I'm grateful I read An American Marriage by Tayari Jones with my book club because we had a dynamic discussion about it.
Published in early 2018, the novel is (sadly) incredibly relevant today as one of its themes is the wrongful conviction and incarceration of an innocent Black man.
The premise: Just 18 months after his marriage to Celestial, Roy is sentenced to a 12-year prison term for a crime he didn't commit. This is very hard on their relationship, and when Roy is released he's devastated by the changes in Celestial's life.
This is an outstanding novel with beautiful writing and so much loss and heartache. The characters are complex, and not all are likeable. As a fan of epistolary novels, I was pleasantly surprised that a considerable portion of the story is told through the letters Celestial and Roy exchange in the early days of his sentence.
The audiobook is excellent with Sean Crisden and Elsa Davis providing the narration. Their performances enhanced the many big feelings in this character-driven novel.
Published in early 2018, the novel is (sadly) incredibly relevant today as one of its themes is the wrongful conviction and incarceration of an innocent Black man.
The premise: Just 18 months after his marriage to Celestial, Roy is sentenced to a 12-year prison term for a crime he didn't commit. This is very hard on their relationship, and when Roy is released he's devastated by the changes in Celestial's life.
This is an outstanding novel with beautiful writing and so much loss and heartache. The characters are complex, and not all are likeable. As a fan of epistolary novels, I was pleasantly surprised that a considerable portion of the story is told through the letters Celestial and Roy exchange in the early days of his sentence.
The audiobook is excellent with Sean Crisden and Elsa Davis providing the narration. Their performances enhanced the many big feelings in this character-driven novel.
