Kindle
$9.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Paperback
$31.09
Kindle Price: $9.99

Save $3.56 (26%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $18.80

Save: $11.31 (60%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Gracie X
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Wide Open: My Adventures in Polyamory, Open Marriage, and Loving on My Own Terms Kindle Edition

by Gracie X (Author), Carol Queen (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 104 ratings
See all formats and editions

At a time when society no longer imposes many sexual taboos, why is open marriage still considered beyond the pale? Written by Gracie X, Wide Open is an enthusiastic, honest, and sometimes raw account of one woman’s experience living polyamorously within the context of her average American family.

Gracie X—a suburban mother of two—has been married to her loving husband, Hank, for 25 years. The problem is that their once-vibrant sex life has shriveled to nothing. Meanwhile, she has fallen in love with another man, for whom she has an overwhelming physical yearning. Frustrated and conflicted but determined not to give up her hard-won home life and wonderful husband, she is desperate for a creative solution.  Can she somehow keep both men in her life without resorting to divorce or dishonesty?

A friend introduces Gracie to polyamory: loving and being faithful to more than one person at a time. “Poly,” it turns out, is a whole new world, with dedicated counselors, parties, and dating sites. Convincing Hank ended up being the easy part: he quickly found a girlfriend and accepted Gracie’s terms. Their children, although upset at first, adjusted to having their parents’ “special friends” around, and having Hank and his girlfriend in one duplex, with Gracie and her new boyfriend, Oz, next-door, seemed like an inspired solution. But would trying to go poly create as many problems as it was trying to solve?

In her candid and provocative memoir, Wide Open, Gracie details the years she has spent exploring the poly lifestyle and creating her “chosen family.” A fiercely intelligent feminist, she challenges traditional ideas about monogamy, fidelity, and sexuality. From swinger parties and strip clubs to sex toys and pornography, this is an edgy and thought-provoking read. Yet erotica and tenderness share space here, with Gracie’s true love for both Hank and Oz—as well as her two children—coming through very clearly.

Wide Open reveals—with humor, integrity and heart—how one woman blended love, sex and marriage in unconventional ways and found the fulfillment she was looking for.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    327 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    New Harbinger Publications
  5. Publication date
    September 1, 2015
  6. File size
    843 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Vulnerable and vivacious, Wide Open is a deeply personal, beautifully written tale of one woman’s erotic journey to find herself and keep her family together. Gracie X bares her soul in this gripping memoir filled with pain and pleasure, growth, endings, and new beginnings. I couldn’t put it down!”
—Elisabeth Sheff, author of The Polyamorists Next Door: Inside Multiple-Partner Relationships and Families (2014), and editor of Stories from the Polycule: Real Life in Polyamorous Families (2015)

“I was moved by Gracie X as she shared a tender, passionate, and vulnerable memoir that inspires as it warns. This book is a must-read, authentic addition to the literature on open relationships and polyamory. As an intimacy counselor, I recommend her book for those who wish to experience the real-life joys, sorrows, challenges, and gifts of alternative relationship.”
—Francesca Gentille, contributing author of The Marriage of Sex and Spirit, radio host of “Sex: Tantra and Kama Sutra,” and relationship and intimacy counselor

“Gracie X has written an honest and engaging memoir about taking one of the biggest risks of her life—opening up her marriage despite warnings from friends and loved ones to not ‘rock the boat’ and her own fears. While honoring both her deep commitment to her husband and children and her reawakened sexuality, she shows us that, yes, we are capable of loving many people and receiving love back, as well as creating a marriage that is unique to our needs—a valuable lesson for all of us, whether polyamorous, monogamous, or monogamish.”
—Vicki Larson, award-winning journalist and coauthor of The New I Do: Reshaping Marriage for Skeptics, Realists and Rebels

