My Intended (2000)
By Brandi Scollins-Mantha
The Ohio State Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Part of the Charvat Collection of American Literature
PS3569.C58565 M95 2000
In a modern take on marriage, Brandi Scollins-Mantha explores the heart-crushing reality of a woman whose soon-to-be husband has passed away. Hannah, excited by the prospect of becoming a wife, loses her fiancé tragically and suddenly. Her guilt takes over, as she contemplates going through with the wedding ceremony. The traditions of marriage are seen when Hannah decides to go through with the ceremony, assuming it will bring her some form of happiness. This novel explores the commonplace assertion that women need a complex, traditional wedding ceremony for a marriage to be complete. However, after the ceremony, Hannah realizes that love and comfort can only come from other living people (such as her mother), not rituals. Hannah's life is not reliant on a future marriage, but the happiness that comes from family.