The Love Affair of Fran and Maurie

by Fran Sumner

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0881971006
• ISBN13: 9780881971002
• Release Date: December 1997
• Publisher: Group Fore Productions
• Length: 154 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Profound in its simplicity

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this book is the fact that it was published when the author was 97 years old! I had the privilege of meeting the late Fran Sumner (my mother's former schoolteacher) a year before the book's publication while it was still a work in progress, and Fran explained that she intended for her project to be sort of a handbook for young couples just starting out; Because she and Maurie had such a long and happy marriage, she believed that it might be helpful if she imparted some of the reasons for the success of their marriage from which others might benefit. The idea of including Maurie posthumously as a "co-author" was creative and believable, as well as being a touching tribute to her late husband. After 67 years together, undoubtedly it wasn't much of a stretch for Fran to imagine what her husband would have had to say about any given topic! Through their dialogue, Maurie's humor, kindness, and wisdom shine through so that the reader gets to know him as well as Fran. Their advice is quite simple: It was primarily the basic things such as small acts of kindness, compliments, surprises, playfulness, consideration for each other's feelings, and shared interests and goals, that made their long marriage so mutually fulfilling. These are simple lessons which can be all too easily forgotten when couples are distracted by the demands of the modern world, and yet they are timeless and as relevant now as they were when Fran and Maurie tied the knot in 1926. Delightful photographs and personal anecdotes help to round out the book, and make it an easy and entertaining read.

This is the perfect 'How to have a Happy Marriage' book.

I smiled a lot reading Fran Sumner's charming reminiscences of her 67-year marriage to her husband, Maurie. "The Love Affair of Fran and Maurie" is just that: a recipe (she includes all the ingredients) for a happy marriage. If you look at Fran's picture on the book cover, you see a pixie-ish woman with a twinkle in her eyes. No surprise, then, that her book is sprinkled with funny little anecdotes about how the Sumners used humor and playfulness to keep their love burning. I liked the way she uses a "he said, she said" writing style, almost as if you can hear Fran and Maurie saying these things to themselves, laughing at and with each other. It's obviously a fitting tribute that their marriage lasted 67 years (until Maurie's death). To help others achieve that same kind of married bliss, Mrs. Sumner shares their secrets, which, if you think about it, shouldn't really be a secret to anyone. They compromised. They were playful. They did sweet, caring things for each other. My, my. Those concepts are SO revolutionary. So why don't more marriages make it? I'd say it's the big 'C' word: Commitment. The Sumners never said it'd be easy (although Fran, ever an optimist, seems to remember that it was for her). But commitment carried them through whatever adversity they encountered. Hmmm. Sounds like a few lessons could be learned by just about anyone contemplating the matrimonial march. This is definitely a 'feel-good' book...and who among us doesn't need to feel good more of the time?