An Unfinished Marriage (Paperback)

by Joan Anderson (Author)
Key Phrases: Cape Cod, Joan Erikson

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Anderson's 1999 memoir, A Year by the Sea, described her year-long break from marriage, a time of independent self-discovery as she approached middle age. In this sequel, she continues into the following year, when she and her newly retired husband, Robin, move to their cottage on Cape Cod. The two face the process of building a new partnership as Anderson readjusts to living with another person and Robin comes to terms with his nonworking status. Anderson looks back on their early married life and shares her apprehensions about Robin's idleness. A trip to the dump reminds her that she and Robin can take the good elements of their early years and recycle them into this new phase of marriage. When she breaks her ankle, she finds a tenderness in her husband that surprises her. A bittersweet Christmas visit from a son and daughter-in-law is especially touching, as she rejoices in the news of their expected first child yet frankly explores her sadness in watching her son's role as husband take precedence over his role as son. Anderson's love of the Cape Cod landscape is an important element of her book, notably in the final chapters describing the couple's two-week stay in an isolated dune shack, sans running water and electricity. Fans of her earlier work will find the same thoughtful reflection and candor in this closeup of a marriage at midlife.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Following up on her discoveries during A Year by the Sea, this best-selling author explains how she repaired her marriage.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (March 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767908716
• ISBN-13: 978-0767908719
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #61,178 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I preferred her first book, but this is a good follow up, June 17, 2002

By	happy reader "dbw23pcw" (Naperville, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Unfinished Marriage (Hardcover)

I found Joan Anderson's first book, A Year by the Sea to be a life altering book for me. This follow up doesn't quite live up to the original but it is interesting to see where the first book left off and what happened the year after the year by the sea. I recently met Joan Anderson at one of her wonderful weekend by the sea retreats and she told us that she had been asked why she and her husband got back together after a year apart, and she said it is because he is my best friend. As simple as that. This book does show the love and tenderness that Joan and Robin have for each other especially after Joan breaks her ankle and has to completely depend on her husband for everything. After an awkward start, he becomes an expert in domestic duties much to Joan's delight. Who knew? Given half a chance, men can take care of a household as well as a woman if he is willing to try. And their two weeks at the dune cottage while their house was being renovated was a kind of a whimsical adventure. With no electricity, running water or telephones what can you possible have to do for two whole weeks? Well, they managed to do a lot of discovery about themselves and their surroundings during that time. Everyone should have such an opportunity to get away from the rat race once in a while. I recommend the book but only after reading A Year by the Sea first if you haven't already because otherwise you won't get it.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MASTERPIECE FROM START TO FINISH!, March 22, 2002

By	Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: An Unfinished Marriage (Hardcover)

Readers who read Anderson's first book, "A Year by the Sea" will find this a beautiful sequel and equally as compelling as her first book. After seeing Anderson on the Oprah show, I was as impressed with the author as I was with her book. In this book, Anderson and her husband reunite after a year apart. The reunion was not without its ups and downs as would be expected after the author's year sabbatical. According to Anderson, she and her husband had to make several changes to avoid making the same pitfalls and mistakes that had caused the couple to drift with a different tide. I particularly enjoyed "their trip to the dump", a learning experience that proved, like many objects we cast away, marriages can also be recycled.

Anderson is a down-to-Earth woman who spent considerable time searching for her true self - much of which had been lost in her marriage. In discovering what made her tick, she also discovered a part of her marriage that was worth saving. As a counsellor, I hear so many stories of marriages that lose their spark. Not all marriages can be salvaged or "recycled" and some should not be; however, love is our most powerful emotion - it can overcome all obstacles if we are willing to make the commitment and changes to resolve the issues. Through the pages of this wonderfully inspiring book, many readers, particularly women, will be able to relate to Anderson's tale and perhaps see a little of themselves. The book reminds me of the saying, "If you love something set it free; if it comes back, it is yours; if it does not, it never was."

Hats off to Joan Anderson for having the courage and wisdom to take a journey into self-discovery with all the risks involved and the determination to write a book which contains a valuable lesson for women everywhere. The only constant in life is change. If we are not able to go with the changes life throws our way and are not willing to take risks, we will never reach our goals. Hopefully, she and her husband will have many beautiful and enriching years together, and ebb and flow with the same tide.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An ongoing relationship and an unfinished journey!, August 19, 2002

By	Nancy R. Katz "NancyK18" (NJ) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: An Unfinished Marriage (Hardcover)

An ongoing relationship and an unfinished journey!

In 1999, Joan Anderson's book, A Year by the Sea was published to unanimous acclaim. Written primarily as a memoir, the author focused on the year she separated from her husband and lived alone in their Cape Cod cottage. This slim volume spoke volumes to legions of women and quickly became a bestseller. Now in her newest book, An Unfinished Marriage, Anderson continues her story as she reconciles with her husband and he moves to the Cape.

Certainly, Joan Anderson took a bold step by separating from her husband to find herself and perhaps in part to add a new dimension to her married life. And while many women who are married for sometime would find this the thought of a solitary year intriguing, Anderson admits it was not always an easy experience. Neither is everything so wonderful during the time Robin and Joan joined together again.

For Joan, the reunion is initially fraught with tension and compromise. While Robin has retired and is now seeking a new meaning and purpose to his life, Joan has already found this during her year of solitude. Joan feels crowded by his presence both physically and emotionally. As Anderson also described unearthed emotions in her first book, she continues to reveal her innermost thoughts concerning the changes and growth for them as individuals and as a married couple. Month by month for the year of their reunion, Anderson charts the ups and downs of her marriage and their lives. With total candor
and great insight, she presents a vivid look into the inner working of this union. Drawing upon glimpses of their early, married life and their years as parents of two young boys, for many readers these scenes will serve as reminders of their own lives. While at first I was put off by Anderson's thought and words likening them to literary whining, this was short lived as the book intensified with emotions and resolutions. And all at once I came to fully understand the author's desires and wants not only for herself but for the two of them as a couple.

I do recommend reading both A Year by the Sea and An Unfinished Marriage. Both books evoke memories of Nan Martin's journey in the fictional title Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg. This is a wonderful renewal of spirit both as a woman and wife. I think that many would agree after reading this book that for Joan and Robin Anderson their journey continues and readers everywhere I imagine will wish them well.