Customer Reviews

Cars from a Marriage

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After the first chapter of Cars From a Marriage I thought I was reading a memoir. The story reads so easily and the feelings are so real that I forgot it was fiction and thought I was reading Debbie's story. I grew up in Montclair, NJ and especially enjoyed the tidbits about the colonial on Hawthorne Avenue, running to Krauser's and getting high in the dank basements while house hunting. The funny thing is, I now live in Virginia and could also relate to Ivy's hometown, Charlottesville and her southern upbringing - although Ivy is anything but your typical southern belle. I absolutely loved this story. Debbie alternates chapters between the voices of Ellis and Ivy (husband and wife). Each relating their point of view as Debbie takes us through their ups and downs, their successes and failures, their joys and their fears, their fantasies and their sins. Any couple who has been married for more than a couple years will certainly relate to their tale with much laughter and perhaps a twinge of guilt. I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend Cars From a Marriage to all my friends.

A chapter into Debra Galant's "Cars From a Marriage," I had the urge to jump on my laptop and begin a story of my own. This is a writer's impulse when reading something good, something GREAT--we want to emulate the craftsmanship of the author, see if we can create the same magic with words. I didn't abandon the book to start typing because, by Chapter 2, I was too caught up in the story to put it down (not to mention, those nagging doubts about coming up with even a sentence as lively as one of Galant's, never mind a scene).

"Cars From a Marriage" tracks the relationship of Ivy, a Southern belle turned single New Yorker quickly turned New Jersey stay-at-home mom, and Ellis, a stand-up comedian turned husband and PR exec, via the cars they drive. From Ford Mustang and falling in love to Buick Century Wagon and suburban doldrums/parenting overload, from Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon and a family funeral to Audi Cabriolet Convertible and infidelity--Galant draws us into Ivy and Ellis's cars, into their minds, into their world, with these two main characters narrating every other chapter in distinct voices--voices that are so believable, they seem to inhabit the room with you as you read. Their views on driving--both funny and serious--mirror the way they navigate life, and the clash in styles has bigger repercussions than highway spats (though there are a few doozies in that department). "Cars From a Marriage" turns the high beams on the dynamics of driving and marriage and proves an illuminating, inspiring, amusing, and thought-provoking read.
--Jill Johnson, Freelance Writer, [...].

I just finished "Cars from a Marriage" in the wee hours of this rainy morning. It has kept me company this past week, as I neglected the chores of daily life to spend time instead in the marriage of Ivy and Ellis (who might live down the street from me in suburban NJ). Debra Galant has captured something very real, and infused her characters with authentic personalities, habits, fantasies and flaws. Parts of the story made me sad for our imperfect marriages, however the big picture made me celebrate our collective journey -- on the road and off. Kudos on a story well told and thanks to the author for the great read.

Cars from a Marriage has Debra Galant's trademark laugh out loud humor, but it is also a poignant character study. It's an absorbing, in-depth portrayal of a couple, Ivy and Ellis, with chapters alternating between their voices. I couldn't help but identify with Ivy's anxiety, and I think that others, even brave drivers, will too. Her vulnerability and self-doubt are so real. Galant writes men so well-although I identified with Ivy, Ellis also had my compassion.
I thoroughly enjoyed her other two novels, Rattled, and Fear and Yoga in New Jersey, but I think this latest novel, while just as smart and funny, is a more literary endeavor.

Portrayal of a marriage through the prism of the cars they are driving as life goes on. Charming writing, easygoing pace; would be a great summer read.

Debra Galant's "Cars from a Marriage" is a witty, charming, and extremely honest look at a decades- long relationship. The alternating voices of Ivy and Ellis ring totally true-the good, the neurotic, and the not-so-pretty. For anyone who has experienced the detours, speed-traps, and hairpin-turns that negotiating coupledom require, this novel will entertain, provoke and offer insight along the journey.

We never really know what's going on in a marriage, as evidenced by the Tipper-Al separation, but Cars from a Marriage gives us more than a peek into the lives of an earnest couple living their lives as best they can.

This is a poignant, sweet book but it also drives home (no pun intended) the fact that every marriage has secrets and unspoken frustrations. And, like Ellis and Ivy, we march on, doing the best we can and learning about each other along the way.

I know nothing about cars, and have never had an interest in them, so the notion of looking at a marriage through the prism of automobile ownership was, at first, curious to me. But Debra Galant's book works on so many levels. The characters are always moving forward, and the reader with them. Thank you, Debra, for a wonderful read.

Galant's best work yet. She takes the evolution of a marriage on a wonderful ride in "Cars from a Marriage". Both funny and touching, she weaves a story around characters we enjoy getting to know. A must read for everyone travelling down the road of life.

Love this book. Takes chick-lit to a new level because it gives--ta-dum--the male point of view. Galant moves the plot along as swiftly as the husband in the book drives the family car. Vivid, realistic, fun. An accurate portrait of suburban life and extended family interactions, too. Realistic assessment at end of consequences of splitting up.

Today I finished Debra Galant's Cars from A Marriage and as my kindle said I was at 98% complete - I tried to slow down the experience so that the book would not end. Galant's wit and humor (peppered with wonderful descriptions of the Jersey landscape) are beautifully captured in both voices of her main characters. I love the ride Galant takes us on and the fact that she gives equal weight to Ellis and Ivy, allowing us to peer not only into their marriage through the years - but inside the minds of this couple. I felt completely invested in their lives, careers, children and even their car choices. A great read that will certainly have you thinking back on the past 20 years of your own relationships.