This Is The Story Of A Happy Marriage

The New York Times bestselling author of State of Wonder, Run, and Bel Canto creates a resonant portrait of a life in this collection of writings on love, friendship, work, and art. "The tricky thing about being a writer, or about being any kind of artist, is that in addition to making art you also have to make a living." So begins This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, an examination of the things Ann Patchett is fully committed to—the art and craft of writing, the depths of friendship, an elderly dog, and one spectacular nun. Writing nonfiction, which started off as a means of keeping her insufficiently lucrative fiction afloat, evolved over time to be its own kind of art, the art of telling the truth as opposed to the art of making things up. Bringing her narrative gifts to bear on her own life, Patchett uses insight and compassion to turn very personal experiences into stories that will resonate with every reader. These essays twine to create both a portrait of life and a philosophy of life. Obstacles that at first appear insurmountable—scaling a six-foot wall in order to join the Los Angeles Police Department, opening an independent bookstore, and sitting down to write a novel—are eventually mastered with quiet tenacity and sheer force of will. The actual happy marriage, which was the one thing she felt she wasn't capable of, ultimately proves to be a metaphor as well as a fact: Patchett has devoted her life to the people and ideals she loves the most. An irresistible blend of literature and memoir, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a unique examination of the heart, mind, and soul of one of our most revered and gifted writers.

This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is an irresistible blend of literature and memoir revealing the big experiences and little moments that shaped Ann Patchett as a daughter, wife, friend and writer. Here, Ann Patchett shares entertaining and moving stories about her tumultuous childhood, her painful early divorce, the excitement of selling her first book, driving a Winnebago from Montana to Yellowstone Park, her joyous discovery of opera, scaling a six-foot wall in order to join the Los Angeles Police Department, the gradual loss of her beloved grandmother, starting her own bookshop in Nashville, her love for her very special dog and, of course, her eventual happy marriage. This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a memoir both wide ranging and deeply personal, overflowing with close observation and emotional wisdom, told with wit, honesty and irresistible warmth.

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Author Sophia Satyana tells the true story of her husband’s sudden death at age fifty-six years old and the shocking story that unfolded of the secret life he had been living all along during their twenty-one year marriage. Part 1 is the story of how Sophia finds out about the secret life bit by bit. Unraveling the clues from emails and other computer findings, telephone and credit card records, and other important documents such as the deed to their home and the title to their car, a life insurance policy, and a suspicious, over-friendly co-worker reveal a less than perfect husband. Her husband had hidden a desperate sexual addiction, a deviant double personality, together with a six- year office affair, unknown and known debt, and more. His deception had been so complete that few in her circle would ever come to acknowledge the startling truth despite the mounting evidence to the contrary. Part 2: This part of the book is all about the healing that took place for Sophia to the depths of which she did not yet know were possible. “This is a riveting story of love and loss, of trust betrayed, of light and dark energies, all at play in a seemingly happy marriage. It is a story about healing the dark night of the soul that happens when your heart is shattered.” “My intent is to break the cycle of secrecy and addiction, and everything that comes with this. The first step is being able to look at yourself, your life, and your relationships with a clarity and truth that may not be easy or pleasant to look at, but in the end it does set you free. As the Phoenix burns and flames, it also rises from the ashes to new heights unseen and unknown.”