An American Marriage
by Tayari Jones 
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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. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her show more 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. show lessTags
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I’m sure somewhere in the bowels of Instagram headquarters, there’s a room where this book is enshrined on a golden altar with fresh flowers and full-time staffers who are solely responsible for printing and displaying all the praise and comments about this book from #Bookstagram.
At best, it’s a testament to the beauty of subjective opinions. At worst, it’s the most over-rated book I’ve ever read. Ever.
By now you must know, the book is about a modern-day love triangle between a husband, wife and her childhood friend. Very real, very ugly circumstances unfairly pry the newly-weds apart at a time when apparently they can’t afford any speed-bumps in their relationship, let alone a wrongful conviction.
From the start, it’s show more quite clear that Roy and Celestial’s marriage is doomed. Not like in a star-crossed way but in the they-have-nothing-in-common way. As if reading my mind, Roy tut-tuts the naysayers who judge marriages from the outside looking in. He insists, only he and Celestial can ever really know their marriage. But, like, it’s obvious. Roy has a huge problem with monogamy that he writes off as harmless. And, he has some pretty classic male chauvinist views on women. He bristles at Celestial’s success while he’s incarcerated because he thinks she stole his business idea. Which, as a character flaw, is fine and realistic and believable. But, take for instance, this moment when he’s about to sleep with Davina immediately after being released from prison:
If you want me to sympathize with Roy, maybe make him less gross? Or, demonstrate he’s emotionally growing and learning in any capacity? But he never does.
His wife, Celestial stews with deep, painful secrets that she can’t bring to share with Roy until its too late (and don’t even get me started on the doll thing – I’m no psychiatrist but maybe creating life-like baby dolls that look like your husband isn’t the best coping mechanism for abortion. Also. WHAT?) Children! They decide, adding children to this recipe will surely lead to happiness. *CUE SUBMARINE DIVE ALARMS*
Enter Andre, a textbook white knight “nice guy” who practically preys on Celestial while Roy is incarcerated. Quite frankly, this book doesn’t even need an Andre when Roy and Celestial’s circumstances provide plenty of fodder for exploration and contemplation. So, his presence feels unnecessary and gratuitously dramatic. But sure, fine, let’s throw in a lawn fight.
This is where I’m at a loss about the book’s overall thesis or theme. There’s not a single redeeming quality or self-realization about any of these characters and therefore, I have zero interest in the outcome of their love lives. They’re selfish and spiteful, even before Roy was wrongfully convicted. So when the two inevitably uncouple my reaction is an eye-rolling NO SHIT. Mercifully, the book reads rather quickly since the first 40ish pages are written in epistolary fashion and the other chapters are short and perfunctory. And, honestly, I’d read Tayari Jones again – she writes well and her characters were believable enough to hate. But, by the end, I was relieved to see these people go on their merry way and I really didn’t give a damn who with or why. To which, I say with all due respect: what.was.the.point.of.this?
“An American Marriage” claims to be an exploration of a ruined life after the machine of a broken criminal justice system indiscriminately and disproportionately preys on young, black men. But, holy shit, that’s not what I read. Instead, it focuses on the all out lawn-fight histrionics of three people who seem to have never been in a shitty relationship before. Somehow, beyond all reason, Roy’s wrongful conviction and subsequent five years in prison plays second fiddle to their drama.
THANKS OBAMA. show less
At best, it’s a testament to the beauty of subjective opinions. At worst, it’s the most over-rated book I’ve ever read. Ever.
By now you must know, the book is about a modern-day love triangle between a husband, wife and her childhood friend. Very real, very ugly circumstances unfairly pry the newly-weds apart at a time when apparently they can’t afford any speed-bumps in their relationship, let alone a wrongful conviction.
From the start, it’s show more quite clear that Roy and Celestial’s marriage is doomed. Not like in a star-crossed way but in the they-have-nothing-in-common way. As if reading my mind, Roy tut-tuts the naysayers who judge marriages from the outside looking in. He insists, only he and Celestial can ever really know their marriage. But, like, it’s obvious. Roy has a huge problem with monogamy that he writes off as harmless. And, he has some pretty classic male chauvinist views on women. He bristles at Celestial’s success while he’s incarcerated because he thinks she stole his business idea. Which, as a character flaw, is fine and realistic and believable. But, take for instance, this moment when he’s about to sleep with Davina immediately after being released from prison:
“Sometimes the only thing that can cure a man is the inside of a woman, the right woman who does things the right way.”
