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How to Be Married by Jo Piazza
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How to Be Married

What I Learned from Real Women on Five Continents About Surviving My First (Really Hard) Year of Marriage

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Narrator Jo Piazza

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Length 9 hours 43 minutes
Language English
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Summary

Everyone tells you marriage is hard, but no one tells you what to do about it.

At age thirty-four, Jo Piazza got her romantic-comedy ending when she met the man of her dreams on a boat in the Galápagos Islands and was engaged three months later. But before long, Jo found herself riddled with questions. How do you make a marriage work in a world where you no longer need to be married? How does an independent, strong-willed feminist become someone’s partner—all the time?

In the tradition of writers such as Nora Ephron and Elizabeth Gilbert, award-winning journalist and nationally bestselling author Jo Piazza writes a provocative memoir of a real first year of marriage that will forever change the way we look at matrimony.

A travel editor constantly on the move, Jo journeys to twenty countries on five continents to figure out what modern marriage means. Throughout this stunning, funny, warm, and wise personal narrative, she gleans wisdom from matrilineal tribeswomen, French ladies who lunch, Orthodox Jewish moms, Swedish stay-at-home dads, polygamous warriors, and Dutch prostitutes.

Written with refreshing candor, elegant prose, astute reporting, and hilarious insight into the human psyche, How to Be Married offers an honest portrait of an utterly charming couple. When life throws more at them than they ever expected—a terrifying health diagnosis, sick parents to care for, unemployment—they ultimately create a fresh understanding of what it means to be equal partners during the good and bad times.

Through their journey, they reveal a framework that will help the rest of us keep our marriages strong, from engagement into the newlywed years and beyond.

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Reviews

"Couples will love this moving, funny chronicle about improving the state of our unions." —People

"A sensitive, global perspective on an age-old institution." —New York Magazine

"Part poignant memoir, part enlightening anthropological study, and part entertaining travel journal, the book divulges some surprising discoveries about love, longterm relationships, and our own societal beliefs." —Vogue

"Piazza sought out guidance from every walk of life — matrilineal tribeswomen, French women, Swedish stay-at-home dads and polygamous warriors — and has created a pitch-perfect guide for newlyweds. Read it and your spouse will thank you!" —US Weekly

“[A] revealing true-life study of love and wanderlust." —Cosmopolitan

"Unique and unexpected advice can be found in [this] hilarious and hard hitting new book." —Psychology Today

“[A] thoughtful, touching, and hilarious look at what people can learn from each other about love and marriage if they just ask.” —Cosmo.com

"Newlyweds and couples looking to jump-start a foundering relationship will find Piazza's analysis of marriage useful, amusing, and engaging." —Kirkus

“A modern book for a modern woman, written with verve and an excellent sense of humor… [W]e need a feminist book about marriage right now.” Elle.com

“[A] touching collection of marital wisdom from around the globe, as well as insight gained from her own first year of marriage.” —Martha Stewart Weddings

"[A] fast-paced and fun read packed with invaluable tips from hundreds of men and women." —The Knot

“How To Be Married has some excellent takeaways whether you’re in a long-term relationship, new romance, or looking for love.” –Mother Magazine

"[H]ilarious and thought-provoking" —Women's Health

"Journalist Jo Piazza travels the world to discover what the first year of marriage is truly about and how to survive it." —PopSugar, from their Best 2017 Spring Books For Women roundup

"The World’s Best Advice for a Happy Marriage." —Real Simple

"Whether she’s finding hygge in Denmark or climbing Kilimanjaro, Piazza writes with candid honesty, wit, and humor. This quick-paced and relatable book will be immensely helpful for longtime and newly married people alike." —Booklist

"A perfect mix of travel memoir, anthropological research, and personal journey... [A] terrific read for anyone pondering any kind of relationship -- whether long-term or fleeting, whether newly engaged, newlyweds, or lifers." —Fathom

"Best marriage advice ever compiled from around the world." —Daily Mail

"This Is the Relationship Novel Every Modern Woman Needs to Read."PureWow.com

"Hilarious and thought-provoking." —Girlboss.com

"[A]n insightful must-read that covers sex, compromise, communication and everything in between." —The Zoe Report

"[F]illed with unbelievable stories of love, along with hilarious ways people see marriage across the world." —Bravotv.com

"In Jo Piazza's inspired view, marriage is deeply personal and profoundly political. At the intersection of public and private, her story is impossible to put down, because it is relevant to us all. Whether you're married, considering marriage, or want a deeper understand of the institution, this book is for you. It's a smart, hopeful, timely, and necessary consideration of a practice under pressure. Jo Piazza writes with verve and heart."—Wednesday Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Primates of Park Avenue

"Jo Piazza has penned a poignant and thoroughly entertaining missive on the modern day near-impossible demands, dilemmas and delights of modern day marriage. A must read for anyone seriously considering joining your life to the life of another. You will find this gem of a book to be an enlightening roadmap of the pathway ahead." —Katherine Woodward Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Conscious Uncoupling: 5 Steps to Living Happily Even After

"Jo Piazza cuts through the cliches and sentimental greeting card bullshit to deliver a candid and hilarious look at the first year of marriage. I laughed, I cringed, I almost considered divorcing my husband in order to marry him all over again." —Jenny Mollen, New York Times bestselling author of Live Fast Die Hot

"Whether you're a newlywed, a divorcee, or you just celebrated your 20th anniversary, you will laugh out loud, sob recklessly, and learn a ton from Jo Piazza's brilliant, hilarious, and poignant look at the mystery that is marriage." —Kate Betts, New York Times bestselling author of My Paris Dream: An Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction in the Great City on the Seine

"Piazza's insights for creating a successful marriage from the very beginning provides life-changing lessons for anyone getting married or considering marriage." —John Gray Phd, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus Expand reviews
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