My Marriage Sabbatical

A vibrant, honest, and unique travel memoir for readers who think they’re too old to “eat, pray, love,” My Marriage Sabbatical captures marital therapist Leah Fisher’s journey to maintain her marriage without forfeiting her own independence. 

She wants to travel the world; he wants to keep working. At sixty, Leah Fisher is ready to Love, Honor, and Negotiate. The result is a long-married couple’s decision to commence an unconventional experiment.  

Fisher takes readers on two journeys: an intriguing global journey—her year of solo travel—and the relational journey she and her husband embark upon as they skillfully negotiate their different priorities and preferences. We accompany them through a series of reunions and poignant farewells as they stay connected and gradually grow comfortable being together and apart. After the marriage sabbatical is over, both spouses are surprised by the outcome of their daring experiment.

With gray divorce on the rise, Leah Fisher’s memoir demonstrates a creative way to fulfill individual needs without having to make the painful choice between forfeiting heartfelt dreams or leaving one’s marriage to achieve them. A riveting travel story that offers wise guidance on maintaining marital friendship, My Marriage Sabbatical is proof that couples can keep growing as individuals and partners all through their lives.

Leah Fisher worked for thirty-five years as a psychotherapist, marital counselor, and corporate consultant. During this time, she brought her expertise to television programs including The Oprah Winfrey Show and 60 Minutes, and to media outlets including Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal. Fisher is a self-proclaimed “wild and crazy grandma” to four young grandchildren. She lives with her husband in the Bay Area.