My 101 Favorite Marriage Myths

Pat MacDonald Boone, D. Min
Dr. Pat Boon (2006)
ISBN 0972461140
Reviewed by Lorraine Robins for Reader Views (6/06)

This book offers practical, logical advice about marriage. I have been married myself for 11 years. In my opinion, this book would be most effective with teenagers and possibly young adults. The book is mostly common sense, and for me there were no surprises. It was very easy to read, and it encourages thinking and discussion. I believe this would be a good educational tool for young people.

"Myth #29: Your Honeymoon is a preview of coming attractions. Your honeymoon is not about cleaning, cooking, washing dishes, paying bills, working, washing clothes or any other day to day activities. It is pure enjoyment, where the total attention of your partner is available, because you are paying someone else to do all of those things. Enjoy it. Never again will you have your partners complete attention or be the total focus of affection like you will be right after you are married..."

There were many good, logical points in this book regarding marriage. Those who are approaching marriage as pure romance, with unrealistic expectations, would benefit from many of the points made in this book. I am assuming this would apply mostly to  teenagers and young adults.

I would like to note that this book has many religious references, with a Christian bend. The author tends to get make more religious points as the book goes on. I did not agree with some of her opinions. For example, she states in the book that women who keep their maiden names (rather than take their husband's last name) tend to be less family oriented and don't usually have children. The author practically directly stated this was "against God's will". She suggested that those who want to keep their maiden names hyphenate with their husband's name as well. I did not agree with this at all.  I DID change my name when I got married, but I think it is ridiculous to chastise those who keep their maiden names, especially in this day and age. There were other issues in the book I did not agree with, but this was the main one.

I would recommend the book as a learning tool. However, I think the reader should keep an open mind and form their own opinions in many of these matters. As the author suggests, I believe the reader should write down their own thoughts and discuss the issues, and decide how they feel about the issues presented.

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