Are you in a relationship that you would like to last a lifetime? What habits could help ensure your commitment will not just survive, but thrive? Learn the dance steps to make that happen. Beyond the First Dance-A Guide for Couples to Think Beyond their Wedding Day is a must read for couples wanting a healthy relationship. This dance begins when you first start dating and have the opportunity to get to know each other in many different settings. Spending time with each other's family and friends gives you the chance to learn about your partner's values, priorities, and attitudes about work, religion, politics, children, community, and household chores.
Learning basic communication skills can make the critical difference in your relationship as you address difficult issues. Dating is the delicious period of time when you can determine the things you can compromise on and those which are deal breakers for marriage. Knowing the difference before making a commitment can mean greater happiness for both of you.
What couple ever imagines their marriage will end in divorce? Are there habits that you can build into your relationship to help you through the challenges that life will inevitably present? Such habits are the dance steps to help you stay in sync over your years together. In Beyond the Tango, A Guide to a Thriving Marriage while Juggling Careers, Kids, and Chaos, the author offers steps to incorportate into your dance routine based on research, personal experiences, and anecdotes. Don't you deserve a marriage that thrives with a strong partnership and emotional intimacy? Beyond the Tango can help make this a reality for you and your spouse.
Do you want your marriage to last a lifetime? This time of dating and engagement is important for thinking about yourself and your future life mate. Love is more than lust. Friendship is an ingredient long married couples note that needs to accompany passion to make your marriage endure.
"This book could easily form the basis of a high school course on marriage. I highly recommend it for teens and young adults who are starting to date, as well as married couples."
John J. Buchino, M.D.
Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
“In today's fast paced world couples need support, encouragement and a reliable GPS system to direct them on the road to living married life, not only happily, but in a way in which each partner thrives. Susan's McKeown's book is just that navigation system. Engaged couples cannot start early enough to prepare themselves for the dance of their lives. Susan's experience as a presenter in our Engaged Couple Seminars these 40 years affords her a wealth of experience. All couples will benefit from reading this informative and life-giving book. I highly recommend it as an effective, must-have resource for every couple.”
Paul Ashton, Psy.D., D.Min.
Director, Engaged Couples Seminar
Diocese of Manchester, N.H.
"I read Susan's book with my three adult children in mind and found her stories, insight and questions provocative and inspiring. Even better--I learned some new steps to add to my repertoire of dancing through 38 years of marriage."
Marcy Lyman
Manchester, N.H.
"Beyond the First Dance offers a very creative and accessible approach to preparing couples for the marriage dance—a dance that may change tempos and styles during the years, but in those marriages that succeed, it never ends and just keeps getting richer and more loving.”
Paul and Kathleen Casey
Ellicott City, Md.
Former marriage preparation program leaders
Archdiocese of Baltimore for over 20 years
Today's couples face many challenges as they juggle the demands of their daily routine. Learning how to keep your relationship a priority throughout life's changes is often like learning a new dance. Commitment, practice, and the willingness to learn new steps can help you master your marriage.
"Whether you are looking for a guide to long-term relationships or help on specific topics such as parenting, loneliness, sexuality, or spirituality, this book is for you. Susan draws from her own experience, wisdom of experts, and examples from movies and books in this thorough and engaging description of the joys and struggles of relationships. The result is applicable information, insight, and inspiration. I highly recommend Beyond the Tango."
Rev. Dr. David B. Reynolds
Licensed Psychotherapist and Minister
“Susan McKeown has written a very readable, practical book animated by her rich personal and professional experiences, packed with sensible advice, and backed up by solid research. This comprehensive guidebook navigating the lifelong dance of marriage hits the mark with its many relatable anecdotes and tested strategies for dealing effectively with the complex dynamics of family life over the lifespan. Particularly helpful are steps at the end of each chapter suggesting how to maintain a healthy sense of self while promoting a loving, respectful, and even joyful marriage through the years. I recommend this honest and hopeful book to all couples who are seeking to assess, renew, or repair their bond, whatever their stage of marriage.”
Stephanie K. Williston, PhD
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
“As a physician and married father of two, I couldn’t help but think of this book as a great way for me to do a checkup on my own 15 years of marriage. It’s incredibly thought provoking. The concepts and my own analysis stuck with me for hours after I finished each chapter. No matter where we might be on our marriage journey, having a coach to help us step up our game or adjust our rhythm and dance steps is invaluable. Susan has managed to give us all something upon which to reflect and grow as individuals and couples. Highly Recommended!”
Erik M. Shessler, MD
Associate Medical Director- Dartmouth Hitchcock Manchester, NH
“As an engaged couple, we loved reading Susan's first book, Beyond the First Dance, which offered us great insights into establishing good habits early on in our relationship. Susan skillfully pairs clinical knowledge with practical guidance, making her writing approachable for the everyday couple. We are so looking forward to expanding our dance moves with this book.”
Trini Head and Tim Kelly
“McKeown, a long-time marriage and parenting educator, adds helpful insights to the relationship canon in her discussions of the value of compartmentalization in good marriages, strategies for approaching worry, surviving life's unexpected events, and childrearing approaches that lead to renewal rather than burnout.”
Daphne de Marneffe, PhD
Psychologist and Author of The Rough Patch and Maternal Desire
“Relationships are like a dance, but the tempo quickens, and the steps seem to be ever changing. This remarkable book gets it! Beyond the Tango addresses real issues for real couples in ways that invite growth, stability, and a pathway to deeper connections with less stress and more joy.”
Paul S. Boynton
Author of Begin with Yes and Be Amazing
“This new book by Susan McKeown is a sequel to Beyond the First Dance and continues to explore the nature of our most intimate relationships. Using dance to explain our interactions is quite lovely. The chapters are self-contained and helpful with bullet points and references that are on target and easy to understand. Every marriage and long-term relationship can be strengthened by the pearls of wisdom imparted through this book. I highly recommend it.”
Teresa Ponn, MD FACS
“Beyond the Tango, a wonderful guide to keeping your marriage loving and healthy, takes readers through the stages of marriage and its inevitable challenges in a clear, easy to access format that addresses a wide range of strategies and topics, including parenting, finances, intimacy, and even solitude. Susan McKeown provides a wealth of citations for further reading and exploration, along with concrete steps to take for improved communication and self-understanding. After 50 years of marriage, McKeown has plenty of experience to draw on. The stories she shares from her own marriage, full of honesty and humor, form the heart of this indispensable book.
Katherine Towler
Author of The Penny Poet of Portsmouth
“Susan McKeown has written a guide to marriage and family, drawing not only on her personal and professional experiences but a thorough reading of noted, experienced authors on the related topics. This is an excellent read for marrieds of all ages, but particularly those planning on a marriage. There are invaluable insights here. Should be required reading.”
James F. Conway Jr., MD
“All the ingredients for a good enough marriage come to mind in reading Beyond the Tango. The most important decision one makes in their life is who to choose for a mate. This book reads like a novel and allows the reader to soak up all the necessary ingredients for a fulfilling, long term relationship. Susan shares her own life experiences both personal and professional to help couples who strive for a healthy, happy marriage. Let the dance go on.”
DeeDee Souza, MSW, LICSW
"We highly recommend this book to anyone who is married and recommend reading it right away! The book is easy to read, humorous, and gives great insight and advice in a down to earth way. There have been many times during our three-year marriage and now parenthood that we think back on Susan’s stories and teachings-with a relatable laugh or “Ah ha” moment after using her advice and seeing how it supports our marriage."
Duke and Kristin Logan (APRN)