What do Ann Boleyn, Angelina Jolie and Katie Holmes have in common? They were all a second, third or — in Angelina’s case with Billy Bob Thornton — fifth marriage for their husband at the time. And as each experienced first-hand, life as a later-in-life wife of a multiple-marriage man isn’t always all smiles and diamonds.
While these women may not have found their Prince Charming in these marriages, Donna Arp Weitzman did as the second and last wife to her husband, Herb Weitzman. Looking forward to heading down the aisle with her true love, Donna soon found that her new life was more like a gauntlet as she faced a firing squad of questions, comments, smirks and smiles from old friends, unsuccessful prospects, their children, in-laws, and much more. Reflecting on the trials and tribulations that come with a new, later-in-life relationship, she offers an off-the-wall, satirical look at it all in her new book, Cinderella Has Cellulite: And Other Musings from a Last Wife (Greenleaf Book Group Press, July 7, 2015).
“In Cinderella Has Cellulite, it’s easy to laugh at the absurdities that occur during the phases leading up to marriage,” says Weitzman. “Yet, too often, a tear lurks behind the smiles. I personally found that the emotional cost was worth it in the end and now understand that love is work, leaving behind scars and bumps just like cellulite. However, I always remind myself that with an evil stepmother, stepsisters and a very strict curfew, Cinderella had her own cellulite bumps to face on the way to finding her Prince Charming.”
Referred to as a ‘mature Sex and the City,’ Cinderella Has Cellulite addresses common relationship successes and snafus including:
- If he’s rich, you’re a witch! Dealing with married money issues.
- Rings and blings: Is yours smaller or bigger than the exes and what does it all mean?
- Cougars and kittens: Balancing relationship age differences and judgements that follow suit.
- Battling the Evil Queens, or the ‘women who didn’t get him’ club.
- Bring on the baggage! The enriching life experiences that we can bring to the relationship.
Donna Arp Weitzman is a wife, mother, and businesswoman who enjoys writing and a good pair of Manolo Blahniks. She and her husband Herb live in Dallas, Texas, where they enjoy spending time with family and friends. Donna earned her BSE and MSE in Counseling from Midwestern State University and completed the Harvard Business School OPM Management Program. Weitzman has served as a mayor and leader in local city government and continues to serve the greater Dallas community in a variety of civic and cultural roles.
However, it’s the lessons she has learned in the school of life that she most wants to share with others. Cinderella Has Cellulite is Weitzman’s first book. Her writing has previously been published as a columnist for The News and Times, Tri-Cities, owned by The Dallas Morning News. As a frequent public speaker, she enjoys making others laugh and opening their eyes to a new perspective on some of life’s most challenging experiences.
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