Two Minus One: A Memoir

Description

Kirkus Best Books of 2018 "You can quit waiting for the other shoe to drop: I'm in it for life." Those are the fateful, repeated words that help convince Kathryn Taylor to remarry, retire from her thirty-year profession, sell her home, and relocate in support of her new husband's career. But five years later, in a car packed with food she has carefully prepared to nourish her husband's dying brother, the other shoe does drop. Taylor's husband unexpectedly proclaims he is, "done with the marriage and doesn't want to talk about it." With this, the life Taylor has come to know is over. Relying on the strength of a lifelong friend who refuses to let her succumb to the intense waves of grief, she slowly begins to find her way out of grief. Over the course of two years, through appointments with attorneys and therapists, purging shared belongings, and pushing herself to meet new people and do new things, Taylor not only regains a sense of control in her life, she also learns to enjoy the new life she has built, the friendships she's formed-and to savor her newfound strength.

Kathryn Taylor is the author of Two Minus One: A Memoir (November 2018, She Writes Press) which received a starred Kirkus review and was subsequently named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2018. It was an Amazon Best Seller and was selected as one of the September 2019 selections of the Pulpwood Queen's Book Club. Taylor has participated on author panels at the Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Convention and the Pat Conroy Literary Center. She is an avid reader, enthusiastic traveler, and incurable beach lover. Taylor resides outside of Charleston, SC with her rescue dog, Lucy, where she enjoys all three of her favorite pastimes. You can connect with her on social media through the following link: https://linktr.ee/KathrynTaylor.

2020 Readers' Favorite Book Awards: Finalist in Non-Fiction - Memoir "Taylor carefully explores her own rebuilding process, including time that she spent in therapy and the crucial support that she received from her friends. Her book may act as a lifeline for other women going through similar experiences, as it offers hope for newfound happiness . . . Truthful, dignified, and pragmatic writing." --Kirkus Reviews, starred "Anyone facing relationship challenges and changes later in life would do well to absorb Two Minus One's heart-wrenching, inspiring experiences, which hold lessons for all." --D. Donavan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review "There are times in life when we are presented with unforeseen challenges that feel so overwhelming, we just want to shut down and hide. In those moments we have a choice, to go towards the light or stay in the darkness. Kathryn shows us her deepest sadness, and her heroic struggle to get her life back. Her book shows how she recognized that there is life after grief and suffering, and to remember that happiness is always a choice, one we DO have control of." --Jennifer Pate Gilbert, founder of Save the Date(R) and author of I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag "Kathryn Taylor's book is a gift to anyone who is divorced and feeling hopeless, because she illustrates through her own story of suffering, disillusionment, and eventual triumph that divorce is not the end. Her words underscore the fact that good things can and do come out of the bad if we let them, and there is every reason to hope for a happy future, despite the devastation. I highly recommend that anyone who is divorced and feeling alone in their fight to survive read Two Minus One to gain encouragement, clarity, and hope." --Lisa Duffy, author, speaker, and divorce recovery coach "From the words that came out of the blue--'I'm done with our marriage'--through the desolation, heartbreak, and steps towards healing, Kathryn Taylor opens her heart and soul to take us on her journey of recovery. With resilience and grace, she reminds us that no matter what life throws your way, you can reach down and bring up the courage to not only go on but grow." --Vikki Stark, author of Runaway Husbands: The Abandoned Wife's Guide to Recovery and Renewal "Two Minus One is a story of a woman who finally allows herself to love again, only to have everything taken from her by a man who becomes a stranger overnight. On these pages, Taylor captures the confusion, grief, and outrage that occur when one partner inexplicably walks away, and beautifully describes how she learns to stand on her own two feet. This is a powerful story of grace and resilience." --Tammy Letherer, author of The Buddha at My Table: How I Found Peace in Betrayal and Divorce "In her memoir, Two Minus One, Taylor offers a poignant and well-crafted account of what it is like to be sixty years old, believing you are happily married one day, only to discover the next, having missed all of the clues, that you've been abandoned. This is certainly a story that demonstrates the powerful ways in which love is blind. This is a human story, one of vulnerability, insight and resilience. Highly recommended." --Diane Pomerantz, PhD, author of Lost in the Reflecting Pool