Belle Burden's divorce memoir is doing more than selling books—it's prompting readers to side-eye their spouses, or their spouses-to-be, writes Chloe Joe at Harper's Bazaar. The headline of the piece puts it more bluntly: "Belle Burden's Memoir Is Making People Hate Their Husbands." Strangers, which shot to No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list and is headed to Netflix with Gwyneth Paltrow in the lead role, recounts how Burden's husband abruptly left after 19 seemingly happy years, a day after she learned he was having an affair, per the New York Times review. She says he provided no real explanation and had no interest in sharing custody of their three children.
The Harper's Bazaar piece explores how women are devouring the book in a day, then spreading the word to other women. Burden herself has become become a media sensation, but "the most interesting discussions about the memoir are happening behind closed doors, sparked by Burden's gripping account of betrayal, sexism, and the perils of managing joint finances," writes Joe, who interviews several women sharing their own examples. Much of the buzz centers on money and power—Burden describes being persuaded to revise a prenup in her husband's favor and nearly losing half her fortune despite trust funds, a law degree, and a mother who pushed her to protect herself.
That's fueling group chats, book clubs, and even "prenup" merch, as women press the memoir on each other and start tougher conversations about finances, fairness at home, and what happens if trust breaks. With the film adaptation looming for a wider audience, some readers predict those uneasy questions won't stay a women-only phenomenon for long.
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