Review of "An American Marriage" by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was chosen for a book discussion group held in my library. This book wouldn't have been something that I would've gravitated to on my own. My co-worker suggested we add it to the list of 2019 titles and upon reading the description of the novel, I was intrigued. I was drawn in from the beginning of the book to Jones's style of writing. This novel was written in the first person from the point of views of three characters; Roy, a husband who after one year of marriage is falsely accused and convicted to 12 years of prison for committing a rape of another woman; Celestial, Roy's wife of one year when he is sentenced to prison and has to grapple with what to do next; and Andre, Celestial's childhood friend and Roy's college roommate who steps into Roy's place in his absence. The novel revolves around this love triangle and how this prison sentence affects each of their lives. The overarching theme of this book is definitely the treatment of black men in law and order in America. This topic is so timely with other books and documentaries such as "The 13th" released within the past few years. We, as the reader, are left to decide what course of action was "right" for these characters. After being exonerated and released from prison 5 years into his sentence, Roy returns to his wife expecting to continue on in his marriage, despite her silence in communication the past 2 years. I think that Jones could've been clearer in Roy and Celestial's marriage prior to the arrest. Also, the trial itself wasn't covered enough in my opinion. Overall, I thought that this book was a glimpse into the impact that racial profiling can have on a young couple and their families.

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