In Sickness, In Health… and In Jail: What Happened When My Husband Unexpectedly Went to Prison for Two Years

‘So why did you marry Dad?’ my daughter asked. ‘Well, over time I got to know him and he made me laugh, and … and I knew deep down that, that … even though we were really different … he was a good person.’ Without skipping a beat, she said, ‘He’s not that good, he’s in jail!’

After fourteen years of marriage, Mel Jacob’s life looked as perfect as the roses perched above her white picket fence. The nice house in the suburbs, two great kids, a good husband. Until …

Her life took an unexpected detour when her seemingly saintly husband was jailed for two years. In Sickness, in Health … and in Jail follows Mel’s funny, moving and insightful journey as she navigates single parenthood, prison visitations and nosy neighbours.

Mel’s revealing account is the story of the family left behind. It chronicles the grief, the stigma and the conversational minefields of her husband’s whereabouts, as well as the logistical problems of making a baby sibling for her two children, and why it’s not appropriate to tell people that Daddy’s in jail.

In Sickness, in Health … and in Jail is a funny and touching account of grief and love and forgiveness.