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Book Cover for: More: A Memoir of Open Marriage, Molly Roden Winter

More: A Memoir of Open Marriage

Molly Roden Winter

Critic Reviews

Mixed

Based on 5 reviews on

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The New York Times Best Seller
2024 The New York Times Best Seller
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - An intimate memoir of love, desire, and personal growth that follows a happily married mother as she explores sex and relationships outside her marriage - "This book about open marriage is going to blow up your group chat"--The Washington Post

Molly Roden Winter was a mother of small children with a husband, Stewart, who often worked late. One night when Stewart missed the kids' bedtime--again--she stormed out of the house to clear her head. At a bar, she met Matt, a flirtatious younger man. When Molly told her husband that Matt had asked her out, she was surprised that Stewart encouraged her to accept.

So began Molly's unexpected open marriage and, with it, a life-changing journey of self-discovery. Molly signs up for dating sites, enters into passionate flings, and has sex in hotels and public places around New York City. For Molly it's a mystery why she wants what she wants. In therapy sessions, fueled by the discovery that her parents had an open marriage, too, she grapples with her past and what it means to be a mother and a whole person.

Molly and Stewart, who also begins to see other people, set ground rules: Don't date an ex. Don't date someone in the neighborhood. Don't go to anyone's home. And above all, don't fall in love. In the years that follow, they break most of their rules, even the most important one. They grapple with jealousy, insecurity, and doubts, all the while wondering: Can they love others and stay true to their love for each other? Can they make the impossible work?

More is an electric debut that offers both steamy fun and poignant reflections on motherhood, daughterhood, marriage, and self-fulfillment. With warmth, humor, and style, Molly Roden Winter delivers an unputdownable journey of a woman becoming her most authentic self.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Doubleday Books
  • Publish Date: Jan 16th, 2024
  • Pages: 304
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.30in - 5.70in - 1.20in - 0.85lb
  • EAN: 9780385549455
  • Categories: MemoirsMarriage & Long Term RelationshipsSexuality

About the Author

MOLLY RODEN WINTER was raised in Evanston, Illinois, and lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with her husband and two sons. Her personal essays have appeared in The Cut, Time Magazine, Romper, and elsewhere. She is half of the guitar-playing, song-writing duo House of Mirth. Her website is www.mollyrodenwinter.com.

Critics’ reviews

Praise for this book

"Breathtakingly candid"--Alexandra Alter, The New York Times

"Very frank--and very hot...More is bound to be passed furtively from friend to friend and gobbled up after the kids go to bed. It will make for an electrifying book club pick, inciting debate over what marriage means...This book will no doubt find its way into the hands of many people who wouldn't be caught dead with a copy of The Ethical Slut but who are curious enough about open marriage to read the guidebook first, even if they're not quite ready to take the trip."-- The Washington Post

"Rather than rejecting monogamy outright, this thoughtful foray into free love asks if polyamory can enrich a couple's relationship...Roden Winter makes a strong case for open marriage as a crucible in which love of self, partner and others can be deepened."--The Financial Times

"Jaw-droppingly blunt...I listened to the whole thing in a single sitting..."--Vulture

"[More] recounts the story of Ms. Winter's open marriage, detailing how she and her husband navigate the challenges, jealousies and joys of non-monogamy while exploring who they are as a couple and as individuals"--The New York Times

"This memoir reads like a novel narrated in the first person--impossible to put down...What will really captivate readers, however, is Winter's journey of introspection, a quest to understand herself and her needs and to find self-love and self-acceptance. Through her easily accessible, quickly devoured narrative, readers become something like confidants to Winter, rather than voyeurs. An honest look at how an open marriage can work, an excellent read for people interested in self-discovery or ethical non-monogamy."--Library Journal (starred review)

"Intimate...An illuminating and balanced account of a nontraditional relationship. For those curious about polyamory, this is a spicy, stimulating treat."--Publishers Weekly

"A brave book... [Roden Winter] frankly takes on sex, jealousy, pleasure, and self-discovery."--Kirkus Reviews

"An intimate portrait of a woman on an earnest search to reclaim her passion...This story is a balm for those with unmet yearnings and a triumph for those who have made their own first steps toward getting more out of life."--Christie Tate, bestselling author of Group and BFF

"An intimate glimpse into an open marriage with all its glorious imperfections. What a gift to witness Molly and her husband fumble through this relationship evolution and offer us a front row seat to their growth as a couple, and her breakthroughs as an individual. For anyone who's ever been curious about open marriage, this engrossing, achingly honest memoir is a must-read."--Emily Morse, founder and host, Sex With Emily

"With candor, humor, and vulnerability, Molly illustrates how non-monogamy can be a powerful catalyst for living more authentically, breaking free of socially scripted people-pleasing roles, and having a more secure relationship with one's self, family, and partner."--Jessica Fern, author of Polysecure

"A luscious and surprising tale of one woman finding her way back to herself. An honest and astonishing memoir of what it means to authentically desire."--Rachel Yoder, author of Nightbitch