The understanding you seek for what makes a healthy family and a healthy stepfamily has been available to you for thousands upon thousands of years. In a very readable and compelling way, Eleanor Alden has pieced together archetypal images, fairy tales, biblical stories, historical figures and her own case studies to help us gain understanding from the wisdom of the ages. As she states on page 32, "whether the stepchild is a historic, mythic, or biblical figure, the courage to face the new and different and to believe that change can be good is a common theme in the stories.” And, it is a common theme in this encouraging work. Eleanor’s masterful work addresses the negative perceptions about stepfamilies that our society has fostered for far too long and allows us to see that these families have tremendous potential to support the development of strong, healthy and courageous individuals. We are invited to step back and accept the tremendous gifts that can come from brokenness. When we stand in judgment of brokenness, which our culture tends to do, we will miss the gift and Eleanor gives us multiple examples to help us rework our thinking and to reshape our belief system.
On page 199, she captures beautifully a central message of her book: "stepfamilies are not easy or simple family systems, but much in life that is the most rewarding is neither simple nor easy."
Thomas Long, M. Div
Pastoral Counselor, Minister, Stepfather

"Insightful, historically illuminating in a very interesting way and a must read for every psychiatrist and mental health professional who works with Step-Families. And now we know that we all do!"
Laura J. Klein, M.D., stepmother
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Psychiatry
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

Book Stepwisdom, Knowledge from the Ages for Successful StepFamilies will be released in the next few months. In final editing stages this week. Eleanor Spackman Alden, LCSW, BCD