Jeannie DuBose
Beaver’s Pond Press, 112 pages
This is a lovely and wise book by a writer who knows the deep things of marriage. The beauty is that Jeannie DuBose is skilled in the art of tenderness and knows how to tell honestly the rugged journey of any marriage. Not only does she speak of what draws two people together, she describes those forces that threaten to tear them apart over time. In short, this is a book of art. One can linger a long time over the author’s finely drawn illustrations that evoke her story of a marriage. What is even more remarkable about this story is the uncanny way it evokes the experience of love’s journey in anyone who is on that path. And it does so in a way that is never maudlin or merely sentimental; the journey of her marriage is an authentic one. That’s why others will recognize themselves in it. Long-term marriages are rare these days. DuBose’s artfully told story will give you a glimpse into the challenges of sustaining love over a lifetime. How does one tend the fire? She doesn’t answer that question for others, but by telling her own story of a marriage she helps the rest of us explore our answer. That she does so beautifully is a gift. I recommend giving this to couples at any stage, including those on the threshold of marriage.
