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With a narrative structure similar to We Are Our Mothers' Daughters, Cokie and Steve Roberts use personal recollections as a springboard for the discussion of larger issues such as marriage, love, and family. When Cokie and Steve Roberts got married, some "friends" said it wouldn't last-just because she's Catholic and he's Jewish. Proving the doubters wrong, they have been married for over thirty years and have a few pieces of advice. Cokie and Steve will discuss issues from their own marriage as well as open a window onto famous unions in history, as seen from their different perspectives as husband and wife. Those stories tell a tale of the particular strengths and weaknesses of marriage in America and show the foundation of marriage as one that's undergone tremendous amounts of change while remaining fundamentally the same.
About the Authors
Cokie Roberts is co-anchor of the ABC news program This Week, and an ABC special correspondent covering politics, Congress, and public policy; she also serves as a news analyst for National Public Radio. In addition, she and her husband write a weekly column syndicated in major newspapers across the country. Roberts has won many awards, including an Emmy and the coveted Edward R. Murrow award. She lives in Washington, D.C.
As a journalist for thirty years, Steven Roberts's distinguished career includes having served as the New York Times bureau chief in both Los Angeles and Athens, as well as being a senior writer for U.S. News & World Report. Currently a writer for the New York Daily News, he writes a weekly column syndicated in major newspapers around the country and appears regularly on CNN and PBS.
Cokie Roberts is a political commentator for ABC News and a senior news analyst for National Public Radio. From 1996 to 2002, she and Sam Donaldson co-anchored the weekly ABC interview program, This Week. She is the bestselling author of We Are Our Mothers' Daughters, Ladies of Liberty, and Founding Mothers.
Steve Roberts is the author of From Every End of This Earth and My Fathers' Houses. He has worked as a journalist for more than forty years and appears regularly as a political analyst on the ABC radio network and National Public Radio. Since 1997 he has been the Shapiro Professor of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University.
Cokie and Steve Roberts are the New York Times bestselling authors of From This Day Forward. They write a weekly column syndicated in newspapers across the country by United Media. The parents of two children and grandparents of six, Cokie and Steve live in Bethesda, Maryland.
Cokie Roberts is a political commentator for ABC News and a senior news analyst for National Public Radio. From 1996 to 2002, she and Sam Donaldson co-anchored the weekly ABC interview program, This Week. She is the bestselling author of We Are Our Mothers' Daughters, Ladies of Liberty, and Founding Mothers.
Steve Roberts is the author of From Every End of This Earth and My Fathers' Houses. He has worked as a journalist for more than forty years and appears regularly as a political analyst on the ABC radio network and National Public Radio. Since 1997 he has been the Shapiro Professor of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University.
Cokie and Steve Roberts are the New York Times bestselling authors of From This Day Forward. They write a weekly column syndicated in newspapers across the country by United Media. The parents of two children and grandparents of six, Cokie and Steve live in Bethesda, Maryland.
We are often asked how we met, usually by young people who are still wondering about this marriage thing. When do you know you've found the right person? How can you tell? The problem is summed up by Steve's twin brother, Marc, who likes to put it this way: Choosing a mate is like being told to walk through a forest and pick up the biggest stick you can find. But you only get to pick up one stick and you never know when the forest will end. In our case it was even more complicated. Since Cokie is Catholic and Steve is Jewish, the kind of stick each of us chose was also an issue---to ourselves and to our families. But in another sense we were following a familiar pattern, meeting and marrying young. We both have brothers who married at twenty. Like us, Cokie's parents, Hale and Lindy Boggs, met in college, where they worked on the student newspaper together. Steve's father, Will, met his bride, Dorothy, on her seventeenth birthday. And he used to look around at gatherings of his children and grandchildren, when the tribe had reached eighteen, and say with considerable pride, "See what happens when you walk a girl home from a birthday party?" Our story is not quite so romantic, but typical of our life---public and private threads woven together. Steve was nineteen, Cokie eighteen. It was the summer of 1962, between our sophomore and junior years in college, and we both were attending a student political conference at Ohio State.
