Chris Easterly

When Chris Easterly's wife announces that she has had an affair, his world falls apart. Searching for books and advice to support him through his despair, he discovers that the self-help literature for divorce is overwhelmingly weighted towards women. There are plenty of books advising you how to cope when your husband leaves you... but what about vice versa? Easterly decides to use his own experiences as a way to level the playing field, and to investigate when and where it all went wrong. It's a painful account of a relationship that was crumbling even as it began, but you follow him as he learns from the mistakes that he and 'M' have made. Articulate, wise, and often extremely sad, it's a powerful little book which reminds us that men can be hurt, lost and betrayed too.

Easterly writes beautifully and makes a number of well-phrased observations that I've seen elsewhere, but are always worth reiterating: 'No matter how long or how well we've known the one we love, we always marry a stranger'; 'You never solve the mystery of another person because the mystery keeps evolving. You never crack the code because the code keeps changing'; 'You never marry the right person. Because that person doesn't exist. You just marry another person willing to take the same leap of faith'. Some valuable thoughts there for those embarking on relationships.… (altro)