“This is a remarkable book. At a time when liberals and conservatives alike are embracing marriage and the nuclear family, Gracie X sends us a life raft—the bold chronicle of her quest to create a family configuration that works for her, her husband, new lover, and children. Gracie X is not only creative and brave—she is also a consummate storyteller. Be prepared for a riveting tale of her journey into intense new love while her marriage simultaneously evolves and realigns itself. For anyone weary from the dry, didactic tone of poly how-to books, this memoir provides a wealth of information about the triumphs and tribulations of exploring polyamory. And it is an indispensable resource for those seeking to forge a new way with their partners and families, expanding the bounds of even polyamory itself.”
—Ann E. Tweedy, poet and author of Beleaguered Oases (CreativePress 2010) and White Out (Green Fuse Poetic Arts 2013)

“To open her kimono and share how one woman and two families made sense of the paradox that is love, sex, family, intimacy, and honesty in our modern lives, is an act of tremendous courage and generosity. Her sassy, relatable, sexy truth-telling burns away the tarnish that convention can leave on our hearts. Even if our journeys look different than Gracie X’s (as indeed they should), let us stand up and shout out: Viva the moxie of Gracie X to open her heart and her mouth. Say it, sister!”
— LiYana Silver, mentor for Women’s Embodiment: Bringing Your Feminine Genius to Life (http://liyanasilver.com)

“For anyone who’s curious about how to approach polyamory or open relationships with your partner, Wide Open is a must-read. Gracie X graciously lays out her complicated journey in a funny, honest, and relatable way that will inspire others to follow their heart. Redefining the family and relationship model is not an easy task; however, Wide Open gives you hope that through honest communication, emotional maturity, and patience, anything is possible.”
—Natalia Garcia, director and creator of Showtime’s Polyamory: Married & Dating

About the Author

Gracie X is a writer, actress, and director. She lives in Northern California. Find out more about Gracie at http://GracieX.com, and connect with her online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GracieXauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GracieXauthor
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrpUKF87ojhzmV4uVNNyGAA

Foreword writer Carol Queen, PhD, cofounded the Center for Sex and Culture in San Francisco and is author of Real Live Nude Girl: Chronicles of Sex-Positive Culture.
 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B010CKAHF0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ New Harbinger Publications; 1st edition (September 1, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 1, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 843 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 327 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 104 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Gracie X

Gracie X

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Gracie X is a writer, actress, and director. She lives in Northern California. Find out more about Gracie at http://GracieX.com, and connect with her online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GracieXauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GracieXauthor

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrpUKF87ojhzmV4uVNNyGAA

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
104 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Vox Populi
5.0 out of 5 stars A funny, poignant, sexy read which makes you think about love, life and family.
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2015
Verified Purchase
I got this book on recommendation from a friend thinking it would be a fun little voyeuristic romp of a read. Boy did I get more than I bargained for. Don't get me wrong, it is a fun titillating read with many laugh-out-loud moments. It also is the most thought-provoking book I've read in a very long time.

This book tells it all on so many different levels. It is a multiple-love story. Gracie writes poignantly about her love for her husband, Hank, her children and the family they're all part of. She writes about falling in love with Oz, and trying to put that love away to maintain her family. Ultimately, she realizes that she needs to do something different but has no idea what that would look like. She starts to unpack what family, marriage, love and sex mean to her. Following her heart, (sometimes down some blind alleys), she is ultimately able to create a non-traditional vision of family which works for all of them.

Gracie takes the reader along on the ride,confessing her innermost thoughts, feelings, desires and frustrations. She pulls no punches, least of all on herself. Her writing mixes moxie, sheer determination and terrible uncertainty, erotic energy and vulnerability. It's an incredibly fun read, one which I couldn't put down.

