The Starter Marriage: A Novel

by Kate Harrison

Book Overview

Tess Leonard thought her marriage vows to Barney were for life. But when he leaves her for a busty young secretary, Tess realizes that she needs to rethink her idea of happily-ever-after. Tess is falling apart-until she sees a life raft on the horizon. It's called the Divorce Survival Class-something like boot camp for the broken-hearted. As Tess gets to know her classmates-and their Machiavelian tutor, William-she sees that life will always continue to move forward. As William leads them through bizarre yet effective methods for healing their broken spirits, the entire group begins to believe again in the one thing they all long for-love.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451216040
• ISBN13: 9780451216045
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.0" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Sweet and funny story of a woman's triumph after loss

If, like me, you've read a lot of books in the "chick lit" genre, then you've probably read this story before: woman loses husband and pines for him to come back; woman begins to realize that her marriage wasn't quite what she thought it was; woman starts to enjoy her new-found independence; and finally, woman finds a surprising new love. THE STARTER MARRIAGE pretty much follows this formula, but what it lacks in originality it makes up for in warmth and wit. One added twist here is that the woman in question, Tess, joins a divorce support group, and the although most of the book is told in Tess's first-person voice, each of the eight group sessions are presented from the perspective of William, the group leader. One of the group participants, Carol-Ann, lends quite a bit of humor to the book, and I found myself laughing out loud here and there. Otherwise, the story is somewhat predictable and even a little corny at times, but that doesn't make it bad. Overall, I enjoyed this quick read and would definitely recommend it to others who are interested in this genre.

No bitterness here!

Although you'd expect a book about divorce to be at least somewhat bitter and angry, there's none of that in this book. Though it was sad on occasion, this story is primarily optimistic and heart-warming. If you're relationship is falling apart, if you're divorced or thinking about divorce, this is a must-read, but I'd recommend it as a fun read for just about anyone.

touching story, both profound and uplifting

i thought this book was terrific - sensitive and perceptive about a woman's struggle to come to terms with an abrupt reversal in her life, yet very funny at times. the secondary characters are so skilfully and vividly sketched, you can really get involved in their stories too, but it's tess i really cared about. anyone who has experienced a serious break-up (about 98.3 per cent of us - right?) will recognise her, empathise with her and cheer her on to the very end.