floored by how far these couples could come." --Cathi Hanauer, author of "Sweet Ruin" and editor of "The Bitch in the House"

About the Author

Laurie Abraham is a freelance writer, senior editor of Elle magazine, and the author of Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in Urban America.
Laural Merlington has recorded well over one hundred audiobooks, including works by Margaret Atwood and Alice Hoffman, and is the recipient of several AudioFile Earphones Awards. An Audie Award nominee, she has also directed over one hundred audiobooks.

About this edition

• Publisher: Tantor Audio
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1400116309
• ISBN 13: 9781400116300
• Binding: Audio CD