As beautiful as marriage is intended to be, many of us have learned through firsthand experience that expectations are often a far cry from reality. The covenant of marriage is always riddled with paradoxes that are seemingly a struggle to make feasible and such seems to be the case for Marcellus and his wife Sara in this touching narrative, U.N.I.O.N, (undermining, neglect, infidelity, omission, and naive), all traits that exude the opposite of a healthy and loving partnership.

Marcellus candidly reflects on his 15-year marriage to Sara- along with his previous infidelity which has left their relationship at a crossroads. In the beginning, Marcellus is perceived from the outside as “the perfect soldier” who is responsible, caring, and reliable. Upon deeper inspection, however, he discovers that he has yet to grapple with his own brokenness, through the unresolved issues left at home. He and his wife started off as two young lovers but as time wears on the relationship, their marriage begins to crumble. Marcellus buries himself in work and the entertainment of his colleagues around him, but this won’t suffice for long. When there is trouble in paradise, you must sail to reach calmer waters. Yet, despite his attempts to reconsider things, what is even more intriguing is the lengths a woman and those that love her will go when she has been hurt to the point of no return…

Told from the perspective of a former veteran himself, author Marcellus hones in on the challenging facets that come with attempting to uphold marriage within the setting of a husband life. Each chapter centers upon underlying themes such as betrayal, dishonesty, jealousy, and resentment. Marcellus masterfully weaves tenants of wisdom and insight, pulling from both personal encounters and observation.