Anatomy of a Sixty-Six Year Marriage: A Memoir of Lasting Love Through Triumphs, Tribulations, and Togetherness

"A moving narrative as much a love story as it is a testament to family, faith, and perseverance."
- The International Review of Books

Through the lens of time, this memoir unfolds as a tender reflection on love, resilience, and faith.

It follows a young American sailor who married his high school sweetheart in 1951 and together built a life—navigating the joys of parenthood, the heartbreak of their children’s divorces, and the trials of major illness. Anchored by unwavering devotion to each other and their community, they weather life’s storms with faith as their guide, never losing sight of the vows they exchanged so many years before.

This story will resonate deeply with readers who cherish narratives of enduring love, those nostalgic for mid-century Americana, and anyone who finds inspiration in commitment, family, and the quiet heroism of ordinary lives.

Buy today and enjoy the read, or click on the book cover to open AMAZON'S "Read Sample" FEATURE to learn more!

What people are saying about Anatomy of a Sixty-Six Year Marriage

"Don Hughes delivers a heartfelt and deeply personal chronicle in Anatomy of a 66-Year Marriage. Through vivid storytelling and intimate detail, he captures the joys, struggles, resilience, and unwavering devotion of his parents’ extraordinary life together.
This moving narrative is as much a love story as it is a testament to family, faith, and perseverance across decades. A touching and inspiring read that will resonate with anyone who values love that endures,"
The International Review of Books

“A touching memoir that takes readers along for a heart-warming stroll down memory lane as Don recounts the years and events that shaped his time with his parents. His fun and conversational style makes this memoir easy to pick up and much harder to put down! Ernest Hughes’ journal entries were probably my favorite parts. The short excerpts reveal some of his hopes and dreams alongside a few of his worst fears as the years go by. Filled with good times and bad, we see a wide range of emotions and challenges in Don Hughes' Anatomy of a Sixty-Six-Year Marriage.”
Readers' Favorite Five-Stars

"A winning memoir of family exploration and ordinary America made extraordinary by their choices, connections and love. Special messages of reality and inspiration for readers who would aspire to a long, good marriage and family connections.
Midwest Review of Books

“Memoir audiences may be used to stories that entirely paraphrase or consist solely of source material writings, but here the juxtaposition of a son and father’s efforts translates to a more powerful exploration than most, holding special messages of reality and inspiration for readers who would also aspire to long, good marriages and family connections.”

“Nicely centered in its focus on various personalities and family members and realistic and immediate in its progression, Anatomy of a Sixty-Six-Year Marriage is a winning memoir that deserves a place in any library strong in memoir writing, family explorations, and ordinary American lives made extraordinary by their choices, connections, and love.”
Donavan's Literary Services

"Don's skill as a storyteller draws you into the life lived by his parents in their long marriage in a similar way to Garrison Keiller's 'Lake Wobegon Days' tales of coming of age in a small town."
Fiona (Osyth) Blundell Poet and Author

“A deeply moving insight into a family and the love between a man and wife. A Wishing Shelf ‘highly
recommended’ read.”
The Wishing Shelf