About Accidents of Marriage
• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books (September 2, 2014)
Accidents of Marriage examines the effect of a husband—and father’s—verbal rage and the aftermath of a serious accident caused by his unchecked anger.
For Madeline Illica, her husband Ben is her greatest blessing and biggest curse. Brilliant and caring, he turns into a raging bull when crossed—and despite her training as a social worker Maddy was never sure what would cross him. She kept a fragile peace by vacillating between tiptoeing around him and asserting herself for the sake of their three children until a rainy drive to work when Ben’s temper gets the best of him and the consequences leave Maddy in the hospital, fighting for her life.
The novel explores emotional abuse, traumatic injury, and children lost in the shuffle of recovery. Accidents of Marriage is an account of life inside a troubled marriage and how the unexpected gift of clarity can make the difference between living in hell and salvation.
Praise for Accidents of Marriage
“Meyers puts a Boston family overwhelmed by a tragic accident under the literary microscope. Meyers, who has a background working with victims of domestic violence, examines the effects anger and violence can have on family members, as well as the courage that can be born from a new perspective and the lack of happily-ever-after in these real-life situations. The characters labor under intense pressure, and some crack while others rise to the challenge, giving Meyers’ tale both realism and a bittersweet quality that, in the hands of a lesser writer, could have ended up simply maudlin and contrived. Beautifully written, poignant and thought-provoking, this novel refuses to succumb to stereotypical reader expectations, making it even more memorable.” —Kirkus Starred Review
Many books are an absolute pleasure to read, but slip straight from your mind. Accidents of Marriage is one of those rare novels that is both unputdownable and unforgettable. I just loved it, and I’ll now read everything Randy Susan Meyers writes. —Liane Moriarty, NYT bestselling author of The Husband’s Secret
“Randy Susan Meyers is a genius of the human heart, and Accidents of Marriage is a profound education on the complexities of love, imperfection, damage, and responsibility. You’ll feel as though a magically insightful friend is sharing the behind-the-scenes secrets of a family you may well know. She tells it like it is. No sugar-coating here, only truth in all its compelling beauty and might. ” —Robin Black, author of Life Drawing
“I read Accidents of Marriage in one day. Like Meyers’ first two novels, this one—about a family paying a high price for rage and trying to reknit itself in the aftermath of the unthinkable—is compulsive reading. It’s amazing how warm Meyers’ writing is even as her stories grip you by the hand and don’t let go.” —Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us
“With the heart of a novelist and the tenacity of an investigative journalist, Meyers flawlessly depicts the evolution and consequences of emotional abuse. A master of perspective with an uncanny understanding of human nature, she has managed to make us empathize with every member of this damaged family. This is an important story, one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.” —Brunonia Barry, New York Times and international bestselling author of The Lace Reader
“Every marriage has its secret deals and compromises. In Accidents of Marriage, Randy Susan Meyers explores the vast complexity of this bond and lays out how passion, allegiance and love can go terribly wrong. She gives us characters we root for, even when they’re at odds, and she asks the questions: What is forgivable? When does a marriage become too broken to fix? With wisdom, humor and great compassion, Meyers answers in a story you won’t soon forget.” —Ann Bauer, author of The Forever Marriage
“A bold and poignant look into the complicated, slippery world of what constitutes emotional abuse, Accidents of Marriage explores what happens when tragic circumstance forces one family to reexamine the dysfunctional dynamics that have long-defined them. Meyers deftly pulled me in to this story from the first page, tying me to its tender and fearless heartbeat, and didn’t let me go until the extremely satisfying end.” —Amy Hatvany, author of Safe With Me
Purchase Links
Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
About Randy Susan Meyers
The drama of Randy Susan Meyers’ novels is informed by her work with families impacted by emotional and family violence.
Her newest novel, Accidents of Marriage, examines the slippery definitions of emotional abuse and explores tragic circumstances forcing a family to challenge the dynamics that have long-defined them.
Randy is a founding member of Beyond The Margins, a site dedicated to the craft of writing and the business of publishing, and coauthored the guide, What To Do Before Your Book Launch, with writer M.J. Rose. She lives in Boston with her husband, where she teaches at Grub Street Writer’s Center.
Find out more about Randy at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
Randy’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, September 2nd: BookNAround
Wednesday, September 3rd: nightlyreading
Thursday, September 4th: Luxury Reading
Monday, September 8th: Always With a Book
Tuesday, September 9th: Drey’s Library
Wednesday, September 10th: 5 Minutes For Books
Tuesday, September 16th: bookchickdi
Tuesday, September 23rd: My Book Retreat
Wednesday, September 24th: Wordsmithonia
Thursday, September 25th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Tuesday, September 30th: Doing Dewey
Friday, October 3rd: Patricia’s Wisdom