Eat, Drink & Remarry: Confessions of A Serial Wife

In this touching memoir, Howard, the author of the Dear Prudence advice columns, chronicles her multiple marriages with lessons learned but few regrets. Howard’s first lesson comes from dealing with her cold, driven, alcoholic first husband and their “ritualized back-and-forth game of forgiveness.” After that marriage she decides to be a writer like her mom, the famous advice columnist, Ann Landers, who opens her arms to her daughter’s ambitions by buying her an IBM Selectric Typewriter. Marriage number two, to a funeral director, is basically dead on arrival but Howard is a firm believer that “every woman should have a forgettable second husband.” This time around she has her burgeoning writing career to focus on, which has her interacting with the major stories and players of the day. Her social circles swell to include the likes of Abbie Hoffman, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and others. Husband number three is an actor; her fourth (and final) husband is a heart surgeon. Following these marriages over the span of 40-plus years is a fun and feisty trip. Howard knows how to craft humor from hardship and offers plenty of her signature advice along the way. And while readers today may not understand Howard’s serial monogamy, they will enjoy a glimpse into the mind of this pampered princess. Agent: Ike Williams, Williams & Bloom. (Oct.)