More: A Memoir of Open Marriage by
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
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.
Some of yall who know me in IRL probably read the title of this latest book I read and are like “Whuuttt???” 🤣
No— Troy and I did not make any big marital changes and we are not planning to do so either.
So just CHILL and BREATHE about that and release the clutch of your pearls.
Actually, if even thinking that I *was* in an open marriage had you in a pearl clutching moment, then this book probably is NOT for you.
Feel free to stop reading this review now and go on about your day.
ANYWAY….
I randomly found this book in my library app when I was looking for a nonfiction/memoir type of read.
Which was SUPER weird because I had JUST had a conversation with some theatre friends about polyamorous relationships and open marriage!
I honestly am in awe and amazement at people who are able to live that life happily and healthily…
Because I am far too insecure, immature and JEALOUS to ever even CONSIDER it for myself….to have a partner who has other partners would just not work with my weird idiosyncracies and massive insecurities.
If my husband of almost 20 years even suggested adding more women partners to his life besides me I would break down and cry…that’s how evolved of a person I am, everyone lol.
Plus I live in a house FULL of males (even our CAT is male) and the testosterone can be a LOT sometimes…the thought of adding MORE males into my life just overwhelms me, not excites me.
And yes friends…males would be my only option because I am strictly a boring 100% heterosexual. Sigh.
I find it so difficult to pour equal amounts of energy into my one husband, two kids and myself plus have friendships and work and fun…I don’t do great balancing all that most of the time—adding OTHER romantic relationships would just stress me OUT…where does the time and energy come from?
I am friends with quite a few people who are polyamorous and I respectfully have asked them all “How do you do it?”
And of course all their answers are very different because DUH….all HUMANS are different which means every single RELATIONSHIP is different.
There’s no one answer on how to do ANYTHING “right”.
Damnit.
Wouldn’t life be GREAT if there WAS?!?
Actually it’d be EXTREMELY BORING AF, yall.
So anywho….the whole concept of being able to have an open marriage/relationship just fascinates me.
People who are capable of finding the balance and living their truths…I admire them really. To have the self awareness, the adventure seeking nature and the self confidence and trust in themselves and their partners is quite tremendous.
But in this book, the author shows us that open marriage isn’t always easy or fun or fulfilling….there are PLENTY of complexities and layers to understand and constantly reconfigure and manage.
Molly was very candid and honest about ALL of it these pages….even how she explained it to her 12 year old son when he discovered the reality of his parents marriage.
I always do enjoy reading autobiographies and memoirs, especially from those who have MUCH different life experiences and backgrounds than I do.
Because how else can you learn about people without hearing THEIR STORIES?
How else can we better understand others without listening and truly hearing their experiences…whether they are good ones or bad ones or somewhere in between?
Reading about Molly’s open marriage experience (which has been mostly a positive one) did not change my own mind about me personally changing my marital status, but it did help me to understand why it does work for many people and that it can be filled with many positive things.
Yes of COURSE she talks a whole LOT about sex in this book…because DUH.
And again…some of it’s good, some of it’s bad, some of it’s in between….as sex tends to go. 🤣
I did enjoy this book and appreciated hearing her story and the stories of her partners.
I am still kinda in awe though that she found time to go on DATES with small children at home….like me and my husband barely had time to do that with EACH OTHER, much less other people.
Fascinating and interesting read…definitely recommend!