40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life
From power couple Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, a compelling and intimate collection of intriguing conversations with famous couples about their enduring marriages and how they have made them last through the challenges we all share.
NOW AVAILABLE wherever books, e-books, and audiobooks are sold.
What's the Secret?
What makes a marriage last? Who doesn’t want to know the answer to that question? To unlock this mystery, iconic power couple Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue crisscrossed the country and conducted intimate conversations with forty celebrity couples whose long marriages they’ve admired—from award-winning actors, athletes, and newsmakers, to writers, comedians, musicians, and a former US president. Along the way, Marlo and Phil also revealed the rich journey of their own forty-year marriage.
What Makes a Marriage Last collects practical and riveting wisdom for couples of all ages, offering a rare glimpse into the lives of husbands and wives we have come to know and love. Marlo and Phil’s frequently funny, often touching and always engaging conversations span the marital landscape—from that first rush of new love to keeping that precious spark alive, from navigating hard times to celebrating triumphs, from balancing work and play and family to growing better and stronger together. At once intimate, candid, revelatory, hilarious, instructive, and poignant, this book is a beautiful gift for couples of every age and stage.
Press
“Delightful and instructive…Love and understanding shine through in this inspiring collection.” – Publisher’s Weekly
“Warmhearted testimony to enduring relationships…The authors’ disarming ebullience makes them endearing interviewers.” – Kirkus Reviews
“An intimate and surprising look at what keeps couples together.” – AARP
Events
July 16 | 2 pm ET
Library Love Fest “Door to Door”
Facebook Live with Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue
Join the conversation
July 24 | 8 pm ET
Friends of the Palos Verde Library
Marlo in Phil join local authors Tom Sullivan & Mary Jo Hazard in conversation.
Learn more and buy your ticket
July 29 | 5 pm ET
Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA
Marlo and Phil join Brookline Booksmith in conversation.
Learn more and buy your ticket
July 30 | 7 pm ET
Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO
In conversation with Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner
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About the Authors
Marlo Thomas is an award-winning actress, author, and activist whose body of work continues to impact American entertainment and culture. She has been honored with four Emmy Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, a Golden Globe, a Grammy, and has been inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. In November 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Marlo the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a civilian can receive. This is her eighth book.
Phil Donahue is a writer, producer, journalist, and media pioneer who revolutionized the talk show format, ushering in a new era of broadcast television. The Donahue show was honored with twenty Daytime Emmy Awards, and in 1996, the Daytime Emmys presented Phil with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to television journalism. He has been inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Science Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the George Foster Peabody Award.
Contributors
Alan and Arlene Alda
Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick
President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
James Carville and Mary Matalin
Deepak and Rita Chopra
Patricia Cornwell and Staci Gruber
Bryan Cranston and Robin Dearden
Billy and Janice Crystal
Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest
Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon
Gloria and Emilio Estefan
Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan
Chip and Joanna Gaines
Sanjay and Rebecca Gupta
Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
Ron and Cheryl Howard
Jesse and Jacqueline Jackson
Elton John and David Furnish
John and Justine Leguizamo
LL COOL J and Simone I. Smith
Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone
John McEnroe and Patty Smyth
Mehmet and Lisa Oz
Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete
Letty Cottin Pogrebin and Bert Pogrebin
Rob and Michele Reiner
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Al Roker and Deborah Roberts
Ray and Anna Romano
Tony Shalhoub and Brooke Adams
Judges Judy and Jerry Sheindlin
George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth
Sting and Trudie Styler
Capt. Chelsey “Sully” and Lorrie Sullenberger
Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner
Judith and Milton Viorst
Judy Woodruff and Al Hunt
Bob Woodward and Elsa Walsh