The Book of Happy Endings: True Stories About Finding Love [Hardcover]

Valmorbida (Matilde Waltzing) brings her gift for elegant language to this collection of narratives about the search for love. Having interviewed couples from a variety of backgrounds, Valmorbida relates the ups and downs of their eventually fulfilled relationships. Driven by passion for Rosi, a fellow professor, Anneke left her boyfriend in order to forge a union that resulted in the women's 1999 marriage in Holland. The Iran-Iraq War brought exiles Zainab and Mum'am together as lovers and political activists in London, where they have now lived together for 16 years. As Zhen Zhu taught Martin Chinese and he improved her English, their friendship and partnership developed and deepened, but they did not marry until years after they became the parents of twins. Threading through these and other anecdotes is a romance told almost completely in letters between a New Yorker and a Londoner, but their trials and tribulations grow wearying and are less compelling than the other, more straightforward tales. B&w photos. (Aug. 1)
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In a world of bad news and bleak prophecies, it's life-affirming to hear a story with a happy ending. These are true tales of passion and perseverance, chance meetings, unexpected romance, lovers whose stars are un-crossed. There is sorrow here. There are questions, too, but no universal answers and yet other people's happy endings inspire optimism in all of us.

The author's first book, [i]Matilde Waltzing[/i] (Allen & Unwin) was nominated for two prestigious literary awards. She currently runs a communications consultancy and teaches creative writing at the University of the Arts London.