episode 058 - strangers by belle burden: what everyone is missing

We are back. And for the first episode of the new season, I'm doing something a little different, a full opinion piece on one of the most talked-about books of 2026.

Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden is an instant New York Times bestseller, and with the Netflix adaptation just announced (Gwyneth Paltrow is set to play Belle), this book is about to get a whole second wave of attention. I listened to it on Audible, then bought the hardcover, and I have a lot of thoughts, including some that I haven't heard anyone else say yet.

This is not a recap. This is my take.

In this episode I get into why this book is being misread as a heartbreak memoir when it's actually a book about financial abuse and wilful self-erasure, why "James" deserves far more scrutiny than he's getting, what the prenup scene should teach every woman regardless of her relationship status, and why his family cutting Belle off after 20 years (!!!!) is one of the most important things in the entire book that nobody is talking about.

I also get into the hot take I've been sitting on for years: a lot of women do not want to think for themselves, and this book is one of the clearest examples of what that costs.

Strangers by Belle Burden is available on Audible, and in hardcover wherever books are sold. Highly recommend, especially if you're engaged, partnered, or thinking about either.

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