A Great Marriage: A Novel Authored By Frances Mayes

In A Great Marriage, Frances Mayes explores the intricate dynamics of love and marriage through the story of Dara Willcox and Austin Clarke. The two meet at an art gallery in New York and experience an instant, profound connection. Dara, from North Carolina, is set on pursuing law school, while Austin, a temporary New Yorker from Britain, is focused on his own career path. Despite their different futures, they are determined to be together.

Their engagement is celebrated with a beautiful dinner at Dara's family home, where a seemingly trivial accident—a spilled glass of red wine—marks the evening. However, this event foreshadows a deeper disruption to come. Just days before the wedding, Austin receives distressing news from London that forces Dara to cancel the wedding abruptly. Dara keeps the reason for the cancellation a secret from everyone, including her best friends and family, breaking their family’s tradition of openness.

While Dara retreats to California and Indigo Island, South Carolina, to escape the fallout, Austin returns to London, where he faces a significant personal tragedy with life-altering consequences. The novel intricately weaves together the fates of both families and the broader implications of love and marriage. Lee, Dara’s mother, makes a spontaneous visit to London that ultimately reshapes their destinies.

Through her warm, humorous, and insightful writing, Mayes presents a poignant exploration of love's complexities and the impact of unexpected events on relationships. A Great Marriage is a rich, multigenerational tale about the choices we make and their unforeseen consequences. 📚❤️