“In sickness and in health” - everyone is familiar with these words in marriage vows. In Everything I Have Is Yours, we witness a marriage that is being tested through this vow.

Eleanor and Aaron met and started dating when they were very young and got married a few years later. Aaron is struggling with unexplained illness - is it actually physical? Is it mental illness? He also struggles with alcohol, drugs, depression and suicidal ideation. Eleanor struggles with how to help him through all of this. How to believe him. How to best take care of him and also herself and their children.

This isn’t an easy memoir to read but it feels so true - like we are Eleanor’s close friend she is confiding in, even the things that don’t reflect well on her. When I read a memoir, I do it to learn about someone having different life experiences than mine and this definitely provided that. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

I found this book difficult and disturbing to read. The author tells her story of her relationship to her husband Aaron, but I could not find anything redeeming or heartening in the story. While the author celebrates her ability to maintain this damaged relationship, I found it difficult to understand.

Since much of the story was based on Aaron’s illnesses, I spent time trying to understand those as well. So, this is the opposite of an inspirational story, just a depressing montage of scenes from a very bizarre relationship.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.