Breaking Open

In this erotic memoir, Melinda Banks reveals her Gen X disillusionment of marriage, persuades her husband to explore polyamory, and dives into dating websites in search of non-monogamous love.

Breaking Open is the advice you need from a friend who's been through it. Melinda Banks takes the reader on an unforgettable ride through her life as a minivan mom, inspired by one lover after another to reclaim her sexy, vibrant body and reignite her passion.

As a post-punk, Generation X mother of two, Melinda struggles with the pressure and isolation of modern parenthood. Aiming to rekindle passion, she persuades her husband, Pierce, into an open marriage. They dive into dating websites in pursuit of other swingers, but the couple is daunted by early failures, discovering they are far less free-spirited than possibilities allow. Feeling raw, sometimes sexy and sometimes bruised, Melinda and Pierce move on optimistically from one failed connection to the next great hope in search of successful, non-monogamous love.

In this humorous, philosophical, and erotic memoir, Melinda chronicles the couple's first year in polyamorous relationships. It is frank and instructive for couples considering the lifestyle, full of both cautionary tales and steamy true encounters from Melinda and Pierce's own adventures. Told through essays, poetry, and journal entries, Breaking Open is also deeply reflective, fearlessly answering questions of ethics and love addiction with a powerful, self-affirming manifesto.

Breaking Open: Free Love and Family Secrets from the Notebook of a Misfit Wife unravels a tapestry of overlapping affairs to reveal one surprising thread: the more intimacy shared with others, the more singular Melinda's journey becomes to face the true nature of her loving soul.