The only people I wanted advice on love from were laying six feet beneath a well-manicured lawn–my grandparents, a couple who had made their relationship last. They made it last even though they had all of the ingredients to make one tragic divorce. In school on Grandparents’ Day, I would often adopt people to pose as grandparents in order to fill the empty chairs at my desk. As a creature of habit, I did just that, sought out other people’s grandparents who could give me first-hand advice. How did they make their marriage last? Did they just stay married because of the unacceptable taboo of divorce? Or were they truly happy? If so, why? As They Vanish: How They Made It Work is a book of couples that have been committed for a lifetime. It explains how they handled arguments, sex, romance, financial strife, work and children. It gives insight into what made their relationships successful. Their wisdom is forever vanishing.