C R: I saw Steven across the yard and he looked familiar to me because I knew his twin brother. And I kept thinking, Is that Marc Roberts? He doesn't quite look like Marc Roberts, but he looks a whole lot like Marc Roberts. And then I got up close to him and he had a name tag, so I said, "Are you Marc Roberts' brother?" And he said, "Yes, are you Barbara Boggs's sister?" And that's how we met.
S R: I had actually heard of Cokie all that summer. I had been recruited by one of my Harvard professors, Paul Sigmund, who was looking for student journalists to put out a newspaper at the World Youth Festival in Helsinki, Finland. I didn't know that our trip was financed by the CIA, or that Paul would later marry Cokie's sister, making us brothers-in-law as well as co-conspirators. Another recruit was Bob Kaiser, then at Yale, an old friend of the Boggs family, and in Helsinki he kept telling me about this girl he knew at Wellesley, Cokie Boggs. But Bob made a critical mistake: he stayed in Europe. I went home early for the political meeting, and since I'd heard about her from Bob, I knew who she was when I met her.
C R: But he has this picture in his mind that I was wearing a pair of charcoal-gray Bermuda shorts and I have never in my life owned a pair of charcoal-gray Bermuda shorts. It was 1962. It might have been 1932 in terms of men and women. The fact that I actually spoke at this meeting was highly unusual.
S R: But I also found that intriguing. I think from the very beginning, the fact that Cokie was so independent-minded and so forceful appealed to me. I mean, she was not the secretary sitting at the back of the room taking notes.
C R: Although really, I took quite a few.
S R: We started flirting, writing notes to each other during these endless meetings, and Cokie has actually saved some of them all these years. On a long list of people who had been nominated for national office, I scribbled on the side, "You're so efficient it hurts." She wrote back, "I'm the youngest child of an insane family---somebody had to be efficient, otherwise we'd starve!" I answered, "Be efficient, but Jeezus---don't ever get comfortable. It's such a deadly disease!" That statement probably defines the word "sophomoric," but it also shows how little I knew about myself. I was actually looking for comfort and I think she might have known that. Her final word on the "deadly disease" question was, "Would that I could ever have the opportunity to catch it!"
C R: And then we went back to school. Our dorms were only twelve and a half miles apart, we later learned, but at first he didn't call me. So I think I called him and invited him to the Junior Show. Is that what happened?
S R: That would be typical. I remember sitting in the audience, watching her sing---a symbolic way to spend our first date. I remember afterward she was wearing a bright green dress, and we went to the Howard Johnson's down in the village for something to eat.
C R: And then I came home and I had such a good time, such a good time, I went dancing up the stairs singing "I Feel Pretty." And then he never called.
S R: I didn't call because I was petrified. I had this rule that I didn't call a girl more than twice. I really liked her and I enjoyed the show, but I was unnerved. I was typical guy. I was nineteen. But there were other guys from Harvard who went out to Wellesley regularly and I would hear from them, "Cokie Boggs asked after you." So we had this long-distance communication. I knew where she was. I knew where to find her.
C R: And then in March of '63 my sister was putting on a big conference in Washington on creating a domestic peace corps. Most of the schools paid for their students to stay in hotels, but Harvard didn't, so Barbara had arranged for people to stay at our parents' house if they wanted to. We were expecting a whole crowd, but in the end, it was just me and Steven.
