MEMO FOR MARRIAGE

by Judith Unger Scott ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 20, 1957

A book of this sort is needed, but this isn't the answer. It is a confused and uneven handbook of preparation for marriage and marriage itself, directed to girls in the teens. It suffers, as do too many books in this field, from a sort of split between tradition and practice, due to the new freedoms accepted by women today. While the author sensibly, sometimes eloquently, stresses basic human values, such as responsibility, humor, understanding, sociability and so forth, all necessary ingredients for a good marriage, she falls short of arriving at a consistent definition of roles in marriage. She explains that individuality and true partnership in everything are among the principal ingredients of American marriage, as distinct from European. Yet later on, discussing the jobs of both husband and wife, where individuality should come to fruition, she admonishes her readers that if work they must it should be only in accordance with their husbands' wishes and plans: She has not clarified her viewpoint sufficiently to come to terms with two contradictory sets of values. A disappointing book.

Pub Date: May 20, 1957

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Macr-Smith

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1957

Categories: NONFICTION