Between Two Worlds is an eloquent, compelling, and breakthrough book. It is so much more than a report on a survey. It tells moving story after moving story, is a kind of substitute support community, and awakens in the reader an awareness of the inner lives of all children.

I read Elizabeth Marquardt's book from two perspectives: one, as an over 30-year religious educator, and two, as the child of an "intact, unhappy, and high conflict marriage." The "child" that I am knows well the stress of watchfulness, secrets, and not knowing whom to choose. That all these things might exist in the lives of children of divorce, in addition to the different homes and family members, the traveling, the aloneness, and so much more, made me sad. But what brings a measure of hope is that this book now exists and will be read.

In addition to listening and retelling what life is like for children of divorce, Marquardt addresses the subject of their spiritual and religious struggles and their particular moral quandaries. It is uncommon, even in religious education literature, to specifically consider children of divorce. I am grateful to learn from Marquardt's book about the lives of approximately one-fourth of the children I have worked with in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd approach to the religious formation of 3 to 12 year olds. How humbly appreciative I now will be when they come, and in particular when they desire a relationship with God.

Shortly after finishing this book, I saw the movie "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." To think that only a week earlier I might have more casually considered the struggle of the young character "Carmen," a child of divorce, whose father picks her up at the airport for the summer and "surprises" her with a different home, imminent marriage, and three unknown-to-Carmen household members.

This is certainly an eye-opening book for couples, engaged or married; for parents; for educators; for social workers and health professionals; for pastors, chaplains, catechists, and anyone in church ministry; and for the grown children of divorce who deserve a much deeper understanding than church or society has given them.

Tina Lillig, National Director, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Elizabeth Marquardt has done a marvellous job in this book. I am a child of divorce (31 years old, parents divorced 28 years ago), and her book is absolutely correct about the reality that we children of divorce face. We live between two different worlds - one of mom, one of dad. These worlds often have differing morals, values, worldviews, spiritualities, routines, spoken and unspoken-truths. We children of divorce lived (and continue to live) in between these different, emotionally-laden parental worlds. She makes clear that conflict is not the source of divorce's impact on children - it is the actual structure of divorce, the constant movement from one world to the next - which constructs the painful legacy of divorce for us.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book to children of divorce who are now in their 20s or 30s - this book is about us. And like me, when you read this book you might for the first time find affirmation of your experience as a child of divorce.