S R: We drove down to Washington together. I remember walking up to the car in Cambridge and seeing Cokie in the backseat of the car and saying to myself, "You made a mistake by not calling her."
| Introduction | xi | |
| Chapter 1 | Our Lives Early Days | 1 |
| Courtship | 1 | |
| Wedding | 20 | |
| Chapter 2 | Other Lives Early America | 37 |
| Companionate Marriage | 37 | |
| Slave Marriages | 63 | |
| Chapter 3 | Our Lives Leaving Home | 86 |
| Newlyweds in New York | 86 | |
| New Parents in California | 107 | |
| Growing Up in Greece | 135 | |
| Chapter 4 | Other Lives New Places, New Roles | 172 |
| Pioneer Marriages | 172 | |
| Immigrant Marriages | 196 | |
| Chapter 5 | Our Lives Coming Home | 218 |
| Family House | 218 | |
| Equal Work | 232 | |
| Empty Nest | 252 | |
| Chapter 6 | Other Lives Broken Marriages | 285 |
| Getting Divorced | 285 | |
| Blended Families | 314 | |
| Chapter 7 | Our Lives From This Day Forward | 337 |
| Afterword | 349 | |
| Suggested Reading | 357 |
Anonymous
Posted October 15, 2012
Whoa. Ten stars so far on every chapter
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Posted October 14, 2012
Ohmaigosh I'm trembling! AWESOME!!! (really cool names by the way!)
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Posted October 14, 2012
Chapter Fourteen ~
I nearly screamed. The monster, which had first apeared to me as a lion. But it somehow wasn't a lion. It was huge, bigger then any lion I had ever seen. It had bushy golden-brown fur, and long claws. It had a long snout, a very short tail, and half a mane. The monster seemed to be half-grizzly, half-lion.
And riding the monster was a red-eyed, pale-faced creature.
I held my breath as the lion-bear let out a faint growl. The monster's rider screeched, and several other red-eyed humans appeared.
Frenn shifted beside me. He was shivering. I grabbed his hand, staring ahead.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise from nearby. The lion-bear's rider fell off with a shriek. An arrow had pierced it's throat. I looked around, wondering where the arrow had come from.
Then I realized that Logas was not beside me.
Another twang, and a second monster fell. The air was laced with shrieks.
I grabbed an arrow from my quiver, and fitted my bow. Narrowing my brown eyes, I let the arrow fly. It hit one if the creatures. With a shriek, it's red eyes dimmed and it fell to the ground.
I heard a loud roar, and the lion-bear turned and ran toward us. It's pale eyes glowed.
It had spotted us.
The beast charged toward us. With only seconds to spare, Frenn unsheathed his sword and plunged it into the bear's heart. Growling, the light faded from it's eyes.
I looked closer at the eyes. They seemed almost like... glass?!
I glanced up to the see the remaining enemies fleeing, their shrieks echoing off into the distance.
"Come on, before they come back!" Logas said, suddenly appearing beside us.
I leaped to my feet, and we set out again.
###
The door!
"Look!" I exclaimed, waving my arms.
The door stood only a few yards away, painted white with a welcoming look to it.
"We've passed!" I said, turning to Frenn.
He smiled, then took a step forward.
"Wait." said Logas.
I turned around.
"What?"
He didn't answer, but slowly advanced towards the door.
Frenn and I followed.
Logas moved his hand toward the golden doornob, then paused. "What are you waiting for?" I asked.
Logas turned to the right, and ran his hand along the wall. He paused, then yanked on a piece of stone that jutted out of the wall. A doorway swung open.
I stared open-mouthed.
Logas stepped inside, and vanished.
I glanced at the white doot, then the shadowy entrance.
Sighing, I followed Logas.
I found myself in a small room, much like the one with the glowing blue orb.
There was no blue orb here. There was a green one.
It was jade green and floated in midair. I slowly advanced towards it.
An enscription on the ball read, "Find the key, break free."
"Oh great, what's that supposed to mean?" Frenn sighed, reading the golden writing.
Logas, meanwhile, took the orb and smashed it against the wall. There was a shattering of glass, and the ball broke.
Somehow, out of nowhere, another green orb appeared, floating in the middle of the room.
Logas walked back over to us, and held up a tiny golden key.
"Where'd you- ." I began, then stared at the shattered orb.
He walked across the room, and examined the stone wall.
Frenn and I dashed over. "There!" I said, pointing to a small hole in the stone.
I grabbed the key, and thrust it into the hole.
