Vikki Stark, Leading Expert on Runaway Husbands, Reveals the Hidden Truths Behind Belle Burden's Story
The internationally recognized expert offers hope and guidance to women coping with the shock of a husband who suddenly walks away from the marriage
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, June 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Readers around the world have been captivated by author Belle Burden's account of marital devastation in her book "Strangers." But according to renowned family therapist and bestselling author Vikki Stark, M.S.W., M.F.T., what happened to Burden has a name, and thousands of women have lived through the same experience.
"Runaway Husbands addresses a uniquely devastating kind of divorce. A woman believes she is in a happy, loving marriage and then, seemingly out of nowhere, her husband announces that he wants a divorce. That is what happened to Belle Burden, and it is what happened to me," says Stark. "I know the shock, the pain, and the endless questions that follow because I lived them myself. That's why I wrote Runaway Husbands and why I offer support to women navigating this trauma."
In her recent Psychology Today article, "What Happened to Belle Burden in Strangers Has a Name," Stark explains that Burden's experience reflects what she has identified as Wife Abandonment Syndrome, a pattern in which seemingly devoted husbands abruptly leave their marriages with little warning or explanation.
Stark did not come to this work from theory alone. After experiencing sudden abandonment in her own marriage, she began researching the phenomenon and gathering stories from women worldwide. What she discovered became the foundation for her bestselling book, Runaway Husbands: The Abandoned Wife's Guide to Recovery and Renewal. It also led to an international support community that has helped thousands of women process grief, rebuild identity, and move forward.
"Belle Burden's story resonates so deeply because it reflects the confusion and heartbreak so many women feel when the person they trusted suddenly becomes unrecognizable," says Stark. "I want women to understand that they are not alone, and that healing is possible."
Through her writing, clinical work, and support groups, Stark has created a safe space where women can find validation, understanding, and a path forward after devastating relational loss.
Readers of Runaway Husbands often describe the book as life-changing during one of the most painful periods of their lives.
"I read Runaway Husbands after my own marriage ended suddenly and without warning. It helped me understand the emotional chaos I was living through and gave me language for what I couldn't explain. Most importantly, it helped me realize I wasn't alone."
— Paige
"The trauma is real, and so is the recovery," Stark concludes. "Women deserve to know that what happened to them has been experienced by many others, and they don't have to navigate this journey by themselves."
About Vikki Stark
Vikki Stark is an internationally recognized psychotherapist, author, and leading authority on Wife Abandonment Syndrome. A graduate of Barnard College and New York University, she has spent more than four decades helping individuals and families navigate relationship challenges. In Montreal, she founded the Montreal Family Center and the Sedona Center of Montreal and served as Global Television's in-house family therapist for eight years.
Stark is the author of several books, including the best-selling Runaway Husbands: The Abandoned Wife's Guide to Recovery and Renewal, which has sold more than 38,000 copies. Through her website, workshops, retreats, and online support groups, she has built a worldwide community supporting women affected by sudden wife abandonment. She also writes the popular Schlepping Through Heartbreak blog for Psychology Today, which has attracted more than four million views.
Contact:
Phone: (514) 979-8007
Email: vikki@runawayhusbands.com
To learn more, visit: https://www.runawayhusbands.com/
Vikki Stark is available for interviews.
Amanda Kent
Boundless Media USA
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