If you want me to sympathize with Roy, maybe make him less gross? Or, demonstrate he’s emotionally growing and learning in any capacity? But he never does.
His wife, Celestial stews with deep, painful secrets that she can’t bring to share with Roy until its too late (and don’t even get me started on the doll thing – I’m no psychiatrist but maybe creating life-like baby dolls that look like your husband isn’t the best coping mechanism for abortion. Also. WHAT?) Children! They decide, adding children to this recipe will surely lead to happiness. *CUE SUBMARINE DIVE ALARMS*
Enter Andre, a textbook white knight “nice guy” who practically preys on Celestial while Roy is incarcerated. Quite frankly, this book doesn’t even need an Andre when Roy and Celestial’s circumstances provide plenty of fodder for exploration and contemplation. So, his presence feels unnecessary and gratuitously dramatic. But sure, fine, let’s throw in a lawn fight.
This is where I’m at a loss about the book’s overall thesis or theme. There’s not a single redeeming quality or self-realization about any of these characters and therefore, I have zero interest in the outcome of their love lives. They’re selfish and spiteful, even before Roy was wrongfully convicted. So when the two inevitably uncouple my reaction is an eye-rolling NO SHIT. Mercifully, the book reads rather quickly since the first 40ish pages are written in epistolary fashion and the other chapters are short and perfunctory. And, honestly, I’d read Tayari Jones again – she writes well and her characters were believable enough to hate. But, by the end, I was relieved to see these people go on their merry way and I really didn’t give a damn who with or why. To which, I say with all due respect: what.was.the.point.of.this?
“An American Marriage” claims to be an exploration of a ruined life after the machine of a broken criminal justice system indiscriminately and disproportionately preys on young, black men. But, holy shit, that’s not what I read. Instead, it focuses on the all out lawn-fight histrionics of three people who seem to have never been in a shitty relationship before. Somehow, beyond all reason, Roy’s wrongful conviction and subsequent five years in prison plays second fiddle to their drama.
THANKS OBAMA. show less
I'm not even sure where to start with this book. The entire time I was reading, I had to keep going back and re-reading sentences because the words were so beautiful. I wanted to savor Tayari Jones' writing and not forget one word. I found myself reading out loud so I could hear her words.
If this book was found in the poetry section of my local bookstore, I would believe it.
“Marriage is like grafting a limb onto a tree trunk,” Celestial reflects. “You have the limb, freshly sliced, dripping sap, and smelling of springtime, and then you have the mother tree stripped of her protective bark, gouged and ready to receive this new addition. ... In my marriage, I never determined which of us was rootstock and which the grafted show more branch.”
And the story is just the cherry on top of the words. Celestial and Roy, barely out of the newlywed phase when Roy is sent to prison. It's a heartbreaking story, of separation, as well as togetherness, between this married couple, but in a grander scheme a critique on America and unequal treatment of its citizens. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, but I felt for them, probably more than I've ever felt for any character in a novel. I felt for them in my soul.
It's not a activism story. It's a love story. About the American dream and how just like a spouse, your country can fail you - no matter how hard you work for your dreams.
It's poignant, and thoughtful, and written like a painting. I am so glad I read this book. For several different reasons. And I'm excited to read what Tayari Jones paints next. show less
If this book was found in the poetry section of my local bookstore, I would believe it.
“Marriage is like grafting a limb onto a tree trunk,” Celestial reflects. “You have the limb, freshly sliced, dripping sap, and smelling of springtime, and then you have the mother tree stripped of her protective bark, gouged and ready to receive this new addition. ... In my marriage, I never determined which of us was rootstock and which the grafted show more branch.”
And the story is just the cherry on top of the words. Celestial and Roy, barely out of the newlywed phase when Roy is sent to prison. It's a heartbreaking story, of separation, as well as togetherness, between this married couple, but in a grander scheme a critique on America and unequal treatment of its citizens. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, but I felt for them, probably more than I've ever felt for any character in a novel. I felt for them in my soul.
It's not a activism story. It's a love story. About the American dream and how just like a spouse, your country can fail you - no matter how hard you work for your dreams.
It's poignant, and thoughtful, and written like a painting. I am so glad I read this book. For several different reasons. And I'm excited to read what Tayari Jones paints next. show less
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones is a 2018 Algonquin Books publication.
