CALLING IT OFF

Woller offers a memoir of a wedding cancellation and what came afterwards.

The author, a former ski industry professional, teacher, and marketing executive, presents readers with a personal take on calling off a wedding that goes beyond both the taboos and the Runaway Bride–type comedy associated with it. Rather, she presents her experience as a serious and painful decision that she was initially, and understandably, very hesitant to make. She addresses the challenge of breaking the news to a fiance who did not want to call it quits, and of telling family members and friends who were deeply invested in the relationship. She also grapples with practical questions of what to do when things have already been paid for, and when refunds are no longer an option. In addition, she speaks of being pleasantly surprised by the amount of support and love she encountered after her decision (with rare exceptions). Over the course of this book, Woller also takes on what happens afterward, emotionally and logistically, when one moves on with one’s life—including the particular question of when to start dating again. The author, in her account of her ultimately successful quest to find “the one,” offers a bit too much detail about the promising, romantic dates that she had that ultimately led nowhere. However, she also offers insightful observations on how she grew from her experience, even as she acknowledges the price of choosing oneself when one realizes that a relationship isn’t the right fit. Overall, her book provides a candid and insightful examination of an extraordinarily brave decision, along with plenty of useful observations that will help readers grappling with similar situations.

An often engaging examination of a life-changing decision.