âA valentine to wives . . . after reading Yalom's history, one thing is clear: marriage is not for the faint-hearted.â âUSA Today How did marriage, considered a religious duty in medieval Europe, become a venue for personal fulfillment in contemporary America? How did the notion of romantic love, a novelty in the Middle Ages, become a prerequisite for marriage today? And, if the original purpose of marriage was procreation, what exactly is the purpose of marriage for women now? Combining âa scholar's rigor and a storyteller's craftâ (San Jose Mercury News), distinguished cultural historian Marilyn Yalom charts the evolution of marriage in the Judeo-Christian world through the centuries and shows how radically our ideas about marriage have changed. For any woman who is, has been, or ever will be married, this intellectually vigorous and gripping historical analysis of marriage sheds new light on an institution most people take for granted, and that may, in fact, be experiencing its most convulsive upheaval since the Reformation. âScholarly yet delectably readable volume.â âPeople âYalomâs sweeping history not only offers a clear overview of the role of the wife over the centuries but also recounts the experiences of specific individuals.â âLos Angeles Times âPacked with rich material.â âThe New York Times Book Review âPortrays the gradual but relentless shift from subjugation toward partnership . . . collating what information is available about how women have spent, and felt about, their married lives.â âChicago Tribune âYalomâs brilliant deconstruction of the married state for women is at once reassuring and shocking . . . perfectly fascinating.â âDiane Johnson, New York Timesâbestselling author of Le Divorce
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