What Makes a Marriage Last

Power couple Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue have created a compelling and intimate collection of intriguing conversations with famous couples about their enduring marriages and how they have made them last through the challenges we all share.

What makes a marriage last? Who doesn’t want to know the answer to that question? To unlock this mystery, iconic couple Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue crisscrossed the country and conducted intimate conversations with forty celebrated couples whose long marriages they’ve admired—from award-winning actors, athletes, and newsmakers to writers, comedians, musicians, and a former U.S. president and First Lady. Through these conversations, Marlo and Phil also revealed the rich journey of their own marriage.

What Makes a Marriage Last offers practical and heartfelt wisdom for couples of all ages, and a rare glimpse into the lives of husbands and wives we have come to know and love. Marlo and Phil’s frequently funny, often touching, and always engaging conversations span the marital landscape—from that first rush of new love to keeping that precious spark alive, from navigating hard times to celebrating triumphs, from balancing work and play and family to growing better and stronger together. At once intimate, candid, revelatory, hilarious, instructive, and poignant, this book is a beautiful gift for couples of every age and stage.

Featuring interviews with:

Alan and Arlene Alda • Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick

President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter • James Carville and Mary Matalin

Deepak and Rita Chopra • Patricia Cornwell and Staci Gruber

Bryan Cranston and Robin Dearden • Billy and Janice Crystal

Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest • Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen

Viola Davis and Julius Tennon • Gloria and Emilio Estefan

Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan • Chip and Joanna Gaines

Sanjay and Rebecca Gupta • Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka • Ron and Cheryl Howard

Jesse and Jacqueline Jackson • Elton John and David Furnish

John and Justine Leguizamo • LL Cool J and Simone I. Smith

Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone • John McEnroe and Patty Smyth

Mehmet and Lisa Oz • Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete

Letty Cottin Pogrebin and Bert Pogrebin • Rob and Michele Reiner

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos • Al Roker and Deborah Roberts

Ray and Anna Romano • Tony Shalhoub and Brooke Adams

Judges Judy and Jerry Sheindlin • George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth

Sting and Trudie Styler • Capt. Chesley “Sully” and Lorrie Sullenberger

Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner • Judith and Milton Viorst

Judy Woodruff and Al Hunt • Bob Woodward and Elsa Walsh