Angie was just complaining about a memoir she read that was supposed to be this woman’s real life love story, but it was all dramatized and hyped up. Which made me think about the amazing “truth is stranger than fiction” real life love stories that exist in the world. Let’s share our favorites!

DCIB seems like the kind of place where people read a bunch of history, doesn’t it? And a community where people think a lot about romance, and also cultural mixing? In all your readings, who are your favorite cross-cultural couples?

Just to get it out of the way at the start, Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal, obviously. Magical young love at first sight that lasted, unbroken, until death. And he always was home to have breakfast with her and the kids. And she packed him a lunch every day. And he respected her traditions and hosted a Christmas Brunch, and she respected his traditions and learned how to cook him Indian food. The Perfect Couple.

In the realm of romantical and unusual, Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten!!!!! Both of them intelligent well-traveled uppercrust types, who enjoyed some various affairs before their meeting (Nehru as a long time widower was rumored to have had relationships before, the Mountbattens had an open marriage). But then they got together and it was something special. Years of letters, which Edwina used to keep next to her bed every night. Edwina after Nehru became a stronger more caring and more sacrificing person. Nehru after Edwina always seemed a little bit lonely. And yet, it could never be.

Moving on from India, who doesn’t love Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara??? He was from a Polish Jewish family, grew up in the inner city, joined the army, came back, went to college and studied Drama, and then started making the rounds of the theater scene in New York. She grew up middle-class on Long Island, Irish Catholic, left home at 18 to be an actress and do Serious Drama. And then one day an agent was mean to her and she left his office and was crying in the waiting room, and nice Jerry Stiller saw her and took her out for coffee to cheer her up and a year later they were married, and had formed a comedy a team, playing their Nice Catholic Girl versus Jewish Boy personas on stage.

Those are the three I can think of off the top of my head! You tell me your favorites in the comments 🙂

(also, if those of you who are married cross-culture, don’t start your comment by saying “my own!” I will believe love is dead)