The husband-and-wife writing team, Dr. Manuel and Karee Santos, write a monthly Marriage Rx column at CatholicMom.com and now they’ve put together a book on how to maintain a healthy sacramental marriage in a society that doesn’t support such a relationship: The Four Keys to Everlasting Love.
Published by Ave Maria Press, this comprehensive book is an excellent resource for marriage prep, but it’s not just for engaged couples or even newlyweds. Married couples in all stages of life can benefit from the sage advice they’ll find here. While couples whose relationships are on rocky ground will find help and hope in this book, it also contains plenty of encouragement for the growth and maintenance of healthy married relationships.
This book is divided into four sections, or “keys,” each with three chapters that include a real-life story (sometimes from the Santoses’ own marriage; sometimes from the experiences of other couples), advice based on the situations described, and conversation starters, action plans and a quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church for meditation and support.
The four keys are:
- Faithful and Forgiving
- Free
- Fruitful
- Love Totally and Forever
You can use this book as a couple or even as part of a couples’ discussion group, and there’s a generous list of additional resources at the end of the book. The Four Keys to Everlasting Love is a perfect gift for anyone planning a wedding or for newlyweds–and would make an excellent anniversary gift for yourself and your spouse as well.
The fine print: I received an electronic version of this book via Netgalley from the publisher for the purpose of my review. Opinions expressed are mine alone. I received no compensation for publishing this review.