Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

After reading her best-selling autobiography Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert developed feelings for Felipe, an Australian citizen who was born in Brazil and had been living in Indonesia at the time of their meeting. After relocating to America, the pair vowed to be faithful to one another forever and to never, ever be married officially. They had both survived unsuccessful divorces in the past. Well said.) But one day, the government of the United States stepped in and offered the couple a choice: they either be married or Felipe would never be able to enter the nation again. This was after Felipe was suddenly detained at a border crossing. After being formally ordered to marry, Gilbert confronted her apprehensions about marriage by thoroughly researching it and making a concerted effort to learn the true nature of this obstinately resilient ancient institution via historical analysis, interviews, and introspection. Committed aims to "turn on all the lights" when it comes to marriage, candidly addressing issues of compatibility, love, faithfulness, family tradition, societal expectations, divorce risks, and humbling duties. It is told with Gilbert's signature humor, intellect, and compassion. In the end, Gilbert's book is a clear-eyed celebration of love with all the complexities and implications that true love truly implies in the real world.