A review by booktalkwithjb
The First Ten Years: Two Sides of the Same Love Story by Joseph Fink, Meg Bashwiner

5.0

Thank you so much to Harper Perennial for this fabulous book in exchange for my honest opinion! I had not heard anything about this book when I saw it coming out from Harper. I loved the premise, and was so curious about the cover of this one, so I requested it. You never know what you're going to get, but this one was the greatest surprise!

The First Ten Years chronicles the first ten years of the relationship that forms between 2 artists living in NYC, Joseph and Meg. Through life changes, many moves, career highs and lows, their relationship is put to the test. In a very honest account with alternating entries from Joseph and Meg, The First Ten Years shows the work and joy that goes into a strong relationship.

What I Appreciated About This Book: I seriously loved this book! Joseph and Meg are my age, lived in NYC during the same years I did, which brought back so many memories of that chapter in my life. Since both are artists, the writing is so good, but also raw, vulnerable, honest. There are times that Joseph or Meg don't come across perfectly, and that is the beauty in this book. Since this book spans 10 years of time, I appreciated that Joseph and Meg never shied away from talking about the political climate and change that occurred in such a relatable and true way. 2016 was such a hard year, but it felt cathartic to read about Joseph and Meg's shared heartbreak, as if we were all in this together- getting through and moving on. Lastly, as a proud Jewish woman, I loved reading about Joseph's relationship with Judaism, and about jewish politics. I felt such a connection to many aspects of this book, and in case you can't tell, I loved it.

What Did Not Work For Me: Nothing!! This book won't be for everyone, but if you love raw relationship accounts, snarky, sharp writing, and a good mix of humor and honesty, please check out this gem.