The Story of a Marriage

A Novel

By: Andrew Sean Greer

Narrated by: S. Epatha Merkerson

"We think we know the ones we love." So Pearlie Cook begins her indirect and devastating exploration of the mystery at the heart of every relationship: how we can ever truly know another person.

It is 1953 and Pearlie, a dutiful young housewife, finds herself living in the Sunset District in San Francisco, caring not only for her husband's fragile health but also for her son, who is afflicted with polio. Then, one Saturday morning, a stranger appears on her doorstep, and everything changes. All the certainties by which Pearlie has lived and tried to protect her family are thrown into doubt. Does she know her husband at all? And what does the stranger want in return for his offer of a hundred thousand dollars? For six months in 1953 young Pearlie Cook struggles to understand the world around her, and most especially her husband, Holland.

Pearlie's story is a meditation not only on love but also on the effects of war, with one war recently over and another coming to a close. Set in a climate of fear and repression–political, sexual, and racial–The Story of a Marriage from bestselling author Andrew Sean Greer, portrays three people trapped by the confines of their era, and the desperate measures they are prepared to take to escape it. Lyrical and surprising, The Story of a Marriage looks back at a period that we tend to misremember as one of innocence and simplicity.

©2008 Andrew Sean Greer; (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

<p>“Merkerson's nuance and projection inject character elements in Pearlie that while not present in the beginning of the novel come to fruition later on, thus performing the intriguing feat of vocal foreshadowing.” —<i>Publishers Weekly, Starred Review</i><br><br>“... [a] convincing performance. [Merkerson] conveys the subtle strength that emerges in Pearlie's voice as the story reveals how she matures and triumphs over unexpected challenges.” —<i>AudioFile, Winner of Earphones Award</i><br><br>“...be drawn in by S. Epatha Merkerson's extraordinary, finely nuanced performance, to find out, as Pearlie ultimately does, who Holland really is, where his passions lie and how the story of this marriage played out.” —<i>BookPage, Sukey's Favorite</i><br><br>“Andrew Sean Greer is a devastating new writer” —<i>Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours</i><br><br>“[Greer] has an eerie maturity not often found in young novelists. His prose, incantatory but not overheated, idles along with a top-hatted, almost courtly elegance.” —<i>David Kipen, The San Francisco Chronicle</i><br><br>“Try Andrew Sean Greer's <i>The Story of a Marriage</i> for a compelling and unexpected story of a highly unusual marital dilemma in early 1950s San Francisco...It is Merkerson's deep and rich vioce that gives true voice to Pearlie Cook and the agonizing choice she must face about giving up or fighting for her husband. Greer's writing is sensitive without ever descending to sentiment, and literary without any condescension to his characters or his storytelling.” —<i>Winston-Salem Journal</i></p>

Beautiful, evocative

I loved this book and selected it for my Bookclub. The narration by S. Epatha Merkerson was a revelation!

An Interesting Life Story

Loved it. Compelling story, interesting characters and backgrounds, evocative setting, strong writing, well- narrated audio book.

included cadence are lovely, specific sentences

I'm ready to relisten in goodwill for a striking story telling again and against . Many faceted layers to this book, A great glimpse into the space adjustment of the times and erroneously knotted by names.

disappointed as well

I too was disappointed by this book. Somehow it felt too wordy -- I almost felt like the story could have been told in a short story more effectively. I didn't understand the motivation behind the actions of various characters, and I could predict what was going to happen at the denouement. I gave the novel three stars for managing to grab my attention for at least a while. "The Confessions of Max Tivoli" is a much better read.

Thoughtful and moving book

From the first line of this novel, I was hooked. The writing is gorgeous and almost flawless, and the story's unexpected twists will make you question your assumptions. The narration is especially effective---I listened to it twice. Can't recommend this one more highly. It's my favorite out of a couple of dozen audio books I've listened to since I started using this service.