Strangers by Belle Burden

In the middle of the pandemic, Belle Burden was safely quarantining with her family on Martha's Vineyard. She was with her husband, and two of their children, with the third staying with friends. Dinner was finished when she noticed a voicemail on her phone. The message would change her life forever. The male voice on the message said, "I'm trying to reach Belle. I'm sorry to tell you this, but your husband is having an affair with my wife." That is the kind of voicemail you never want to get, but once delivered there is no going back. "Strangers" is not only the story of the end of a marriage but also a book about how Burden was able to pick up the pieces of her crumbling life, and put herself and her family's life back together. He husband of 20 years, seemingly overnight, lost interest in Burden as well as their three children. Her husband, Henry Patterson Davis, had for two decades seemed like a loving and loyal husband, until he was not. In the book she calls him "James" for privacy and artistic reasons, but there is no mystery as to who he is, and who Burden is. She is the granddaughter of heiress and socialite Babe Paley. Despite being a Harvard-educated lawyer, Burden was lost when her husband left. She had to take over all of the things that he did, such as manage bank accounts and insurance policies. She has to rebuild from the ground up, not only her financial life, but also her emotional life, while also supporting the lives of her children who were equally abandoned. This is a book about the end of the marriage, but the beginning of a new life for Burden, filled with strength, bravery and a new career as an author. "Strangers" is a road map about survival and determination. When all is said and done, divorce did not tear down Burden, it lifted her up higher than she could have imagined. To buy this book on Amazon click here.