Every now and again a great book comes along that changes our perception of marriage. "The Silent Tears of Polygamy" Based on a True Story of an American Female is a contemporary fiction novel about a modern, cultured woman named Ana who lived on the Upper West Side of New York City and had a career that she found both enjoyable and challenging. She had converted to Islam and led a chaste life, devoted to studying the precepts of her religion and following the advice of her mentor.
Like all young girls who grew up playing house and fantasizing about the perfect husband she'll have when she gets older, Ana wanted to marry some day and experience a life with a loving companion. She was willing to wait for the right man and would not settle for those men who had already tried to form relationships with her.
Ana thought her fantasy came true when she met Alec Coleman. Alec had been recommended to her by a friend, and he seemed to be everything that she was looking for. Like her, he was an American Muslim and a convert. He also wasn't interested in raising a family. They seemed made for each other. After a brief courtship, they were married in a gloriously lovely ceremony, and Ana felt her life was entering its high point. For five years, it just got better. They both had good incomes and were able to take exotic holidays, and live satisfying and fulfilling lives.
But when Alec rekindles a relationship with his former ex-girlfriend Carolyn, Ana's supposed perfect life spirals into chaos. Alec decided he was going to marry Carolyn and, no, he didn't want to divorce Ana. A Muslim man could have more than one wife, and a good Muslima would accept her new sister-in-faith and accept that it's was what God intended for her. Ana is forced into a polygamous marriage. How can she share with another woman the man whom she loves?
Ana felt betrayed, bereft and utterly destroyed by this new arrangement, and it would take years before she was able to cope with the polygamous relationship that her husband forced her into. Ana soon learns why polygamy is called, "The Mother of All Pain." She suffers in silent sorrow, a pain shared by countless women around the world. It's a suffering Ana endures...for a time. She didn't see it coming, and it almost consumed her. Find out how she takes back control of her life, one prayer, one voice, one grueling day at a time and all without sacrificing who she is.
