We are all patient with beginners, extending compassionate grace to anyone learning a new skill. But what about the woman just beginning her marriage journey? What about the woman, ten years in, who still wishes she had a marriage manual to help make sense of challenges she never anticipated?

Discover a fresh marriage manual that offers practical wisdom illustrated through the author's personal stories and experiences over the course of her four decade marriage. Each chapter is uniquely devoted to one of the critical characteristics the author deems essential to a happy marriage. Whether 12 weeks or 12 years in, this book extends understanding and hope to those still learning the ins and outs of marriage: those whom the author calls-beginner wives.

From the Introduction: I'll let you in on a little secret: Other women don't have perfect husbands; they've simply learned how to enjoy the husbands they have! So whether you're married and feeling stuck, hope to tie the knot and want to get off on the right foot, or are just looking for some supplemental guidance to maintain the solid foundation you and your spouse have created, this book will give you the practical tools and mindset to make your marriage happy, healthy, empowering, and eternal. In this book I share what worked for me, where I missed the mark (so you don't have to), and how establishing and sharing a core set of values with my husband not only influenced my early years of becoming a wife, but also how I balanced that role with being a mother of six children.

I've devoted each chapter to the critical characteristics that I've found to be essential to a happy marriage. And the best part is that each of these characteristics is available to you if you're willing to do the work. Many women find love, and most make it to the altar.

But then what? Saying I do is far from guaranteeing a lifetime of happiness. We repeatedly hear that marriage requires work, thoughtfulness, flexibility, evolution, and above all, a commitment.

But how to navigate life's inevitable (and current) challenges with grace, respect, strength, and love is something most of us were not shown how to do. So if you're a woman who wants to prepare for a marriage she doesn't have yet, and then carry the honeymoon phase through to the very end, this book is for you. If you're a woman looking to thrive in your marriage, and gain the tools to consistently support and elevate each other through all of life's seasons, this book is for y