"Strangers: A Memoir of a Marriage" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider

A heartbreaking scenario plays out with alarming speed and life-changing repercussions in the unputdownable, “Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage,” by Belle Burden. It's the story of a 20-year marriage that goes bad, no explanation offered, no hint of discontent in the air. James (a fictitious name) and Belle Burden seemed to have a perfect marriage.

The trouble erupted suddenly when James and Belle left their New York City home in 2020 to live on Marthas Vineyard in a vacation house they bought on the island in 2005 with Belle’s inheritance. It was the family’s happy place, and would serve as a refuge from a city under siege from the virus.

Moving there temporarily made sense. Both James and Belle could work from the island, James had a position in a hedge fund that had gone remote and Belle did legal work. Their daughters, 15 and 12 went with them, while their son 17 stayed in New York City with friends. The vacation home would provide a haven until they all could be reunited, hopefully in a couple of weeks, they thought.

But chaos of a different type erupted when Belle got a phone call from the distraught husband of a woman James was having an affair with. Belle was flattened when she confronted James and he admitted it was true, quickly adding the affair was a mistake and had only gone on weeks. It was over. He was embarrassed. The next day, in a cold, icy voice, James said he wanted a divorce and didn’t want custody of his kids.

With that he left the island, cutting off communication with Belle, who tried to process what had happened and hide her pain, telling her girls their dad had to stay in the city for work. Continued attempts to contact James were unsuccessful—he offered no reasons as to why he didn’t want to see Belle or his daughters again.

So began a nightmare that Belle couldn’t have envisioned in her wildest dreams. While she had no idea what happened to a marriage she thought was happy, to a man who seemed to adore her, James’ backstory gradually begins to shed some light on his abrupt desertion.

Readers are certain to feel empathy for Belle as she stumbles her way toward acceptance, lavishing care on her children as she struggles to make sense of the nonsensical and maneuver through the muck of a messy divorce. Belle is an admirable survivor who doesn’t play the victim card in a situation that would devastate anyone who has loved and lost.

“Strangers” is poignant and well written, a story of courage, resiliency and hope.

Buy the book.