Lift and Separate

Clever, funny and entertaining, Lift and Separate, by Marilyn Simon Rothstein.   This is such a fun light novel about as woman who is on the precipice of her new life, as her husband throws a match to their marriage.  Marcy is facing herself in the mirror as she reevaluates the importance of marriage and the years she devoted to her husband and children ignoring her own desires.  Now as her husband betrays her, having an affair with a young woman, Marcy must decide whether to take him back or move forward without him.

There are so many experiences in this book any woman  and especially mothers can relate to.  One is the feelings is the empty nest when your children have all grown and off living their own lives.  It is hard to accept that they will not be home for dinner or dropping by to visit.  You keep thinking of them as you shop for groceries.  Marcy explains what happens when she is reminded that the kids are gone, "True, but I tend to forget that.  I enjoyed their growing up so much that even though I know they're adults, I cling to whatever I can.  Besides, it's tough to think about only yourself when you've spent your whole life thinking about everybody else.  Until a few weeks ago, I still went to the supermarket and bought their favorite things.  But I have to say, I'm trying to get over that. I restrict myself to the ten-items of less checkout."

Married at a young age to her first boyfriend, Harvey, Marcy has been married longer than she was single.  She has devoted her life to being Harvey's wife and making him look good in his business.  He is head of a global brassiere empire, working to out do Victoria's Secret.  He can tell what size and design bra would be best on any woman just by looking at her.  He brings home every new design in Marcy's size.  She has so many bras she will never be able to wear them all.

When Harvey admits that he had a short term affair she throws him out.  Then she starts to work through how to move on with the help of her friend, Dana.  Then her mother has a fall and ends up in the hospital. There she runs into an old acquaintance, Candy, whose father is also in the hospital.
Marcy and Candy build strong friendship as they lean on each other through their parent's slow decline.

Candy also has a marriage that is in trouble.  Dana is on her third marriage.  This book takes a long hard look at relationships, trust and dependence.  It also in a funny lighthearted way looks at independence, and resolve.