Your Intercultural Marriage: A Guide to a Healthy, Happy Relationship [Paperback]

Marla Alupoaicei (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2009

In an increasingly global and connected world, marriages between spouses of different countries and cultures is on the rise. Marla Alupoacei, herself wed to a Romanian, helps couples sort through such issues as food, finances, family, and such “hidden” problems as different understandings of what it means to be “on time.” Marla combines real-life stories with expert perspectives and biblical insight for a helpful guide both for those just starting out on the intercultural adventure – and those in the midst of it.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Author and speaker Marla Alupoaicei serves as the Director for Leap of Faith Ministries, an intercultural marriage support ministry in Frisco, Texas.    Marla has authored or co-authored over twenty books and Bible study guides, including Taking the Intercultural Leap, Generation Hex:  Understanding the Subtle Dangers of Wicca, and In the Flow: Spiritual Insights for Living a More Creative Life, as well as numerous nonfiction articles and poems.  Marla has fifteen-plus years of ministry, teaching, and speaking experience with a variety of organizations.  Currently she works as a staff writer for East-West Ministries, a grace-based church planting organization in Addison, Texas.
Marla and her husband, Catalin, whom she met while on a missions trip to Romania in 1998, have been married for 7 years and currently reside in Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Moody Publishers; 1 edition (July 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802418546
• ISBN-13: 978-0802418548
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #730,501 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Author and speaker Marla Alupoaicei is the Director of Leap of Faith Ministries, a ministry to creative postmoderns and intercultural couples. Marla also enjoys editing books, writing poetry, music, art, and other creative pursuits. Marla and her husband, Catalin, reside in Texas. They have one son.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful for a specific audience, September 18, 2009

By 

Jody Fernando "J. Fernando" (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Intercultural Marriage: A Guide to a Healthy, Happy Relationship (Paperback)

When my husband and I started dating 12 years ago, I searched fastidiously for a book on intercultural marriage. I found two excellent ones: Intercultural Marriage by Dugan Romano and Mixed Matches by Joel Crohn. Both were informative, and helpful, but for us, they failed to offer perspective on one important piece - our common bond of faith. Marla Alupoaicei's new book Your Intercultural Marriage: a Guide to a Healthy, Happy Relationship seeks to fill this hole.

Your Intercultural Marriage seems best suited for young, Christian cross-cultural couples exploring the waters of intercultural marriage. It addresses topics such as engagement and weddings, communication skills, food, finances, and children. It is also full of movie and book recommendations, as well as lists of helpful questions to consider with a potential spouse. For a couple who has never before considered what dynamics might arise in an intercultural marriage, it is a thorough introduction to the concept. I will certainly be suggesting it to Christian college couples I know who are considering intercultural marriage.

That being said, I did have a few reservations. Being a bit further into an intercultural marriage, I did find myself longing for a deeper examination of the topic. While parts of it are well researched, organized, and written, the basic concepts (minus the Bible verses and Christian book rec's) have already been covered in Romano and Crohn's books. This isn't to say that there's no room for an update in the market, just that I didn't find anything particularly new in the book. In additional, parts of it feel contrived, stereotyped, and prescriptive. I also wish the publisher would have made it clearer that it is written for a Christian audience. If I were not a Christian, I'd find it a bit unfair to naively pick up a book of this sort only to be saturated with Bible verses and Christian language.

We've sorted through the dare-I-say `basic' issues and now wish we had more guidance in regards to less tangible struggles like isolation, integration, and surrender. However, seeing that I (married nine years w/two kids already) am not the primary target audience, I understand the spirit in which the book was written. Kudos to Alupoaicei for her contribution!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Multicultural Marriage, August 5, 2010

By 

Trevin Wax - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Intercultural Marriage: A Guide to a Healthy, Happy Relationship (Paperback)

Not too long ago, our family was driving through town listening to music in our car. After several songs on our playlist, I realized that not one of them had been in English! We had sung songs in Romanian, Spanish, Italian, and Latin. It was then that I remembered, Oh yeah! We're a multicultural family.

When visiting Romania last year, Corina and I did a radio interview and were asked what it's like to have an international marriage. Our response? "It's the only marriage we've ever had. We don't know what to compare it to!"

Your Intercultural Marriage is written by an American woman married to a Romanian man. The book places intercultural marriage within an evangelical framework. To some degree, all marriages are inter-cultural, but some (like mine, I suppose) are more intercultural than others. Marla's book provides helpful suggestions in avoiding common cultural pitfalls.

My only disappointment with this book is its lack of emphasis on how an intercultural marriage spotlights the gospel. Of course, every marriage is intended to image the gospel. But intercultural couples, who sometimes feel disadvantaged, have an opportunity to shine light on the gospel in a unique way by bringing nation, tribe, and tongue together in one lifelong union.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intercultural Marriage, October 31, 2009

By 

Milena "blogger" (New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Intercultural Marriage: A Guide to a Healthy, Happy Relationship (Paperback)

I chose to take part in this review as a part of the Blog Tour Spot, because I thought it would be an interesting read and I was right. Although I don't have an intercultural marriage per say my husband and I do come from two very different backgrounds, he's as American as can be and I'm first generation Italian American. Alupoaicei's knowledge touches on subjects that can benefit any marriage that has religious, cultural, and race differences. Marla shares stories from her own marriage as well as those of others. Her advice includes issues such as, communicating, understanding each other's values, agreeing on food, managing finances, and raising children.


Not only does Marla explain four different types of Intercultural marriage, but she provides discussion questions for you and your partner and provides a wide range of resources for improving your marriage. I love that she includes at the end of every chapter movies to watch and quotes for reflection.

Early in the book Marla tells a story about her husband, who is from Romania, and an incident that happened at the library. The librarian asks him why he writes his 4's so funny and his answer was "Why do you?". Sometimes as Americans we think that our way is the "right" way, Marla points out that she realized neither way is the "right" way. It is only different. I had a moment of enlightenment in that story. This book is a must read in any intercultural marriage, but if you have a chance to pick it up as I did I think it will open up communication amongst friends as well.