Sunday, May 9, 2010

Book Review: "Husband and Wife" by Leah Stewart



Sarah and Nathan have a fairly idyllic life—they have two beautiful children, great friends and Nathan has a successful career as a novelist, with his newest book, Infidelity, about to be released. And then Nathan drops a bombshell on Sarah: he slept with another woman once during a writer's conference. Needless to say, this revelation throws Sarah for a loop, causing her to question everything—her marriage, whether she is satisfied with the path her life has taken, even whether she should have acted on a flirtation during graduate school when she and Nathan were already engaged.

While this book treads some fairly familiar territory, I found Leah Stewart's treatment of Sarah and Nathan's story to be very compelling. More than just a story of a troubled marriage, of how to handle betrayal, the story touched on just how far you should pursue your dreams and ambitions, and what sacrifices should be made for the sake of marriage and children. At times I was slightly frustrated by all that Sarah didn't say—to her husband, her friends and others—but I understand that this behavior is fairly true to what often happens in this situation.

Leah Stewart is a terrific writer, and it is her skill that helps this book transcend the possible soap opera-like pitfalls it could have encountered. I'd also highly recommend her book The Myth of You and Me, a fantastic story of friendship and betrayal.

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