Well drawn characterizations and a thought provoking and timely topic combines to make a potent blend, which kept me riveted to the pages of this book.
Roy had done everything right, is successful, married to a beautiful woman, living the American dream- until he is falsely accused of rape and sent to prison.
Celestial finds her comfortable life turned on its axis after Roy is incarcerated. She remains loyal to her husband, but as the years pass, her life continues to move forward, while Roy’s stagnates behind bars, and her feelings for him begin to wane, prompting her to seek comfort from another man.
Meanwhile, lawyers are working round the clock to get show more Roy’s conviction overturned- which miraculously, after serving five years, it is!!
But, Roy, soon learns that easing back into his former life and resuming his marriage with Celestial is easier said than done.
What stands out for me in this novel, are the little nuances. Roy, who opens the dialogue in the first chapter, drew me in with his honesty, and humor, which was occasionally sheepish and self- deprecating, even though I disapproved of some of his actions.
Celestial was, for some reason, a character I found difficult to warm up to at first, but upon reflection, I think her character may have gone through the most productive growth of all.
Celestial’s needs and expectations are different from Roy’s ideals, some of which can be attributed to male/female roles and expectations in a marriage, and others to their own individuality. But, throw in a HUGE live altering test of the marriage and it will either strengthen or fall apart. Which way did things go for Roy and Celestial?
The other timely topics explored have to do with racism and mass incarceration. Prison life is fraught with danger and loneliness, and of course Roy missed his former life, but it was simple things, things we so easily take for granted that makes the bleakness of his situation come alive.
Despite their flaws, and each party has their fair share of them, they were basically ordinary people thrown in an extraordinary circumstance and left to cope with those circumstances as best they could. They were both human, with real needs, desires, hopes, and dreams. Both made excuses, both played the blame game, but both have a bond together they find hard to break free of.
The epistolary parts of the novel were well done, which exposes both the closeness and the awkwardness of the marriage, but also the way time robbed them of the growth marriages need to survive.
The secondary characters were added depth and conflict and were also very well drawn, and equally affected by the outcome of Roy and Celetial's marriage.
While the book is not filled with action or suspense, or even, despite the heaviness of the situation, is it melodramatic, with one exception, that, to be honest, almost had to happen, to break the tension that boiled to the surface. There were a few tense moments that made me pretty uncomfortable, but mostly the author just allowed the characters to flow, to take charge, and dictate the pacing. This approach sounds understated and maybe even underwhelming, but this story was incredibly absorbing, and I have to say the conclusion was surprising- but at the same time- not. Despite some misgivings and mixed emotions about how the characters ended up, overall, I think they may be exactly where they need to be, both as individuals and as a couple. It may be tempting to take sides, but I can’t say I would do better or worse in that same situation, but I did struggle with passing judgments on occasion.
Either way, this is a well written examination of relationships and human foibles, and how otherwise normal, well intentioned, good people face adversity and come out on the other end of it changed, for better or worse.
4 stars show less
Well drawn characterizations and a thought provoking and timely topic combines to make a potent blend, which kept me riveted to the pages of this book.
Roy had done everything right, is successful, married to a beautiful woman, living the American dream- until he is falsely accused of rape and sent to prison.
Celestial finds her comfortable life turned on its axis after Roy is incarcerated. She remains loyal to her husband, but as the years pass, her life continues to move forward, while Roy’s stagnates behind bars, and her feelings for him begin to wane, prompting her to seek comfort from another man.
Meanwhile, lawyers are working round the clock to get show more Roy’s conviction overturned- which miraculously, after serving five years, it is!!
But, Roy, soon learns that easing back into his former life and resuming his marriage with Celestial is easier said than done.
What stands out for me in this novel, are the little nuances. Roy, who opens the dialogue in the first chapter, drew me in with his honesty, and humor, which was occasionally sheepish and self- deprecating, even though I disapproved of some of his actions.
Celestial was, for some reason, a character I found difficult to warm up to at first, but upon reflection, I think her character may have gone through the most productive growth of all.
Celestial’s needs and expectations are different from Roy’s ideals, some of which can be attributed to male/female roles and expectations in a marriage, and others to their own individuality. But, throw in a HUGE live altering test of the marriage and it will either strengthen or fall apart. Which way did things go for Roy and Celestial?
The other timely topics explored have to do with racism and mass incarceration. Prison life is fraught with danger and loneliness, and of course Roy missed his former life, but it was simple things, things we so easily take for granted that makes the bleakness of his situation come alive.
