History of the Wife

“A valentine to wives . . . after reading Yalom''s history, one thing is clear: marriage is not for the faint-hearted.” —USA Today

How did marriage, considered a religious duty in medieval Europe, become a venue for personal fulfillment in contemporary America? How did the notion of romantic love, a novelty in the Middle Ages, become a prerequisite for marriage today? And, if the original purpose of marriage was procreation, what exactly is the purpose of marriage for women now?

Combining “a scholar''s rigor and a storyteller''s craft” (San Jose Mercury News), distinguished cultural historian Marilyn Yalom charts the evolution of marriage in the Judeo-Christian world through the centuries and shows how radically our ideas about marriage have changed.

For any woman who is, has been, or ever will be married, this intellectually vigorous and gripping historical analysis of marriage sheds new light on an institution most people take for granted, and that may, in fact, be experiencing its most convulsive upheaval since the Reformation.

“Scholarly yet delectably readable volume.” —People

“Yalom’s sweeping history not only offers a clear overview of the role of the wife over the centuries but also recounts the experiences of specific individuals.” —Los Angeles Times

“Packed with rich material.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Portrays the gradual but relentless shift from subjugation toward partnership . . . collating what information is available about how women have spent, and felt about, their married lives.” —Chicago Tribune

“Yalom’s brilliant deconstruction of the married state for women is at once reassuring and shocking . . . perfectly fascinating.” —Diane Johnson, New York Times–bestselling author of Le Divorce