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Reviewed by Iza Grek for Readers' Favorite
Joined: A Memoir of Marriage is a hard-hitting memoir by Barbara Carter. Barbara provides an unbridled telling of the daily struggles of a difficult marriage. As a frustrated young 20-something woman, she is eager to meet a man and, due to an unplanned pregnancy, ends up tying the knot with Mike who she barely knows. What unfolds is a fraught relationship with Barbara’s further two pregnancies which bring the father’s identity into question. Each partner demonstrates a fall from grace on more than one occasion, leaving the other to choose acceptance or to exit the union. Barbara Carter also has a strained relationship with her mother who is open about her dislike of Mike. Against all odds, Barbara and Mike stay together through thick and thin as their love wins the day.
The book's title, Joined, lends itself to the memoir as Barbara Carter explains the inextricable bond between herself and her husband. The book takes the reader through emotional highs and lows, all the while holding out for her to find happiness and for Mike to face his demons head-on. The themes of human frailty and the dual nature of personality are well explored in both characters. Mike eventually deals with his alcoholism and Barbara finds joy in rediscovering and expressing her artistic talents. I raced through Barbara’s honest words and finished the book in two days. I could relate to the deep-seated challenges of marriage to someone with an addiction. I recommend the memoir to anyone involved in a relationship where conflict is the norm rather than the exception. Joined is one of several of Barbara’s memoirs.
