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This American Ex-Wife
This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life | Lyz Lenz
3 posts | 4 read | 5 to read
A deeply validating manifesto on the gender politics of marriage (bad) and divorce (actually pretty good!) in America today, and an argument that the former needs a rebootfrom journalist and proud divorce Lyz Lenz This American Ex-Wife is a bomb, a bouquet (but not a wedding bouquet), a memoir, a manifesto, and a total joy to read.Rebecca Solnit, author of Men Explain Things to Me Studies show that nearly 70 percent of divorces are initiated by womenwomen who are tired, fed up, exhausted, and unhappy. Weve all seen how the media portrays divorces: sad, lonely, drowning their sorrows in a bottle of wine. Lyz Lenz is one such woman whose life fell apart after she reached a breaking point in her twelve-year marriage. But she refused to take part in that tired narrative and decided to flip the script on divorce. In this exuberant and unapologetic book, Lenz makes an argument for the advantages of getting divorced, framing it as a practical and effective solution for women to take back the power they are owed. Weaving reportage with sociological research and literature with popular culture along with personal stories of coming together and breaking up, Lenz creates a kaleidoscopic and poignant portrait of American marriage today. She argues that the mechanisms of American power, justice, love, and gender equality remain deeply flawed, and that marriage, like any other cultural institution, is due for a reckoning. A raucous argument for acceptance, solidarity, and collective female refusal, This American Ex-Wife takes readers on a riveting ridewhile pointing us all toward a life that is a little more free.
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NovelNancyM
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I really enjoyed the author's book Godland. This one is also a well-written memoir back with solid research about marriage, divorce and life ever after.

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Amie
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Some of this is the author venting about what was wrong in her marriage that led to divorce, but it's also making a case for options other than marriage and the need for actual equality in marriage. There is also a parallel disillusionment with her evangelical upbringing.

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Megabooks
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Holy sh!t is Lyz a bitter divorcée! But her thoughts on the patriarchal implications of modern American marriages were quite interesting. As much memoir as sociology, I didn‘t like that she seemed to look down on women who felt differently about marriage than she does. However, many of the reasons she listed for her divorce and continued singledom are why I‘ve never been a fan. ??‍♀️ Be ready to have OPINIONS!

BarbaraBB Intrigued somehow! 2mo
ImperfectCJ I read her opinion piece in the Washington Post, and while I agreed with a lot of her points, I'm not keen on how she looks down on women who stay married. The best quote from the article, imo, is (as something she would tell a woman trying to make a marriage work): "If they raise the bar and it breaks, that‘s okay." I very much agree. If the marriage can only survive if one partner is miserable, then that's probably a sign to end the marriage. 2mo
Chelsea.Poole Ooohh I am going to do this one!! Thanks for the tag 😊 2mo
Suet624 Do you read her substack posts? I've kind of avoided her marriage posts but her other posts often make me chuckle, especially Men Yell at Me posts. 2mo
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