Survivors of an Open Marriage [Paperback]

Jennifer Gates (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2002

Can a marital relationship become more stable in an open marriage? Does it provide the necessary elements that foster love and trust? Can it last?

The author writes of her personal experiences in an open marriage and its effects. She candidly describes the relationships between herself and her different partners with insight into her feelings and reactions about her husband's connections to his partners.

Discover the results of an open marriage from one who had a mutual agreement with her husband to engage in it. The outcome may surprise you.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

KiwE is pleased to publish Survivors of an Open Marriage. This work is suitable for mature individuals or couples who are currently in, or are contemplating, an open marriage relationship. While this work contains many descriptions of extramarital sexual relations, they are used ultimately to establish a strong argument for two values which KiwE upholds, namely: "family cohesion," and "family ... life as the foundation of a strong society."

Here is a story of fact, of experiential learning; not a discourse on marriage principles. The author captures the lustful and erotic appeal of an open marriage relationship, as well as the destructive forces of jealousy, selfishness, and mistrust. Her experience is living evidence of the enduring quality of fidelity between husband and wife. This story represents a triumph for traditional values and marriage.

Because of the sensitive nature of the book, and the courage needed to share the story, the author has decided to share her identity as a pen name only.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Kiwe Publishing, (June 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931195188
• ISBN-13: 978-1931195188
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,518,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading, but..., July 10, 2008

By 

James C. Samans "Author, Spontaneous Tourism:... (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Survivors of an Open Marriage (Paperback)

This is a good book for anyone who wants to explore some of the potential problems associated with an open marriage, but there's an important caveat: Jennifer and her husband are not a good couple. They start sleeping together for the wrong reasons; get married for the wrong reasons; don't really want to be together (especially him); and stay together for the wrong reasons (i.e. I can't afford the house without him).

Given this backdrop, it's interesting but not fully insightful to follow Jennifer through the various challenges that her marriage encounters. Yes, she and her husband sleep with other people, but these couplings rarely reflect playful, sex-based encounters. More often than not, one or both of them is actively engaged in a romantic affair; on several occasions, her husband tells her that he's falling in love with his newfound partner, and he says it not as a concern but rather as a "Well, I didn't love YOU anyway" observation.

So, get this book if you're interested in understanding what couples may go through if they choose to sleep with other people. It has a lot to say. But understand that what these two people go through is far more the result of a poorly conceived marriage, something that would have led them to despair regardless of their sexual choices.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Swinging, July 15, 2006

By 

AJ "snakeskinboots" (Trophy Club, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Survivors of an Open Marriage (Paperback)

I purchased this when exploring the Lifestyle (Swinging). This book, while well-written enough to read very easily, is NOT about Swinging, or the emotional components of a couple who chooses to bookend playful encounters with others with a rock-solid relationship. The events, while illuminating, were cyclical in nature, and though each vignette or affair (and each one had more of the air of an "affair" about it then a swing encounter) has its own meaning, after several each one seemed to be "more of the same." It is interesting reading, but it is not illustrative of a couple having chosen the Swinger Lifestyle. Because it reads so well, though, it can be valuable to understand how one person reacted emotionally to that corner of our lives called "sex" or "intimacy" that people try to cordon off from the rest of the world.

44 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True to Life Reading, February 1, 2003

By 

Wayne R Asper (Enola, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Survivors of an Open Marriage (Paperback)

This is an EXCELLENT book and it could easily be called Life 101, or maybe Marriage 101. The author openly discusses the arrangements of her open marriage with her husband and all the downfalls that resulted. In the end (after many hurdles) the open arrangement ends and their marriage begins anew.

It's a heart wrenching story that's jam-packed with events that keep you reading. But it's not that you read it for the frank sexuality that is discussed. You can't put the book down because you feel at one with Jennifer Gates and have the desire to know more and more as you read.

I'd recommend this book to all my friends. It's well written and flows easily. It's a must read for anyone who loves to understand the human condition!