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Whether you're newlyweds or celebrating your fiftieth anniversary, marriage takes patience, hard work, and a lot of love. In 10 Secrets for a Happy Marriage, Carma Sirrine has artfully compiled real-life stories to turn your marriage into a loving relationship that you will cherish for eternity.

If a couple were to read these case studies aloud to one another (one reads while the other gives the reader a foot rub), and then discuss the principles and practices together, it would turn into a very practical (and inexpensive) form of marriage therapy. There are literally dozens of great ideas for solving problems within the pages of this book.

Carma Sirrine has taken a practical approach to inspire healthy and happy relationships. Surely, everyone will find ways to improve their marriage when reading this book . . . I know I did.

Elaine Wright Christensen, author of At the Edges
and I Have Learned 5 Things


Reviewed by Karen Hamilton

I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and I think that we have a
wonderful marriage. That is not to say that we are without our ups and
downs. In an effort to continually improve our relationship, I will read
a book that is filled with advice and ways to improve a relationship.
    Many of these books have good advice, but come across as having little
real life application behind the advice. The first thing that grabbed my
attention in this book is that Carma Sirrine asked for help and advice
from couples that have a happy and successful marriage. She contacted
everyone personally and got their help.
    Larry W. Tibbetts, PhD, has written the Foreword for the book. He aptly
sets the tone of the book on page viii in the following paragraphs:
Marriage and family life is difficult. In a sense it is a laboratory
for godhood. It has been said that marriage and parenthood are not only
the sources of our greatest joys, but also the sources of our greatest
pains and failures. We delight in the joys but somehow conclude that we
should be exempt from the pain. Someone once quipped that marriage is
like a three-ring circus: First comes the engagement ring, then the
wedding ring, and last of all the suffer-ring.
    Actually, difficulty is one of our greatest teachers, and therefore,
our greatest friend. This is a difficult lesson to grasp, and one that
may not be fully appreciated until after the trials have been endured
well. This principle is taught most clearly in the scriptures -- in
fact, there are few themes that are taught more frequently in the
standard works or in general conference than the value of adversity in
making us more like God.
    People from all walks of life shared with the author great advice and
marriage experiences. As she began to read the stories and experiences
of those who have helped contribute to her book, Sirrine found that not
all marriages were perfect from the beginning, but for the most part,
the couples whose stories make up this book worked hard to stay together
and succeeded. (p. xiii) She gleaned what she felt was the best
information, and divided it into ten chapters. The excerpts are short
and easy to relate to.
    In the first nine chapters I found new ways to look at how much both my
husband and I are working on our marriage. She shares experiences from
couples that are doing the same things like: praying and relying on the
Lord, making decisions together, having commitment in the marriage
relationship, remembering and reflecting on the better times, trying to
have a good attitude, and the list goes on.
    The last chapter is filled with advice that came not in personal
stories, but is great nonetheless. This was my favorite chapter of the
whole book. The advice is common sense, but hard to remember until it is
pointed out. Some of this advice is:
    Pay attention to your grooming. Keep yourself neat and attractive!
Be enlightened and interesting.
Count your blessings (not your money) and be grateful!
Attitude determines the quality of our lives.   (pgs. 105-106)

In the last part of chapter ten are some guidelines for a fulfilling
and happy life from one who has been there. These guidelines are what
can make a wonderful marriage even better. I thoroughly enjoyed this
book. It is one that will be finding a permanent place in my personal
library. I hope that those who read this book will share it with those
around them. I highly recommend this as an engagement, wedding, or just
because gift to those who will be or are married.