ACCIDENTS OF MARRIAGE is a very compelling story. As the Illaca family tragedy is coming to life and everyone of them, going through so much, I couldn't stop turning the pages, even knowing there was trouble brewing. From the very beginning I saw that the fighting, anger, verbal abuse, and control issues were spiraling down a path of destruction. I couldn't wait to get to the very last page as I was pulled in and completely invested in all of the characters.
ACCIDENTS OF MARRIAGE is the story of a marriage and a family in trouble. The husband, Ben has severe anger issues and his wife, Maddy has learned to compensate by not upsetting him. She also takes a few pills when needed to get through her days. Ben's anger causes an accident that results in catastrophic brain injury to Maddy. The accident brings the family dysfunction out of the shadows. It also shows how Ben's anger not only affects Maddy but also their three children. The accident throws the family in chaos. It put so much pressure on Emma. She has to grow up fast and take charge. Your heart will break for Emma. She is so young and so much responsibility is thrown at her. She just wants to be a normal kid with a normal family, but lately, she doesn't know how to do that. She just wants her mom to get better and come home and be a mom again.
The marriage between Ben and Maddy has deteriorated, in large part due to Ben's outbursts and emotional bullying. Maddy and their children find themselves in a situation where they are constantly on guard, trying to avoid anything that might trigger his temper. ACCIDENTS OF MARRIAGE is an emotional story that will pull at your heart and the characters are very well developed. I felt like I was sitting right there with them and I was laughing and crying with them. This is the time I have read Randy Susan Myers and I plan to read her previous books based on how much I fell in love with her writing in this one.
I think everyone who reads ACCIDENTS IN MARRIAGE will find something in it to relate to. Randy Susan Meyers does a great job of showing what a family goes through when dealing with a family member who has anger management issues. While I was reading Ben and Maddy's story, I truly felt I was on an emotional roller coaster, laughing one minute and tearing up the next.
From the bestselling author of The Comfort of Lies, an engrossing look at the darker side of a marriage—and at how an ordinary family responds to an extraordinary crisis. Maddy is a social worker trying to balance her career and three children. Years ago, she fell in love with Ben, a public defender, drawn to his fiery passion, but now he’s lashing out at her during his periodic verbal furies. She vacillates between tiptoeing around him and asserting herself for the sake of their kids—which works to keep a fragile peace—until the rainy day when they’re together in the car and Ben’s volatile temper gets the best of him, leaving Maddy in the hospital fighting for her life. Randy Susan Meyers takes us inside the hearts and minds of her characters, alternating among the perspectives of Maddy, Ben, and their fourteen-year-old daughter. Accidents of Marriage is a provocative and stunning novel that will resonate deeply with women from all walks of life, ultimately revealing the challenges of family, faith, and forgiveness.
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