An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
This well-written novel highlights the African American community in the Southern States and has been chosen by Barack Obama as one of his favourite books.
The story unfolds through the voices of the three main characters: the newly married Roy and Celestial and their mutual friend André, who has known Celestial since infancy. A wrongful arrest results in a long prison sentence for Roy and we see the pair developing separate lives. A series of letters charts the disintegration of their marriage. Celestial finds comfort in André’s support and after three years they become closer. Two years later, Roy’s conviction is overturned. When he returns to see his wife, he has to accept that his marriage has ended.
Despite the inevitability of broken relationships, each character finds a positive way of moving forward and the book ends optimistically. Everyone enjoyed reading this book, finding the people relatable and the subject thought-provoking. A score of 7/10.
Thank you very much Sylvia for hosting an enjoyable evening and providing delicious home-made apricot flapjacks.