Despite their flaws, and each party has their fair share of them, they were basically ordinary people thrown in an extraordinary circumstance and left to cope with those circumstances as best they could. They were both human, with real needs, desires, hopes, and dreams. Both made excuses, both played the blame game, but both have a bond together they find hard to break free of.
The epistolary parts of the novel were well done, which exposes both the closeness and the awkwardness of the marriage, but also the way time robbed them of the growth marriages need to survive.
The secondary characters were added depth and conflict and were also very well drawn, and equally affected by the outcome of Roy and Celetial's marriage.
While the book is not filled with action or suspense, or even, despite the heaviness of the situation, is it melodramatic, with one exception, that, to be honest, almost had to happen, to break the tension that boiled to the surface. There were a few tense moments that made me pretty uncomfortable, but mostly the author just allowed the characters to flow, to take charge, and dictate the pacing. This approach sounds understated and maybe even underwhelming, but this story was incredibly absorbing, and I have to say the conclusion was surprising- but at the same time- not. Despite some misgivings and mixed emotions about how the characters ended up, overall, I think they may be exactly where they need to be, both as individuals and as a couple. It may be tempting to take sides, but I can’t say I would do better or worse in that same situation, but I did struggle with passing judgments on occasion.
Either way, this is a well written examination of relationships and human foibles, and how otherwise normal, well intentioned, good people face adversity and come out on the other end of it changed, for better or worse.
4 stars show less
Phenomenal.
It started out slow and crept up on me. Celestial and Roy are middle-class black Atlantans who have a turbulent but promising marriage. They haven't really settled in yet, after a year and a half, but they're getting there. And then Roy gets arrested for a crime he didn't commit, is convicted despite good representation, and is sentenced to serve 12 years hundreds of miles away from Celestial.
Roy's imprisonment is the central driver of the story, but Jones doesn't dwell on the details of his incarceration. Instead she spirals both out, looking at the effects on the couple and their family and friends, and in, looking at what it does to their bond. Celestial is firmly in the black bourgeoisie, and she draws on moral and show more financial support from her parents and her best friend Dre. She pursues her career and becomes very successful, growing farther from Roy even as her relationship with him and her feelings for him provide the foundations for her creative success. Roy has his country-bred, modestly placed parents to support him, but they can't do much, and Celestial slowly separates from him.
The toll on Celestial and Roy is revealed through a section comprised entirely of their letters to each other and although it is relatively short, it is riveting. Jones conveys so much so sparely and compactly. After Roy's conviction is overturned the story picks up momentum and action, but the deep characterization gives it layers beyond the personal love triangle as well as the sociological weight of a black woman "failing" to stand by her man. The extent to which African-Americans' personal choices and actions are burdened by their history and their own and their community's expectations are embedded in every word on every page. Roy's innocence doesn't mitigate the stigma of his prison time, and Celestial's need to move on with her life (they are apart much longer than they were together) doesn't mitigate her sense of disloyalty and selfishness (or the condemnations of her actions by those who love her).
The supporting characters are beautifully depicted and a sense of place suffuses the novel. Despite the sadness, the ending is hopeful and earned. The tragedy is in the context and structure, not the characters, who do all they can with the hands they've been dealt. show less
It started out slow and crept up on me. Celestial and Roy are middle-class black Atlantans who have a turbulent but promising marriage. They haven't really settled in yet, after a year and a half, but they're getting there. And then Roy gets arrested for a crime he didn't commit, is convicted despite good representation, and is sentenced to serve 12 years hundreds of miles away from Celestial.
Roy's imprisonment is the central driver of the story, but Jones doesn't dwell on the details of his incarceration. Instead she spirals both out, looking at the effects on the couple and their family and friends, and in, looking at what it does to their bond. Celestial is firmly in the black bourgeoisie, and she draws on moral and show more financial support from her parents and her best friend Dre. She pursues her career and becomes very successful, growing farther from Roy even as her relationship with him and her feelings for him provide the foundations for her creative success. Roy has his country-bred, modestly placed parents to support him, but they can't do much, and Celestial slowly separates from him.
The toll on Celestial and Roy is revealed through a section comprised entirely of their letters to each other and although it is relatively short, it is riveting. Jones conveys so much so sparely and compactly. After Roy's conviction is overturned the story picks up momentum and action, but the deep characterization gives it layers beyond the personal love triangle as well as the sociological weight of a black woman "failing" to stand by her man. The extent to which African-Americans' personal choices and actions are burdened by their history and their own and their community's expectations are embedded in every word on every page. Roy's innocence doesn't mitigate the stigma of his prison time, and Celestial's need to move on with her life (they are apart much longer than they were together) doesn't mitigate her sense of disloyalty and selfishness (or the condemnations of her actions by those who love her).
The supporting characters are beautifully depicted and a sense of place suffuses the novel. Despite the sadness, the ending is hopeful and earned. The tragedy is in the context and structure, not the characters, who do all they can with the hands they've been dealt. show less
(42) Sometimes I think I am too highbrow for books about marriage, courtship, yuppies, etc, in particular if they are endorsed by Oprah or Reese Witherspoon - but I am fooling myself. I read this voraciously and enjoyed it. A young couple is a year into their marriage, still in love, black yuppies in Atlanta from HBCU graduates/families - when Roy is imprisioned for a crime he didn't commit. Not much time is spent on this part of the book - we don't get the race of the accuser or the nitty gritty of the time-line, court case. This is from the black perspective - it happens because it did and does and that's just the way it is. The real story is how Roy, Celestial, their families, and her childhood friend, Andre (who becomes Celestial's show more lover) try to move their lives forward.
The characters all popped off the page, even if the characterizations were a bit Hollywood. I teared up in several places, but it didn't feel gratuitous, it felt genuine. Mostly related to Olive, Roy's mother and the quiet desperation that is the state of most of our lives. I was riveted by the ending when inevitable happens - Roy comes home from prison. Of course, I won't spoil but I thought it was written with just the right amount of dramatic tension and story-telling. There is no way this won't be a movie. The only part of the novel I didn't like was the unlikely coincidence of Roy's, "biological." There were several instances of unlikely occurrences and made for TV movie moments that made this walk a little too close to the 'chick lit' line for me to give a much higher rating.
Anyway, this appears to be the type of novel I am enjoying right now. Nothing too heavy, engaging, well-written. I don't want ponderous literature and self-important non-fiction right now - this was the right book at the right time for me. Once again, shame on me for thinking I am too discerning for a good Oprah heartbreaker. show less
The characters all popped off the page, even if the characterizations were a bit Hollywood. I teared up in several places, but it didn't feel gratuitous, it felt genuine. Mostly related to Olive, Roy's mother and the quiet desperation that is the state of most of our lives. I was riveted by the ending when inevitable happens - Roy comes home from prison. Of course, I won't spoil but I thought it was written with just the right amount of dramatic tension and story-telling. There is no way this won't be a movie. The only part of the novel I didn't like was the unlikely coincidence of Roy's, "biological." There were several instances of unlikely occurrences and made for TV movie moments that made this walk a little too close to the 'chick lit' line for me to give a much higher rating.
Anyway, this appears to be the type of novel I am enjoying right now. Nothing too heavy, engaging, well-written. I don't want ponderous literature and self-important non-fiction right now - this was the right book at the right time for me. Once again, shame on me for thinking I am too discerning for a good Oprah heartbreaker. show less
Race and Marriage
Marriage is challenging enough, what with getting to know a person in the most intimate ways i
maginable (excluding sex), making your way financially as a couple, starting a family, and then holding it all together for the next forty or more years; it’s complicated by a factor of at least ten when the husband lands in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. And, for good measure, toss in being black in a still strongly racially prejudiced America. Could any marriage survive such odds stacked against it? That’s the question asked and answered by Tayari Jones in An American Marriage.
Roy and Celestial meet and marry. They settle in Atlanta. Roy holds some pretty traditional values regarding marriage, and one is that the show more man should provide for the household. This allows Celestial to pursue her artistic dreams; she hand makes bedazzled cloth dolls, mostly in the image of Roy at first. They both have fairly complicated lives and certainly come from different backgrounds. Roy grew up poor, though it didn’t seem that way to him as a child, because he had the love of his father and mother. Celestial grew up in Atlanta, the daughter of affluent parents, due to the success of an invention of her father. She attended the all female Spelman College. He attended the all male Morehouse College, where he had a friend, Andre. Andre grew up next-door to Celestial and through him Roy meets Celestial. All goes well in their marriage (normally rocky at times) until Celestial and Roy drive down to Louisiana to spend Labor Day weekend with his parents. They stay in a motel the first night, where they argue. Roy leaves to gather himself. He helps a white woman get into her room, and later in the night police bust down their door and arrest him for raping the woman. Though innocent, he’s tried and sentenced to fourteen years. You wonder how much is really different about the Old South compared to the New South.
