The Antelope in the Living Room: The Real Story of Two People Sharing One Life

by Melanie Shankle

Welcome to the story of a real marriage.Marriage is simultaneously the biggest blessing and the greatest challenge two people can ever take on. It is the joy of knowing there is someone to share in your joys and sorrows, and the challenge of living with someone who thinks it’s a good idea to hang a giant antelope head on your living room wall.In The Antelope in the Living Room, New York Times best-selling author and blogger Melanie Shankle does for marriage what Sparkly Green Earrings did for motherhood—makes us laugh out loud and smile through tears as she shares the holy and the hilarity of that magical and mysterious union called marriage.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Marriage, Christian, Humor, Audiobook, Book Club

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 4, 2014

About the author

Melanie Shankle is a 4 time New York Times bestselling author, speaker and co-host of The Big Boo podcast.

She is the author of multiple memoirs about friendship, motherhood, marriage and life, including Nobody’s Cuter Than You, Church of the Small Things and On the Bright Side.

Her newest book, Here Be Dragons, was in released in February of 2025 and debuted on the New York Times bestseller list.

Melanie is a 1993 graduate of Texas A&M. She lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband, Perry. Her daughter Caroline is a 2025 graduate of Texas A&M and has written a 100 day devotional entitled The Lion and The Bear which was released in October 2025.