by Haley Mlotek
First published 2025
Haley Mlotek grew up surrounded by divorce. Her grandmother shared stories about multiple husbands. Her mother ran a mediation practice where Mlotek answered phones and typed paperwork for separating couples. She learned to see divorce as both frightening and promising. After twelve years with her partner, Mlotek married him, then divorced him. This experience forced her to question everything she thought she understood about modern relationships. Mlotek weaves her personal story together with cultural analysis of contemporary divorce. She examines why marriage retains its influence and explores what divorce reveals about how we think about family and love. The book traces her path from her own marriage into an uncertain future while asking difficult questions about who divorce serves and what it should accomplish.
Genres: essays, sociology, contemporary, memoir, relationships, cultural-studies
Vibes: analytical, emotionally-honest, intimate, reflective, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, generational-patterns, self-discovery
Period: 21st century
304 pages · Hardcover · Viking