Secrets of Great Marriages

Book excerpt: Therapists Charlie and Linda Bloom have been married more than thirty-five years. Over a two-year period, they interviewed twenty-seven couples who had been together for an average of thirty years and seemed as happy as newlyweds. Were they just lucky? The Blooms found that these couples had faced real challenges — difficulties with children and stepchildren, war wounds, infidelity, and financial ruin. They also found that with loving dialogue and open hearts, the couples had found ways to heal, grow, and deepen their commitment through, and not despite, their challenges. The Blooms distill this real-world wisdom into practical, positive actions any couple can take to achieve or regain not just a good marriage but a great one.