I finished it a few days ago, but it's still in my head. It's helping me unpack questions about my own life. What parts of it would I like to change, and how would I have the guts to do it.
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Mark A. Michaels
5.0 out of 5 stars Gracie X tells a sometimes funny, sometimes moving and always engaging tale of love ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2015
Verified Purchase
Gracie X tells a sometimes funny, sometimes moving, and always engaging tale of love in the 21st-century. Monogamy is not quite as mandatory as it was a couple of decades ago, and there’s a growing acceptance of other options. But navigating those options and figuring out one’s own authentic love style is not always easy. Despite progress and greater tolerance, “alternative” relationship styles are still stigmatized and can come at a cost, as is evidenced by Gracie X’s unfortunate but very real need to write under a pseudonym. In addition, labels and identities (“open marriage”, polyamorous, etc.) may feel awkward. At first glance, Wide Open may seem to be a misleading title, suggesting a wild, licentious, anything goes mentality. That’s not the author’s mindset at all. Hers is a conscious and intentional exploration, and where she lands is somewhat unconventional but far from extreme. The possibilities, however, are wide open, and it’s that openness that made it possible for the author to land where she did.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Bobbie
4.0 out of 5 stars Who are we to judge?
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2016
Verified Purchase
All through this book, I could relate and then not as the author and main character found her way through life and figuring out what she wanted and needed. I cheered her on from afar, even though some part of me felt that this triangle she found herself in was not Polyamory the way I knew it yet who are we to decide what is what to anyone else? In the end, I'm just glad that things found a way to work out for everyone involved in this story.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Dragonfly
3.0 out of 5 stars A book written by someone who said, "I was the screwball who needed fixing."
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2016
Verified Purchase
Sometimes it is unbelievable see how other people with low to inexistent self esteem are mesmerized by a psychopathic narcissist. This is a book written by a me, me, me, me, me woman that did not really cared for her children that got married late in her life, had her kids really late in her life that by her own admission came from a dysfunctional home, that had a father and a stepfather that never really cared for her, that was raised by a manic depressive mother, that by her very own admission was a lesbian until she got married and that in college was ultra promiscuous.

This a story that the author hails as a triumph but in reality was a total blunder. This is not really a polyamory story, it is a long term failure because it did not really lasted even when she says that it did.

Marriage is a contract between two people to make a life together. When kids arrive life changes. Kids become a priority and sacrifices have to be made and in reality you cannot have the cake and eat it too. Then through marriage there are a series of stages that you have to go through. If you do not do it your marriage will flounder and sadly most people do contribute to the floundering as Gracie did.

In marriage, perfection is an illusion! Usually, when is perfect for one side, it is hell for the other. Every relationship is a mix of great and so so things, when the number of so so things is greater than the number of great things, it is time to ditch it and get a new life.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Stephen D. Sloan
5.0 out of 5 stars Gracie's book a book for our time
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2016
Verified Purchase
I love this book and this writer. I think this memoir can be compared to The Price of Salt, the book that inspired the movie Carol. The plot of Wide Open is is similar in many respects to the plot of Carol. If you look over time at the arc of change from the 1950s (when The Price of Salt was written) to now our culture has been through a change from rigidity and non-acceptance to flexibility and acceptance. But, we have a long way to go. No matter where you stand on ethical non-monogamy in your own relationships; the ideas are important here. Just as it was for same sex couples in the 50s, those ideas are the rights of people to define their relationships and their own lives and families need to be respected. When done with the best interests of the children in mind, polyamorous families are good families. Gracie X is a great mom and an excellent writer. This book is very well written and her intelligence shows. I recommend this book.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Sab K
5.0 out of 5 stars With some brilliant writing, this book is an open and honest ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
Certainly thought provoking and entertaining. With some brilliant writing, this book is an open and honest exploration of intimacy with self and others. It is about more than just sex - though Gracie’s life is well spiced in this regard - it is about creative relationships and family.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Kel Good
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Journey
Reviewed in Canada on February 4, 2016
Verified Purchase
A fascinating journey from traditional monogamy to a uniquely formed polyamory that met the needs and evolution of everyone involved. Thanks to Gracie X for her brutal honesty and openness in sharing it with us.
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report