Book Review: The Imperfect Marriage: Help For Those Who Think It’s Over
by Tracy Strawberry and Darryl Strawberry
Publication Date: Aug 05, 2014
List Price: $24.99
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
ISBN13: 9781476738741
Imprint: Howard Books
Publisher: Howard Books
Parent Company: Howard Books
Read a Description of The Imperfect Marriage: Help For Those Who Think It’s Over
Book Reviewed by Kam Williams
“Marriage is a battlefield. Trust us, we know. Our marriage has suffered through—and survived—adultery, addiction, financial ruin, and the consequences of our own inner struggles…
However, we finally wised up and let God in… Through our surrender (and a lot of hard work), God orchestrated a miracle. Today, we are blessed to have each other and enjoy a strong, healthy, fulfilling, and meaningful relationship…
In this book, we share our story, the struggles and the triumphs, so you can see how, through the power of God and the process of change, He can transform a marriage from the inside out.”
—Excerpted from the Introduction (pages xvii-xix)
Darryl Strawberry won four World Series as a member of the New York Mets
and Yankees over the course of his storybook career. Unfortunately,
superstardom took a toll on the retired baseball great’s personal life in a
way which often ended up splashed across the tabloids.
Several years after the fanfare ended, Darryl found himself turning to
“cocaine, women, and alcohol” to numb the pain of bankruptcy, divorce,
lawsuits, arrests and incarceration. He was lucky to meet his future wife
Tracy at Narcotics Anonymous, though the serendipitous encounter was more
like “lost at first sight” than “love at first sight.”
They would impulsively become involved, despite the fact that neither was
really ready to forge a sacred union. For, Tracy had her own issues, too,
even after being clean and sober for 12 months. Nevertheless, the two rushed
into a toxic relationship where they would relapse rather than enrich each
other before bottoming out.
Fortunately, both found the way back to love with the help of the Lord, and
subsequently built a very strong marriage on the solid ground of the faith
they share. The Strawberrys recount their perilous path to salvation in The
Imperfect Marriage: Help for Those Who Think It’s Over, a warts-and-all
memoir that is part cautionary tale, part self-help handbook.
Liberally sprinkled with quotes from scripture, it’s obvious that the pair
puts a great amount of stock in the Bible, taking to heart the advice of
Psalm 55:22 to ”Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of
you.” A divine-ordained blueprint for marital fulfillment designed for
couples committed to follow the principles and teachings of Jesus Christ.