The purpose of Staying Power, as defined by the authors early in the reading, was to write to couples encountering challenges. The authors were determined to aid in strengthening marriages during times of difficulties rather than weaken, as many do. The challenges they targeted were not those that come from inside the marriages, such as infidelity and gambling, but rather those that arise from outside like illness, raising a grandchild or, as the authors encountered, having an incarcerated loved one. As you read this book, be prepared to hear a lot about the incarceration of the authors’ son. This theme arises frequently as they seek to use their personal experiences, and the experiences of others to navigate the “staying power” needed to weather the outside storms.

Particularly standing out in this read were the positive uses of anger. Every person, couple, human experiences anger. Anger can be used to provide motivation, teach you something about yourself, and become a catalyst for communication. The authors do a great job of enabling the reader to understand their key points by providing real life examples to solidify the content in the minds of those who decide to pick up a copy of this book. Other great takeaways from this read are the lessons in choosing the right words, and ideas for providing thoughtful gestures for your loved ones in times of extreme challenge.

However, the excessive number of authors, and their changing view points and storytelling, causes the reader to flip to the back of the book again and again in hopes of keeping them all straight. This inclusion of four authors, two sets of married couples, didn’t seem to add value to the story line.

*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own. ( )