Roy spends five years in prison in Louisiana, while Celestial carries on with her life in Atlanta, building her business, and receiving support from Andre. Jones does a skillful job of giving us a look into Celestial’s and Roy’s lives during these years through the letters they write each other. We not only learn much more about their feelings for each other and their families, but we also understand how Roy’s imprisonment slowly drives a wedge between them. Much transpires—family truths, deaths, romance, and pain—in their lives and those of their families and friends and we gain our understanding of these events through their letters. By the time Roy is exonerated and released his and Celestial’s worlds have changed dramatically, something Roy recognizes but has a very hard time accepting; he wants to pick up where they left off a year and a half into their marriage, but five years is a long time. It’s in the latter part of the novel where choices are made by Roy, Celestial, and Andre that can have different readers arguing over their merits. Some may take particular issue with Roy, viewing his actions and expectations as unreasonable. Then there is Celestial’s reaction to them some may or may not agree with. This feature makes it an ideal book group read.
At its heart, An American Marriage is about trying to make a marriage work under the most stressful conditions imaginable. It’s also about the extra strain racial prejudice places on two people just trying to lead lives most would consider normal. These strains relate directly to being black in America. If two highly educated, highly racially aware, on their way to success individuals can’t escape the consequences of the American racial divide, who can? show less
Marriage is challenging enough, what with getting to know a person in the most intimate ways i
maginable (excluding sex), making your way financially as a couple, starting a family, and then holding it all together for the next forty or more years; it’s complicated by a factor of at least ten when the husband lands in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. And, for good measure, toss in being black in a still strongly racially prejudiced America. Could any marriage survive such odds stacked against it? That’s the question asked and answered by Tayari Jones in An American Marriage.
Roy and Celestial meet and marry. They settle in Atlanta. Roy holds some pretty traditional values regarding marriage, and one is that the show more man should provide for the household. This allows Celestial to pursue her artistic dreams; she hand makes bedazzled cloth dolls, mostly in the image of Roy at first. They both have fairly complicated lives and certainly come from different backgrounds. Roy grew up poor, though it didn’t seem that way to him as a child, because he had the love of his father and mother. Celestial grew up in Atlanta, the daughter of affluent parents, due to the success of an invention of her father. She attended the all female Spelman College. He attended the all male Morehouse College, where he had a friend, Andre. Andre grew up next-door to Celestial and through him Roy meets Celestial. All goes well in their marriage (normally rocky at times) until Celestial and Roy drive down to Louisiana to spend Labor Day weekend with his parents. They stay in a motel the first night, where they argue. Roy leaves to gather himself. He helps a white woman get into her room, and later in the night police bust down their door and arrest him for raping the woman. Though innocent, he’s tried and sentenced to fourteen years. You wonder how much is really different about the Old South compared to the New South.
Roy spends five years in prison in Louisiana, while Celestial carries on with her life in Atlanta, building her business, and receiving support from Andre. Jones does a skillful job of giving us a look into Celestial’s and Roy’s lives during these years through the letters they write each other. We not only learn much more about their feelings for each other and their families, but we also understand how Roy’s imprisonment slowly drives a wedge between them. Much transpires—family truths, deaths, romance, and pain—in their lives and those of their families and friends and we gain our understanding of these events through their letters. By the time Roy is exonerated and released his and Celestial’s worlds have changed dramatically, something Roy recognizes but has a very hard time accepting; he wants to pick up where they left off a year and a half into their marriage, but five years is a long time. It’s in the latter part of the novel where choices are made by Roy, Celestial, and Andre that can have different readers arguing over their merits. Some may take particular issue with Roy, viewing his actions and expectations as unreasonable. Then there is Celestial’s reaction to them some may or may not agree with. This feature makes it an ideal book group read.
At its heart, An American Marriage is about trying to make a marriage work under the most stressful conditions imaginable. It’s also about the extra strain racial prejudice places on two people just trying to lead lives most would consider normal. These strains relate directly to being black in America. If two highly educated, highly racially aware, on their way to success individuals can’t escape the consequences of the American racial divide, who can? show less
I found this exploration of familial relationships beautiful.
