written by Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue
Do you remember when Marlo went on the Donahue Talk Show? I do. I remember being home from school, for whatever reason, and watching Donahue with my Mom. We both commented on how the two of them seemed to really get along, like they were flirting with each other. That was in 1980.
So, began the fairy tale between these two. Marlo was 42 yrs. old when she married Phil, it was her first marriage. Phil had five children from a previous marriage. Phil and Marlo have now been married for forty years.
A few years back, Phil and Marlo began making a list of long-married couples they admired and wondered what they could glean from interviewing them. Maybe the couples would even share their stories and struggles and advice.
What I liked about the book: So personal, the comments by the authors were genuine and thought provoking. Phil and Marlo asked each couple lots of questions and had a running dialog between themselves and the couple. The book read like an interview and both couples participated in answering the questions. The reader got a glimpse into Marlo and Phil’s marriage as well as the couple they were interviewing. Phil and Marlo interviewed 40 couples- Bryan Cranston and his wife Robin Dearden, Billy and Janice Crystal, Dr. Sanjay and Rebecca Gupta, and President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter- just to name a few.
All the couples are famous and not shy when sharing how they met, some difficulties they have endured, how they make each other a priority, and how they make-up when they have a dispute. Chip and Joanna Gaines shared how they are so different and if Joanna hadn’t decided to trust Chips business sense, they would never have had the success they have enjoyed. Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan, married for 32 years, discussed the difficulties of a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease in year four of their marriage. They discussed how gratitude and acceptance has helped them become a stronger family. They are blessed with four children, three of them came after the diagnosis. They find laughter and family time is important but also alone time with each other is equally important. They discuss how each of their parents were role models as to what a good marriage looks like.
All the interviews are interesting and important…especially now during the Pandemic when marriages are breaking up due to stress. According to an article found on the National Law Review website, interest in divorce is up 34%, with anticipation that divorce rates will increase 10 -25% by the end of this year. Reading these stories can be very therapeutic. All marriages have problems, stresses- it’s reassuring to read about famous people dealing with the same everyday issues we all deal with.
A really good interview with the authors on YouTube.
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