The Story of a Marriage parent’s guide: what’s inside
Medium confidence
Violence
Mild · 1/5
Substance use
None · 0/5
What it offers
A note for parents
This is an adult literary novel centered on a marriage crisis in 1950s San Francisco involving infidelity and a love triangle, with significant LGBTQ+ themes at its core. While not graphically violent or explicit, it deals with mature emotional and relational complexities—including betrayal, secrets, and moral ambiguity—that are better suited to older teen or adult readers. The historical setting (post-WWII) and the polio storyline add weight and period detail.
Pearlie is already coping with her husband's fragile health and her son's polio when a stranger appears offering enough money that she starts to doubt her relationship with her husband.Pearlie is already coping with her husband's fragile health and her son's polio when a stranger appears offering enough money that she starts to doubt her relationship with her husband.
