Homewrecker: An Adultery Anthology

An exploration into the public piety and private philandering inherent in relationships. We live in a culture founded on transgressive desire even as it insists on suppressing it. What does it mean when our most sought-after emotional state - being beloved - comes into direct conflict with our most deeply ingrained values - being honest - in our most prized relationships? When desire is aroused, what are the consequences as it is silenced, suppressed, subverted or fulfilled? And what happens next? Although recent estimates insist that half of all women and men have cheated in their relationships, the climate of silence surrounding such behavior (except in the lowest forms of popular culture and in conjunction with major public figures) would have us believe that affairs are an anomaly. In this fluid age, what’s violated may not be the marital bond, and the betrayal may not be a sexual one. Homewrecker explores the emotional intensity and complexity that affairs entail: euphoric, unapologetic, guilty, torn, ashamed, unrepentant, creative, insatiable, self-loathing and many more - sometimes all at once and from a multitude of perspectives. Major shapers of contemporary writing share space with fresh talent in Homewrecker , each with a different take on the desire and its aftermath. Here, over 20 writers prove that there are no victims here, no villains and no innocent bystanders. Only lovers, with all the responsibility the word implies.