This provocative and timely book goes beyond conservative and liberal battlesover the state of the American family and addresses the difficult question ofmarriage itself.

No one ever denied Devlin Hudson. The COO of Hudson Pictures could have any woman he wanted, but what he wanted was a woman who made no demands. He'd thought Valerie Shelton was that woman. But his prim, proper wife had walked out on their matrimonial merger, and now Devlin was pulling out all the stops to get her back. He vowed to win over winsome Val the old-fashioned way…in bed. Then he discovered his "shy" young bride had a passionate side—and a romantic agenda that would rock his world….

When is it time to say goodbye? For twelve years Ann McCray has not had a kiss from her husband or heard him say, "I love you." He has been in a coma since a tragic car accident, and now Ann is approaching forty, childless in their dream house. When she took her vows of "in sickness and in health," she never imagined this. Tom Nash has just moved in next door with his teenaged daughter. Back in his glory days, Tom knew how to pitch a no-hitter, but he's never been good with women. His purple-haired daughter Mer baffles him more than anyone. She needs some maternal guidance, and she's not getting it from her self-absorbed mother. As Ann finds herself drawn to Tom and his daughter, there may be hope for a new life with her new neighbor-if she can reconcile the dividing lines between love and loyalty.

'So compellingly personal you feel you're looking over her shoulder as she sits down to write' New York Times 'Electrically entertaining ... Funny, generous, spirited and kind' The Times 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.

Miracles don’t happen to young widows in the last stages of pregnancy and working long hours to save every penny possible for when the baby arrives. Yet that’s exactly what Lindsay Donovan believes when Luke Winters shows up late one night at the café where she works and out of the blue asks her to marry him. The catch? It’s in name only. A piece of paper makes it legal, but beyond that, it’s not a match made in heaven. In fact, no sooner are they wed when the groom leaves the country for four months. When he returns the charade escalates when he proposes Lindsay and her baby visit his dying grandfather with him, to show the old man Luke’s settled for the future. Will this paper marriage implode when family dynamics take an unexpected turn?

Just as Masters and Johnson were pioneers in the study of human sexuality, so Dr. John Gottman has revolutionized the study of marriage. As a professor of psychology at the University of Washington and the founder and director of the Seattle Marital and Family Institute, he has studied the habits of married couples in unprecedented detail over the course of many years. His findings, and his heavily attended workshops, have already turned around thousands of faltering marriages. This book is the culmination of his life's work: the seven principles that guide couples on the path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. Straightforward in their approach, yet profound in their effect, these principles teach partners new and startling strategies for making their marriage work. Gottman helps couples focus on each other, on paying attention to the small day-to-day moments that, strung together, make up the heart and soul of any relationship. Being thoughtful about ordinary matters provides spouses with a solid foundation for resolving conflict when it does occur and finding strategies for living with those issues that cannot be resolved. Packed with questionnaires and exercises whose effectiveness has been proven in Dr. Gottman's workshops, The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the result of Dr. John Gottman's many years of closely observing thousands of marriages. This kind of longitudinal research has never been done before. Based on his findings, he has culled seven principles essential to the success of any marriage. Maintain a love map. Foster fondness and admiration. Turn toward instead of away. Accept influence. Solve solvable conflicts. Cope with conflicts you can't resolve. Create shared meaning. Dr. Gottman's unique questionnaires and exercises will guide couples on the road to revitalizing their marriage, or making a strong one even better.