This book is based on detailed interviews with a group of Irish women who have experienced marital separation. It links the womens accounts with literature on the values and beliefs about marriage, women and family which were prevalent when they were growing up in Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s. The book chronicles their young adult years, the early stages of their marriages and the events and processes which led to their separations. It explores the womens emotional reactions at the time of separating, the types of support which they found beneficial and the personal, social and financial consequences of having separated. Although the book is written from a sociological perspective, the combination of theory and practical insights make it accessible to a wide variety of readers. It aims to generate discussion and deepen understanding of an area into which there has been minimal research in Ireland and which poses a range of important questions for future researchers, practitioners and policy-makers.

Lucy Hyland has a background in social work. She is a lecturer in Applied Social Studies at Carlow College.