“Anyone grappling with the bewilderment of midlife…will be at once provoked and comforted by this enormously wise book” (Dani Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage), from a psychologist who has worked for decades with people struggling to preserve and enhance their marriages and long-term relationships.
People today are trying to make their marriages work over longer lives than ever before. But staying married isn’t always easy. In the brilliant, transformative, and optimistic The Rough Patch, clinical psychologist Daphne de Marneffe explores the extraordinary pushes and pulls of midlife marriage, where our need to develop as individuals can crash headlong into the demands of our relationships.
“A book of good intentions and helpful advice and a worthy manual for spouses” (Kirkus Reviews), The Rough Patch addresses common problems: money, alcohol and drugs, the stresses of parenthood, sex, extramarital affairs, lovesickness, health, aging, children leaving home, and dealing with elderly parents. Then, de Marneffe offers seasoned wisdom on these difficulties, explaining the psychological, emotional, and relational capacities we must cultivate to overcome them as individuals and as couples. Blending research, interviews, and clinical experience, de Marneffe dives deep into the workings of love and the structures of relationships.
Intimate and always illuminating, The Rough Patch is an essential, compassionate resource for people trying to understand “where they are” on the continuum of marriage, giving them a chance to share in other people’s stories and struggles. “De Marneffe writes with poetry, wit, and compassion about the necessity of struggle in the quest for true love. Anyone in any relationship at any stage of life could stand to learn from the wisdom in these pages” (Andrew Solomon, National Book Award-winning author of Far from the Tree).
- 354 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Information
Subtopic
Marriage & Family SociologyTable of contents
- Cover
- Dedication
- Author’s Note
- 1. The Rough Patch: An Introduction
- 2. A Brief History of the Midlife Crisis
- 3. Feeling Close, in Love and Sex
- 4. Marriage as a Story
- 5. Affairs, Flirting, and Fantasy: They’re Never about Nothing
- 6. Alcohol and Other Attempted Escapes
- 7. Money: The Knife in the Drawer
- 8. Lovesickness and Longing: Putting Them to Use
- 9. Body, Health, and Age: The Stakes Only Get Higher
- 10. The Empty Nest: Children, Parents, and the Turning of the Generations
- 11. Staying or Leaving
- 12. Love Is a Conversation
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Notes
- Index
- Copyright
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Yes, you can access The Rough Patch by Daphne de Marneffe in PDF and/or ePUB format. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.