The remarkable true document that is The Mistress Contract opens with a piece of paper that was signed in 1981 by a woman and her wealthy lover. The contract establishes an exchange that she thinks fair: If he will provide an adequate and separate home for her and cover her expenses, she will provide him with "mistress services": "All sexual acts as requested, with suspension of historical, emotional, psychological disclaimers." For the duration of the agreement, she will become his sexual property. Then on a small recorder that fit in her purse this extraordinary and unconventional couple began to tape their conversations about their relationship, conversations that took place while travelling, over dinner at home and in restaurants, on the phone, even in bed. This book is based on those tapes. It is a candid record of what they had to say to each other privately about the arrangement and its power relations, their physical relationship and the sexual forces that shaped it. As private and intimate as it is, though, the book also turns an unblinking light on a period of intense upheaval between men and women. Looking back now, thirty years later, this extraordinary couple who are still together are willing to reveal their most private moments to our scrutiny. What they capture in The Mistress Contract is an unapologetic revelation and a bold provocation.
"The Mistress Contract is most interesting for its honest portrayal of a long-term relationship outside the bounds of marriage. How He and She view their differences and handle their life crises is revealing."
New York Journal of Books
"This is not a book for everyone, but for the right readers, it offers a way into contemplating the making and meaning of unconventional relationships. If you're open to the questions it asks, you simply can't help but be changed in some way by The Mistress Contract. And really, you should buy a copy if for no other reasons than 1) you know you're curious, and 2) it's sexy AND smart."
The Booklady's Blog
"What shocks in The Mistress Contract is the discourse, not the intercourse. The Foucault, not the f#@king. As He and She go at it with the brainy chemistry of Beatrice and Benedick, the naked opinions expressed about men, women, and feminism are challenging, frequently infuriating, thought-provoking and just plain provoking, witty, poignant, and astonishingly progressive, considering the context
