Book Review — Belle Burden

I went into this knowing nothing about Belle Burden. Truly thought she was just another person writing about their divorce. Then I found out about the Paleys and the Vanderbilts, and by then I was already too invested to care.

The biggest criticism of Strangers — and you’ll see it everywhere — is Burden’s privilege. I agree with it completely. She had two homes and significant financial resources to cushion both a divorce and a global pandemic. Had her ex not been able to live elsewhere when everything fell apart, this story could have gone very differently. That’s worth naming.

And yet.

What the book does well is show how divorce and the absence of closure wreck you regardless of your zip code. It was gross watching her ex move through the separation the way he did — unapologetically cruel about finances, checked out from his kids, completely free to do whatever he wanted while she held everything together. We only got her side. But her side was enough to make me furious on her behalf.

The part that stayed with me most was the club. She fostered friendships there during lockdown — used it as an anchor during one of the most destabilizing periods of her life. But those friendships didn’t feel genuine. Which raised a real question: why seek acceptance from people who wouldn’t give you a second thought if you weren’t a member? Privilege gives you access. It doesn’t give you belonging.

If you’ve been through a divorce — or are close to someone who has — this one is worth reading. The specific circumstances are hers alone, but the emotional weight of it, the lack of closure, the grief of watching someone you built a life with become a stranger, that part is universal.

The last thing I’ll say: this is a compelling, well-written book. But had Burden not come from a known family, it would not have been published this widely. That’s not a takedown — it’s just true, and I think she’d probably agree.

★★★★★ — 5/5 stars

Strangers by Belle Burden. This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.