Dennis and Vicki Covington, childhood acquaintances, reunite in their twenties and marry, navigating a relationship marked by alcoholism, infidelity, and infertility. Their journey transforms through sobriety, parenthood, and a mission to dig water wells in Central America, seeking deeper purpose. This raw portrait captures the turbulent forces that both challenge and strengthen their bond over time.
Owned
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Owned
Dennis and Vicki Covington, childhood acquaintances, reunite in their twenties and marry, navigating a relationship marked by alcoholism, infidelity, and infertility. Their journey transforms through sobriety, parenthood, and a mission to dig water wells in Central America, seeking deeper purpose. This raw portrait captures the turbulent forces that both challenge and strengthen their bond over time.
About
Details
"Marriage is like a rain forest," Vicki Covington writes in Cleaving. "The story of a marriage contains all that grows in the canopy, all that is visible from an aerial, or public, view. The understory of a marriage is the place where . . . we struggle, fight, and conceive. It's the place where compost is made, where anything can grow, including forgiveness." Told in the authors' alternating voices, Cleaving is both the story and the understory of a marriage. Childhood acquaintances, Vicki and D...
What's Inside
will contain mild spoilers
Sexual content
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Frequent discussions of extramarital affairs and open relationship; sadomasochistic confessions about lovers; no graphic on-page sex scenes described.
Violence & gore
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Brief mentions of personal tragedies like ectopic pregnancy; no graphic violence or gore.
Profanity
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Mild profanity in dialogue and narratives.
Substance use
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Central themes of alcoholism, drug use, and addiction; portrayals include drinking, drunkenness, and recovery with cautionary tone.
LGBTQ+ Rep.
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No LGBTQIA+ representation.
Religious content
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Prominent return to Southern Baptist Church; Bible quotes, missionary well-drilling in El Salvador, and themes of spiritual redemption and forgiveness.
Magic & witchcraft
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No witchcraft or occult elements.
Occult / demonology
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No evidence found in available sources.
Political content
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Brief mentions of social issues in El Salvador missions; no strong political messaging.
Self-harm / suicide
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No self-harm or suicide depicted.
Abuse & suffering
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Emotional suffering from infidelity, alcoholism, infertility, abortion, and ectopic pregnancy; no physical abuse detailed.
Other
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No information found