The Marriage Was Over
Henry’s life was like a sad song, especially with Frances, who was struggling with bipolar disorder. But Henry wasn’t perfect either; he was pretty focused on himself, which made things even harder for Frances. And then came the big shock: Henry started a secret romance with Susan Blanchard, who was much younger than him. This was the last straw for Frances, and it sent her into a really dark place.
After being married for 13 years and having two kids together, Henry dropped a bombshell on Frances in 1949: he wanted a divorce. He didn’t sugarcoat it; he straight-up told her he would marry his new girlfriend. Devastated by her husband’s betrayal, Frances went to the Austen Riggs Psychiatric Hospital in Massachusetts to get some space. Henry tried to protect Jane and Peter from the truth, telling them their mom had just “gone away.”