Cars from a Marriage

An "auto-biography" of a marriage from the highly acclaimed author who deftly navigates the lives of one suburban couple with humor and insight From a '74 Mustang to a Chevy Suburban, Debra Galant's Cars from A Marriage charts the important eventsbig and smallin one couple's relationship by way of the automobiles that drive them throughout the course of their lives. Ivy is a transplanted Southern bellethe daughter of a car salesman who continually wonders how she has ended up a New Jersey stay-at-home mom with a not-so-secret fear of driving. Her husband Ellis was a stand up comedian when they met, and the owner of that '74 Mustang, but his ambitions were overshadowed by the responsibilities of a family. In the blink of an eye he became a PR executive with a mortgage, two kids, and a Buick LeSabre. The cars steer us from their first meeting, to their first fight, and down the line to a family funeral. Finally, it's on a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway that Ivy and Ellis come to some serious and illuminating realizations about their lives. With insights that alternate between hilarious and profound, Galant provides a unique, unforgettable portrait of a marriage.

DEBRA GALANT is the author of Rattled and Fear and Yoga in New Jersey. She is also the creator of the popular blog Baristanet.com. She lives in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.