Between Two Worlds

Marquardt, Elizabeth. Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2005.

I found this book by visiting the blog of Lauren Winner, an author I have recently discovered. She had chosen to read this book because she said she saw herself on every page. Although I generally avoid the victim mentality that often comes from reading books about how traumas in a person's life have warped that person so he or she cannot choose to behave differently, I was intrigued by this particular book.

This book is the culmination of a study of children who both came from divorced families and completed at least one college degree. The author's hypothesis was that such children would generally be considered successful by the world around them, yet she wanted to see how growing up in a divorced home changed the way children think and feel and approach the world.

I am nearly finished with this book, but it definitely merits a second reading. I am not looking for excuses at all - my sinful behavior is the result of my wrong choices, and I bear the responsibility for that. However, it is comforting to know that at least there is an explanation for why I tend to think or react a certain way to events in my life (like the stress of moving, yet again, and packing my life into boxes).