Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert

Committed: A Love Story

This is the sequel to Eat, Pray, Love. At the end of the first book Liz finds her true love, but is determined not to marry him, as they have both been through pretty painful divorces. But it is soon pointed out to them by a Homeland Security official that if they want to live together in the US, they need to marry. So begins their exile until the paperwork is though and they can get married.

The book is the story of their journey, but during their wait Elizabeth Gilbert researches the history and traditions attached to marriage. This history I found fascinating, and learned lots of things I didn't otherwise know. She studies marriage in other cultures and traditions and why there are so few divorces in some cultures and so many in others. 

She discusses the intersection between church, state and marriage. When one must get involved and when another. Then she debates her own prejudices toward marriage - the institution and also the wedding day. 

You can guess the end of the book, they do finally get married. To me the best part of the book was the description of this rather unusual wedding, people who were only getting married so they could spend the rest of their lives together. But then, isn't that the purpose of marriage?

This is the cover of the earlier version of the book

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