In this unique and inspiring book, Cheryl Jarvis asks a bold and to some an heretical question: why can't women today take time off, away from careers, children, and spouses, time dedicated to renewal and personal fulfillment without distraction? The Marriage Sabbatical weaves together the absorbing account of Jarvis's precious time away from home with the stories of the rewards and challenges felt by other women who also braved social pressures and public scrutiny to temporarily take leave of their daily routines. The liberating experiences herein are as varied as the individuals who lived them-from a few magical weeks of immersion language study to six months of adventure travel to two years of Peace Corps teaching. Eloquently describing how desire becomes a departure date; how women reconcile their decision with family and friends; and, finally, how they come home again, Jarvis shows how a marriage sabbatical need not be a trial separation or a midlife crisis. For the women we meet in this moving narrative, a sabbatical is a planned and finite period of time set aside in which to follow a dream, ultimately empowering and rejuvenating the individual. Passionately written, The Marriage Sabbatical showcases the joy and rebirth within reach for women everywhere.