How to Be a Husband

Praise

“Reading Dowling is a lot like reading Erma Bombeck – if Erma Bombeck had a penis and an English wife and resembled, at times, ‘a frightened potato.’ With a sense of humor that’s dagger-sharp and endearingly self-deprecating, Dowling describes himself as less alpha male than lambda male – and he deserves to be better known in America. Though the title seems skewed towards a male audience, the book will find female fans as well. Whether Dowling is writing about marriage, parenting, love or death, I’d follow him anywhere.” —Margo Rabb, The New York Times Book Review

“Though he laments this age of ‘The End of Men,’ Dowling has not written a mansplaining manual or a How to Have It All book for dudes. It’s more How to Hold On to the Best Thing You’ve Got. While some guys may read portions aloud to their spouses — ‘See, it’s not just me!’ — I suspect most of us will discreetly take a few notes and maybe even try some things out. Note to shoppers: This book is a great Valentine’s Day gift for today’s chronically disappointing husband. Dowling recoils from the ‘self-help book’ label. ‘Do not be like me,’ he stresses. But in one way, we do want to be like him. Dowling’s wife — identified in the text only as ‘the English girl’ or ‘my wife,’ but revealed as ‘Sophie’ in the dedication — comes off as one of those irresistible British television characters, never as cool in the American version of the show…. No, Dowling and Sophie don’t have one of those ‘I love you . . . I love you, too’ marriages; they’re more of a ‘You’ll be sorry when I’m dead’ couple. But for those moments when life together gets overwhelming, Dowling offers one perfect piece of advice: ‘Never underestimate the tremendous healing power of sitting down together from time to time to speak frankly and openly about the marital difficulties facing other couples you know.'” —Washington Post

“Dowling’s a very fresh and smart writer…there’s a proper laugh every couple of pages, and as often as not it arises from the texture of the situation, the tone of voice, the characters…But as well as being funny, which he has to be, Dowling is sometimes plangent – as in a chapter about his mother’s death – and he is more often than not wise.”—Sam Leith, The Guardian (UK)

“Although not a self-help book, nuggets of unexpected, useful advice on how to be a good husband can be found in the author’s witticisms… Dowling’s entertaining commentary on marriage will resonate with men and women alike. Tongue-in-cheek observations on married life coupled with poignant moments of true love and grief.” – Kirkus Reviews