An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Release Date: February 6.2018
Length: 320 pages
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

It seems Celestial Davenport has the easy part, waiting on the outside as her husband serves a prison term for a crime he didn’t commit, but does she really?

From the Publisher

“Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit.”

The Draw

• A newlywed husband unjustly sent to prison.
• A young wife’s struggle to hold onto love and loyalty.
• An emotionally charged novel.

{My Thoughts}

What Worked For Me

A Dark Look at the American South – An American Marriage opens with a certain level of foreboding. Married just over a year, Roy and Celestial travel from their home in Atlanta to visit his parents in rural Louisiana, with Celestial feeling decidedly uneasy about the trip. This young couple would seem to have it all, budding careers, a beautiful home and plans to start a family. But less than 24-hours later, Roy has been arrested and charged with the rape of a white woman, despite the fact that he was with Celestial in their motel room when the rape occurred. Celestial’s word, Roy’s testimony, none of it matters against the word of his accuser in a small Southern courtroom. Roy is sentenced to 12 years in prison. Sadly, this outcome is not shocking or the real focus of An American Marriage.

What Is Right? – The heart of this book is the struggle for this couple to hold onto a young marriage that hasn’t been around long enough to stand the test of time. At first Roy tells Celestial not to wait for him, but of course she’s not willing to abandon him. As the months and years go on, it gets harder for them both. Roy clings tighter. Celestial pushes back. Is it wrong for her to give up hope? Is it right for him to demand her love even as he pushes away? What is right in an utterly wrong situation?

Alternating Perspectives – Jones used the alternate perspectives of Roy, Celestial, and Andre (friend to both) to bring An American Marriage to life. It took all three to see the full picture. I loved the voice of Roy. His words carried the weary weight of his time in prison, along with love for his parents, and for Celestial. As the story approached its climax Roy’s thoughts bounced between lucidity and desperation.

“Sometimes I wonder if she would know me now. Would anybody who knew me then recognize me today? Innocent or not, prison changes you, makes you into a convict.”

In some ways Celestial had the most difficult role of all. Living on the outside, her life went on, even as she tried to wait for the man she’d married.

“My husband’s ghost showed itself in the guise of other men, almost always young, haircuts Easter fresh year-round. They didn’t always share his physical attributes; no, they were as diverse as humanity. But I recognized them by the ambition that clung to their skins like a spicy cologne, the slight breeze of power that stirred the air, and finally, a mourning that left my mouth tasting of ash.”

An Exquisite Ending – That’s about all I can say. Just know it left me feeling exactly as it should have, satisfied and saddened.

What Didn’t

Letters – The only part of An American Marriage that didn’t work for me was the large section of the book (20%) that was told in the form of letters. These were primarily between Roy and Celestial during his time in prison, and for me they became extremely tedious. I found Roy’s letters especially long-winded and preachy. I wish the author could have delivered the same information and feeling in in some other way.

{The Final Assessment}

While I can’t quite give An American Marriage a perfect rating, I nonetheless highly recommend this book. The examination of a young marriage put to the test under the most trying of circumstances felt both important and real. The author did not sugarcoat or play favoritism with any of her characters. Instead she placed them in a heartbreaking situation and tackled it with amazing honesty. Grade: B+

If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• Desperation Road by Michael Farris Smith – The story of a man newly released from prison and the desperate young mother he tries to help. (my review)
• Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward – This historical fiction features men who spend time in the same southern prison as Roy, and the women who love them. (my review)

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Associate links included within this post.