An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
From the very beginning I was pulled into this story by the narrators, especially by Sean Crisden. His voice and nuances pulled me in immediately. Same with the story. Even though I had a feeling that it all would go to hell eventually, I couldn’t stop listening.
SYNOPSIS
Newlyweds, Celestial and Roy, are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive and she is artist on the brink of an exciting career. They are settling into the routine of their life together, when 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. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.
This stirring love story is a deeply insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward- with hope and pain- into the future.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
MY THOUGHTS
I’m conflicted about this book.
a) I loved the writing. It was raw and real, focused on two flawed characters, and told a story that broke my heart.
b) I wasn’t ok with decisions that were taken by both of the main characters.
On the other hand we are all flawed human beings. And I might think I would react differently if I were in the same situation as Celestial and Roy, but I’m not so sure. And that’s partially why I was so captivated by this book.
Because overall the story itself is pretty straight forward, a recently married couple is being ripped apart by a wrongful conviction. The husband is going to prison for a LONG time, and the outlook is pretty bleak. There are only two ways this story will go. Either the prison term will rip them apart for good, or they muddle through it.
So knowing that, I was amazed by how deeply I was drawn into the story. The author skillfully wove a story around two very human characters. It was enthralling to watch it all unfold. Because Celestial and Roy’s doubts, their needs, and eventual their decisions is what makes this book so hard to put down.
Overall, the book is convincing, raw in its emotional ordeal, compelling in a very human way. Thought provoking because in the end we are all just humans, and humans make mistakes.
| last thoughts |
What made this book so compelling was the way it was written. The voices, especially Roy’s, were incredibly believable, and realistic. The way he spoke, him being a MAN came across in everything he said and did. It’s seldom that I can picture a character as easily as I could picture him.
In the end, this is a book that stayed with me for far longer than expected. And I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading BIPOC authors, and needs a great book club book. The writing was fantastic! And I’m really interested in seeing what the author comes up with next.
MY RATING:
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An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
I’ve seen this around but I’ve never actually read the plot. It sounds amazing! Great review, glad you enjoyed it!
I was like you, saw the book being mentioned but never checked it out. I’m super glad I did. 😀
I think one of the things that makes this book so amazing *is* that the characters are suuuper flawed and make decisions we don’t agree with. My biggest frustration with Celestial’s refusal to step up and make a decision for herself. Such amazing writing, and I agree, I got really swept away with the characters.
The characters were everything!!! As you said, it was just so real, maybe the realness of it was what captivated me most of all. Flawed humans, made human decisions. An incredible book, that had me glued to the pages.
Excellent review but I am still not sold on that trope…
Ah it’s not really a trope, it’s about flawed humans making flawed decisions. The writing is brilliant, but it’s also emotional at times. It’s just a book that makes you think. And it’s written by a black author 😊
This is a book that’s on my list to listen to when my daughter is (hopefully) back in school in the fall. I love that you liked it even though the choices made you unhappy.
I would recommend it, just because of the way it made me feel, how well it was written, and how unputdownable the audiobook was. I would definitely wait until you can listen to it. The male narrator was AMAZING!!!!!!
I listened to this one as well and enjoyed it a lot. It’s definitely not an “easy” book, and just like you I didn’t really like the decisions made by Roy and Celeste, but I think that’s exactly what made this book so real – the flawed characters.
Oh boy, I struggled with their decisions, but I also couldn’t put it down. And I adored Roy’s voice, it pulled me in and I was hooked just listening to him. But I think the combination of the writing, the plot, the characters, made it so compelling even though I didn’t agree with everything.