Finished audio 10-22-09, rating 4.5/5, fiction, pub. 2008
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
If you knew that your marriage would end in a divorce party 35 years later, would you still go through with it? What’s the distance between staying and walking away? Gwyn and Thomas are part of the Hampton elite, rich, beautiful, two kids, grandchild on the way, and they are getting divorced because Thomas has found Buddhism. Or is this true?
Their son, Nate and his fiancee, Maggie begin the day of the divorce party at home in Brooklyn with secrets of their own that only get more complicated once they arrive in Long Island. Maggie is about to meet Nate’s parents for the first time at a party she can’t quite come to terms with. And Nate has kept his immense wealth from her. Why and is there more he’s not saying?
I love books and movies about marriages. The happy, the sad, the damaged. There is something so complicated about this relationship and no two are ever the same. Gwyn is facing the end of her marriage, but there is still something there, love or hope, or both. And Maggie is faced with a future husband who is willing to keep the most basic truths about himself a secret from her. The chapters alternated between the two women and I loved it. It was thoughtful and thought-provoking, meaningful and sad and I could not stop listening until it was done.
I have to be in the right mood for a book like this, but if you are I think you will really take something away. I was totally caught up in the lives of Gwyn and Maggie for 6 hours and I wouldn’t have missed a minute of the Divorce Party.
I checked this audio book out of the library.
Stacy's Books 
Sounds like a good book! Adding it to my list.
Divorced after 35 years seems so sad to me, especially since we celebrated our 30th anniversary this year. The book sounds interesting.
Wow – you really liked it, didn’t you. 4 1/2 stars sounds very good to me. I just put a hold on it at the library. I’ll let you know what I think.
Sounds interesting. Did you read/listen to The Story of a Marriage? I have it on my iPod.
Glad you had fun with it. I hope divorce parties aren’t a real thing … or are they??? And I do enjoy a good story about a marriage.
Great review! I love how you didn’t give anything away. I read this book after I saw it on your blog. I think it was one of your games with the titles & authors missing. I really liked the book, and loved the narrative switching between the two women at their very different stages of marriage. Thanks!
Stacy! I am a horrible blogger! You won my bookmark giveaway in September and I never got emailed you to get your address! 😦 I want to put it in the mail tomorrow so can you email me tonight? I feel truly terrible about this–
My email is:
kimmery4(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thanks and please accept my apologies!
Kim
I love books and movies about marriages too. This is an interesting book. Thanks for the review!
Not something I would normally read, but I’m all for trying new things. Thanks Stacy.
This one sounds really interesting. I like that it is told from their perspectives and they each take turns telling their story.
I’ve debated reading this a time or two. 🙂