Listen to the inspiration for the title.
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, thirty years have been added to human life expectancy—an unprecedented event that has forever changed our long-term relationships. In September Songs, Maggie Scarf, author of the best-selling Intimate Partners, explores the surprising and profound evolution marriage has undergone in these “bonus years”—a time of life that is emerging as more rewarding than anyone expected.
In a series of intimate and wide-ranging interviews, Scarf delves deeply into the lives of couples married for more than two decades. She uncovers the welcome good news that in many ways, each couple is more satisfied in their marriage today than when they were first married. In this newfound phase of life, free from the pressures of raising children and building careers, couples have time to rediscover and reconnect with each other in new and powerful ways. By giving voice to the struggles that shook them and the triumphs that shaped them throughout their time together, these husbands and wives reveal how they have learned to balance their emotional and physical needs with those of their partner, and how they’ve enriched their relationships in ways they couldn’t have without the precious gift of these extra years.
A compelling and human portrait of the long-term emotional, psychological, and physical benefits of a lasting commitment to another, September Songs explores the trials couples face and the new opportunities they find to love, cherish, and live alongside each other in the extra years they have together.
