Table of Contents

Introduction

PART I
FIRST COMES LOVE (AND SEX)

M.L. and Ben
Hannah and Shane
Wanda and Kevin
Rachelle and Chris

PART II
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

Alisha and Jared
Alice and Bill
Felicia and Juan
Laurie and Tim

PART III
AGING WITH DISABILITY, OR WITH A DISABLED PARTNER, AND OTHER JOYS

Alison and John
Dorene and Steve
Gloria and Sebastian

PART IV
TWENTY/TWENTY HINDSIGHT (THE LONG VIEW)

Laurie and J.R.
Christina and Janet
Simi and David
Colleen and Max

Conclusion

Acknowledgments
Index

About the Author

Ben Mattlin is the author of Miracle Boy Grows Up and a frequent contributor to Financial Advisor magazine. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and Vox, and on NPR. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

“Mattlin expresses himself clearly and succinctly, without an underlying tone of self-pity. His interviews with other couples also portray steadfast relationships where each has thrashed out problems in ways that allow them to stay together. Moving and informative stories of ‘uncommonly intimate and enduring’ interabled partnerships.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“In Sickness and In Health is one of the most refined and accurate pieces of literature that explores the intricacies of being in an interabled relationship. Mattlin’s prose is swift and alluring as he reflects on each couple he encounters and their stories. A fine companion to Miracle Boy Grows Up, this book has the potential to not only encourage other disabled individuals to not be afraid to seek love, but it might also challenge societal perceptions about disability and romance.”
—SMA News Today

“A thoughtful spotlight on often-unheard voices for all interested in how communities define and redefine themselves.”
—Library Journal

“There is plenty to love in Mattlin’s latest book . . . without complaint or self-pity, he depicts the very real barriers some interabled couples face.”
—Washington Post

“Enlightening from cover to cover . . . a must-read.”
—Midwest Book Review

“In this chronicle of will and hope, Ben Mattlin demystifies the interabled relationship, showing that it should be a matter neither of wonder nor of pity. This is an urgent, deeply felt, and sometimes hilarious account of marriages that feel as obvious to those within them as they are bewildering to many people outside them. Mattlin gives us a testament to the deep humanity that can manifest in any kind of body, and to the passionate love such humanity can provoke in others.”
—Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree

“Ben Mattlin has written an inspired and inspiring book about couples facing the challenge of one partner’s disabilities. In Sickness and in Health is a very candid examination of the unique and daunting obstacles these couples face in their daily lives, as well as an anthology of compelling love stories.”
—Jay McInerney

“This insightful, irreverent exploration of ‘interabled’ couples is both an illuminating look at a very particular kind of relationship—one many readers will know little about—and a powerful statement about our common humanity.”
—Adam Cohen, author of Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck