The Real Thing

On the same day in 2009, Ellen McCarthy was hired as the full-time weddings reporter for The Washington Post . . . and began the process of breaking up with the man she'd been dating for a year and a half. For McCarthy, the years that followed held heartbreak, tears, a lot of weddings, and, eventually, love (plus a wedding of her own). In this warm, witty, and wise book, McCarthy shares her own story, as well as those of the most memorable couples she has encountered thus far--and the lessons they can teach us about finding love and happiness in our own lives. Betty and Edgar, both in their mid-80s and married for 65 years, scoff at the idea of "the one"--they know kindness and hard work made their marriage last. And Nikki, whose only requirement for a partner was that he be tall, learned love and expectations don't always go together when she fell for Dan, who barely reaches her shoulders. Weaving these stories with the latest scientific research into romance and relationships, McCarthy has created for all of us--single or otherwise--a charming, clear-eyed map to the human heart.