This is also a sweeping indictment of the prison industrial complex. So smoothly and artfully done. You absolutely know that Roy's incarceration is an injustice so the novel just explores the very real fall out: for him, his wife, his parents, her parents it just never ends. It seems horrifying that this is a regular destructive force in the lives of everyday black folk.
I love this author's exploration of parent and child relationships. She seems to seamlessly stitch all of these unique and oddly shaped scraps into a gorgeous fabric which is in many ways what a successful family is.
I liked the ending quite a bit.
*****Spoilers******
I think sometimes part of growing up is show more letting go. Not every dream is realized and not every wish is fulfilled. It takes courage to recognize that and take a chance on it. show less
This is also a sweeping indictment of the prison industrial complex. So smoothly and artfully done. You absolutely know that Roy's incarceration is an injustice so the novel just explores the very real fall out: for him, his wife, his parents, her parents it just never ends. It seems horrifying that this is a regular destructive force in the lives of everyday black folk.
I love this author's exploration of parent and child relationships. She seems to seamlessly stitch all of these unique and oddly shaped scraps into a gorgeous fabric which is in many ways what a successful family is.
I liked the ending quite a bit.
*****Spoilers******
I think sometimes part of growing up is show more letting go. Not every dream is realized and not every wish is fulfilled. It takes courage to recognize that and take a chance on it. show less
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Author Information
12+ Works 7,680 Members
Tayari Jones was born on November 30, 1970 in Atlanta Georgia. She attended Spelman College, University of Iowa, and the University of Georgia. She later attended Arizonia State University to earn her MFA. She went on to teach creative writing at the University of Illinois and George Washington University. Her first novel, Leaving Atlanta, was show more written in 2002 while she was a graduate student at Arizonia State University. It was about the Atlanta Child Murders of 1979-1981.Her other title's include: The Untelling, Silver Sparrow, and An American Marriage. She has been awarded the Hurston/Wright Award for College Writers, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Debut Fiction, the Lillian Smith Book Award, and the Radcliffe Institute Fellowship. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Tayari Jones is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Distinctions
The Guardian Book of the Day (2019-07-02)
Oprah's Book Club 2.0 (2018-02 – 2018)
Notable Lists
RUSA CODES Listen List (Listen-Alike – Listen-Alike to “The Vanishing Half: A Novel” by Brit Bennett – 2021)
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- An American Marriage
- Original publication date
- 2018-02-06
- People/Characters
- Roy Othaniel Hamilton; Celestial Gloriana Davenport Hamilton; "Big" Roy McHenry Hamilton; Olive Ann Ingelman Hamilton; Andre "Dre" Maurice Tucker; Franklin Delano Davenport (show all 14); Gloria Celeste Davenport; Othaniel Walter Jenkins; Robert A. Banks; Sylvia Banks; Davina Hardrick; Evie Tucker; Carlos Tucker; Jeanette Tucker
- Important places
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Eloe, Louisiana, USA; Parson Cirrectional Center, Jemison, Louisiana, USA
- Epigraph
- What happens to you doesn't belong to you,
only half concerns you. It's not yours. Not yours only.
--- Claudia Rankine - Dedication
- For my mother's sister, Alma Faye,
and for Maxine & Marcia, my own - First words
- There are two kinds of people in the world, those who leave home, and those who don't.
- Quotations
- But home isn't where you land; home is where you launch. You can't pick your home any more than you can choose your family. In poker, you get five cards. Three of them you can swap out, but two are yours to keep: family and n... (show all)ative land.
She pulled away and walked to my bedroom and closed herself in with a little click of the knob. I could have pursued her. A paper clip could best the catch, but when a woman shuts you out, picking the lock won't let you back ... (show all)in.
You don't know what you need until somebody gives it to you exactly the way you need it gave.
It matters that I didn't grow up with my father. It's kind if like having one leg that's a half inch shorter than the other. You can walk, but there will be a dip. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)This is where I am. Sincerely, Roy
- Publisher's editor
- Adams, Chuck
- Blurbers
- Danticat, Edwidge; Perrotta, Tom; Chabon, Michael; Woodson, Jacqueline; Bloom, Amy
- Original language
- English US
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 4,925
- Popularity
- 2,833
- Reviews
- 283
- Rating
- (3.87)
- Languages
- 12 — Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Portuguese (Portugal)
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 54
- ASINs
- 11
