Remember the Sweet Things: One List, Two Lives and Twenty Years of Marriage

After poor career choices, a failed marriage and three moves to three different states, first-time author Greene needed to establish sanity and stability for herself and her children. What she gets when she accepts a job offer she thinks will be just a “nice resting place” turns out to be a wonderful new life. Greene, now the grandmother of seven, recounts the transformation of her life and her 20-year marriage to Marsh, a man she met after her move when she was in her late 30s. Greene kept a running list of the funny and touching things Marsh did for her each day, and each year, on Valentine’s Day, she would share the “Sweet Things List” with him. Weaving recollections from this list into her story, Greene opens up memorable times of their lives: the early period in their relationship, the years in China for Marsh’s career, their time sailing the Pacific and searching for a new home, his illness and the surprising publication of this book. What could have been a saccharine story filled with clichés is instead a gentle and genuine reminder that the smallest things in life are the most precious. This is a heartfelt tribute to what really matters. (Feb.)