The was a click, then a snap, and another door swung open.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 6, 2005
A friend of mine recommended this book to me, and I had high hopes prior to reading it. Unfortuantely, these hopes were dashed. This book proves to be a very tedious read and I feel that the authors were 'preaching' to me throughout the read. It's all very well to have a different point of view than the reader, by an author should not write in a manner that demeans individuals who do not share their view. It appears that Cokie Roberts does not understand the meaning of 'diversied viewpoints'. I wish that I could get my money back.
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Posted October 26, 2000
My purpose in reading this book was to assist mixed faith marriages in our church. I gained a whole lot more. I observed communication, compromise, perseverance, respect for each other and each other other's beliefs and partners doing what was best for family despite the fact they they might have preferred to do differently. I gained insight into my own 38 year old marriage. We need more role models like Cokie and Steve Roberts.
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Posted June 14, 2000
The discussions of slave, pioneer and immigrant marriages were very interesting and I was pleased to see that the Robertses included their bibliography. There is much on 'blended families', and how being a stepparent can affect one's marriage, which I also found interesting. I must note, however, that the Robertses could not resist the urge to talk excessively about how perfect (ingenious, athletic, and musical etc.) their 2 children are, to the point it becomes almost offensive. As punishment, they lose a star.
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Posted March 25, 2000
After hearing a interview with the authors I was very intrigued. I honestly was expecting a book that preaches the dos and don'ts of having a good marriage. I was surprised to find a funny, honest book about a couples low and high times in a marriage and much more.
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Posted February 24, 2000
I found this book to be both informative and an inspiration. The personal stories that they share allowed me to see how and what two people sacrificed and compromised for the love of each other and their family. The other stories that fill the book such as John and Abigail Adams, pioneer marriages, slave marriages, immigrant marriages are just wonderful. I found the story about immigrant marriages to be the most interesting to me. They tell the most beautiful love stories and coincidences that just cannot be ignored. I would have missed out on so much had I not read this book.
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Posted February 22, 2000
I was a big fan of Cokie's last book, We Are Our Mother's Daughters, because I admired and enjoyed how she wove her experiences in with more historical examples of how women have lived and loved over the last century. I eagerly anticipated her and her husband's new book, From This Day Forward. I actually enjoyed this more than her first book - she and Steve give us the transcripts of many conversations they had over the months as they labored on this book and those talks are a delightful window into their marriage. The chapters alternate between their conversations about chunks of their lives together from when they first met and progressed from a college relationship to getting married to their times abroad and their struggles with careers, religion, and children. Unlike many authors, they do not gloss over the hard times but seem to give the reader an accurate picture of their marital, domestic, and career triumphs and struggles and the lessons they learned. The personal chapters alternate with historical examinations of marriages including famous ones like John and Abigail Adams to little-studied ones like commonlaw marriages among slaves in the last century. The chapter on the Adams marriage was a particular favorite since I am an American history buff who had no idea what a large role Abigail played in her husband's success nor had I any clue the kinds of turmoil that early American women suffered through since most books focus on the politics and military side of the revolutionary period. The interwoven narratives are crisp and relative to the Roberts' account of their marriage and they provide pleasant diversions from the chronological memoir of Steve and Cokie's marriage. A unique and enjoyable way of combining social history with personal memoir!
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Posted February 14, 2000
When I bought the book, I was hoping to read an insightful story of how a mixed-marriage could work. Instead, all that I learned was that this marriage works because the both Cokie and Steven are high profile people whose lifestyle can not be compared to any average person. I must admit that this angered me. I feel that both Cokie and Steven come across as 'high-pedestal' people looking down on the rest of the world.
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Posted January 27, 2000
As a member of the modern generation who is wondering what Marriage is all about, I found this book to be inspiring. If we could all find this level of commitment in each other than the divorce rate wouldn't be at 60%.
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Overview
With a narrative structure similar to We Are Our Mothers' Daughters, Cokie and Steve Roberts use personal recollections as a springboard for the discussion of larger issues such as marriage, love, and family. When Cokie and Steve Roberts got married, some "friends" said it wouldn't last-just because ...