To The Best of Our Knowledge from Wisconsin Public Radio

Couples know the frightening statistic: 50 percent of today's marriages will fail. And the real victims are the children. As they grow up they are more likely to be aggressive or depressed, end up in mental health hospitals, or get divorced themselves. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the alarming findings from Judith Wallerstein's 25 year study of the children of divorce. Also, infidelity, celibacy, and the romance novel.

Psychologist Judith Wallerstein talks with Jim Fleming about the frightening findings from her 25 year study on children of divorce. She tells him children whose parents divorced carry the scars into adulthood and have trouble finding love. Wallerstein's book is "The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A 25 Year Landmark Study."

Bestselling author Jane Hamilton has the kind of success most novelists dream of. Two of her novels have made the Oprah's Book Club and "Map of the World" was made into a movie. In her new novel "Disobediance" a teenage son discovers that his mom is cheating on his dad. She talks with Steve Paulson about infidelity and love. Also, legal historian Hendrik Hartog explodes the myth that the 19th century was the golden age of marriage. He tells Jim Fleming that separation, desertion, and bigamy were common long before divorce was legal. He's the author of "Man and Wife in America."

Isabel Swift heads Harlequin Enterprises editorial department which publishes 700 new romance novels a year. She says romances are feminist fiction. Swift tells Anne Strainchamps some of the key ingredients to a good romance novel — secret babies, Texas and cowboys. Also, historian Elizabeth Abbot talks with Judith Strasser about the history of celibacy — from the ancient Greek goddess Athena to boxing superstar Mohamed Ali. Abbot also explains that while researching her book, "A History of Celibacy, she was persuaded to try celibacy herself.

Books:

• Jane Hamilton, Disobedience (Doubleday)
• Elizabeth Abbot, A History of Celibacy (Scribner)
• Hendrik Hartog, Man and Wife in America: A History (Harvard)
• Judith Wallerstein, Julia Lewis, Sandra Blakeslee, The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A 25 Year Landmark Study (Hyperion)

Music:

• Unhappy Anniversary from More Love Songs with Loudon Wainwright III
• Love and Marriage with Frank Sinatra
• Love Me or Leave Me with Ruth Etting
• John and Marsha from Tip of the Freberg: The Stan Freberg Collection 1951-1998
• Lafayette from Sacred Heart with Peter Ostroushko

Distribution dates:

• week of 01/27/2002 - hour 1
• week of 09/24/2000 - hour 1