Perfection

"Heart-wrenchingbuttriumphant."—Glamour"Alyrical,haunting,andutterlygrippingmemoir."—Redbook"Adark,evocativememoirfromawomanforcedtocometotermswithherhusband'sdeathandtherevelationofhisinfidelity."—ShelfAwareness"Afascinatingmemoir."—People"Adelectablesummerread."—USAToday"Shebringsrefreshingcandortoastartling,painfultale."—NewYorkTimes"Arivetingmemoir."—RealSimple"...lyrical,movingprose."—WorkingMother"Metz'sPerfectionchronicleswithlapidaryprecisiononewoman'sclimbbacktohappinessafternotjustaspouse'sdeath,butalsotheshockingrecognitionthatherlifebeforethatdeathwasnotwhatshehadthoughtitwas.Thejourneyisapainfulone,butMs.Metzismuchthestrongerforhavingsurvivedtorecountit."—JuliePowell,authorofJulie&Julia"JulieMetz'smemoirofhowhermarriageunraveledafterhermate'sdeathispiercinglyhonest,haunting,andheartbreaking.Anyonewhohaseverbeeninabadrelationshipwillover-identify."—SusanShapiro,authorofFiveMenWhoBrokeMyHeartandLightingUp"ItisimpossibletoputPerfectiondownaswefollowJulieMetzthroughhertruestoryoflove,lies,loss,andmovingforward.HerrawandbravewritingmakesyouwanttocheerMetzonasshepiecesherlifebacktogether,onebeautifulsentenceatatime."—MarianFontana,authorofAWidow'sWalk"Thisachingmemoiroflove,loss,anddeceptioniscandidandcompelling.IfoundmyselfrootingforJulieMetzinhersearchforahappy'secondlife.'"—HilmaWolitzer,authorofTheDoctor'sDaughterandHeartsJulieMetz'slifechangesforeverononeordinaryJanuaryafternoonwhenherhusband,Henry,collapsesonthekitchenflooranddiesinherarms.Suddenly,thismotherofasix-year-oldistheyoungwidowinabucolicsmalltown.Andthisisonlythebeginning.SevenmonthsafterHenry'sdeath,justwhenJuliethinkssheisemergingfromtheworstofit,comestherestofit:Shediscoversthatwhathadappearedtobetherealityofhermarriagewasbutahalf-truth.Henryhadhiddenanotherlifefromher."Helovedyousomuch."That'swhateveryonekeepstellingher.It'struethathelovedJulieandtheirsix-year-olddaughterebullientlyanddevotedly,butasshestartstopickupthepiecesandrebuildherlifewithoutHenryinit,shelearnsthatHenryhadbeenunfaithfulthroughouttheirtwelveyearsofmarriage.Themostdamagingaffairwasongoing—atumultuousrelationshipthatendedonlywithHenry'sdeath.ForJulie,theonlythingtodowastogetattherealtruth—tostripawaytheveneerof"perfection"thatwasherlifeandconfronteachofthewomenbeneaththeveneer.PerfectionisthestoryofJulieMetz'sjourneythroughchaosandtransformationasshecreatesadifferentlifeforherselfandheryoungdaughter.Itisthestoryofcomingtotermswithpainfultruths,ofrebuildingbothalifeandanidentityafterbetrayalandwidowhood.Itisastoryofrebirthandhappiness—ifnotperfection.