Reader's guide

[Betty]

Since a number of people have finished the book, I thought it might be interesting to look at the questions Tracy provided. I find the first one very intriguing.
Marriage is a theme of the book, from the marriage of the king and queen to the marriages of the central characters. Which couple in the book do you think has the strongest marriage, and why?

Comments?

[Tracy]

Betty wrote: "Since a number of people have finished the book, I thought it might be interesting to look at the questions Tracy provided. I find the first one very intriguing.
Marriage is a theme of the book, fr..."

Thanks so much for posting this, Betty! I too love this question. Marriage is a major theme in the series, and in WESTMINSTER we have the royal divorce hanging over the story and a number of marriage working out issues, both the ongoing characters and the new characters. As well as some of the younger characters stepping into marriage.

[Kimberly]

Most of the couples seem to be stable in their relationship right now even with the reveal of Alexander Radford. I think the strongest marriage at this point is Malcolm & Suzanne at this point. They no longer have any "real" secrets between them. They accept that they will not always be on the same side, but still support each other. Suzanne now had a life/career of her own which Malcolm support and is still able to support Malcolm when he needs her. They both make time for the children to ensure their happiness. I think Suzanne's support will be critical to Malcolm as he processes Alexander Radford's presence in their lives.

[Betty]

Wonderful points you make about Malcolm and Melanie/Suzanne, Kim. All are definitely strong reasons that will support and strengthen a marriage. They have worked through so many issues and seem to have come to an understanding. Granted they were the couple I thought of first, but I still wonder about secrets that might arise between them in the future.

So, I decided that I would pick three couples at this point who have the strongest marriages: Malcolm and Melanie, Harry and Cordy, Laura and Raoul. I think Harry and Cordy are at a very good point in their marriage. They have weathered turmoil, found they deeply love each other, and are working together in investigations. They are family oriented, both with their children, friends, and Archie and Frances. I like the fact that Cordy was mentioned more in this book as having a classical and bluestocking inclination, which certainly binds her to Harry's interests. She has matured so much since the beginning. Laura and Raoul have had a strong connection of love from the beginning of their relationship. Laura suports Raoul's work and recognizes he can't tell her everything. I'm so happy Raoul has a child he can father from the beginning of its life and really love their family unit.