An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones is a fabulous novel. I actually found this novel at a Little Free Library in Solana Beach, California last month. This was my first experience reading anything written by Tayari Jones and her writing is engaging and hooks you in immediately. 

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones is such a powerful read that gives readers a different perspective on not only marriage, but  on current racial issues, love, loss, devastation, anger, and how one's world is turned upside down in an instant when someone is falsely accused of a crime and spends time in prison as an innocent person.

The writing is phenomenal for An American Marriage and I found myself feeling a wide range of emotions while reading it as this novel makes you think about many aspects of life in a new way. 

The characters are well developed in An American Marriage and so is the plot. The bulk of the focus is on newlyweds, Celestial and Roy, as they navigate life while Roy spends time in prison for a horrific crime he didn't commit and how this effects his life, their marriage, and the entire family.

I liked many quotes from An American Marriage. Too many quotes to even begin to share here in my review. However, "What happens to you doesn't belong to you, only half concerns you. It's not yours. Not yours only."  - by Claudia Rankine was quote before the novel even started and it was very relevant to this novel.

Below is a video clip of Tayari Jones talking about the inspiration for An American Marriage.

The following is a plot summary for An American Marriage by Tayari Jones from Goodreads:

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 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.

I am giving An American Marriage by Tayari Jones a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!