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An American Marriage
eBook - 2018
"Newlyweds Celestial and Roy, the living embodiment of the New South, are settling into the routine of their life together when Roy is sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. An insightful look into the lives of people who are bound and separated by forces beyond their control"-- Provided by publisher.
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Publisher:
Chapel Hill, North Carolina : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2018.
ISBN:
9781616207601
Characteristics:
1 online resource
text file
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A look at the personal toll of the criminal justice system when a husband is wrongly convicted of a crime
Celestial and Roy are newlyweds when Roy is falsely imprisoned for a horrible crime he did not commit. They must weather the turmoil of being separated and still trying to be a family. This book is moving and beautiful and puts a face on tough choices and the flaws in America's prison system.
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ArapahoeTina
Feb 20, 2020
I don’t believe that blood makes a family; kin is the circle you create, hands held tight.
ArapahoeTina
Feb 20, 2020
There should be a word for this, the way it feels to steal something that’s already yours.
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Add a CommentHighly recommend!!
This was a good, fast, entertaining read.
I had heard rave reviews on this book, and found it mediocre. I couldn't love or get connected to any of the characters. Although the story line was great, it was just an average read for me.
One of the most compelling reads I have encountered. This book will have you frustrated at one moment and elated at the next. A great examination of race and marriage in the US.
"Love is not love/ Which alters when it alteration finds...O no! it is an ever-fixed mark/ That looks on tempests and is never shaken..." In my former life as a teacher, Sonnet 116 was my exemplar of figurative language and emotional intensity. The poem is beautiful to read aloud, its aspirations daunting, even unattainable.
Tayari Jones's love story [and social commentary] is tragic because the characters pursue Shakespeare's lofty ideals but are relegated to reality. After Roy is wrongly imprisoned, Celestial's letters convey her ongoing love and loyalty to him. As years pass, she must quietly grapple with her fading feelings, the shame of accepting the relationship's end, and the complications caused by Roy's early release.
Each character's perspective is relatable, authentic, and causes the reader to question whether love can and should always be born out "even to the edge of doom."
Racial injustice and false imprisonment test the limits of what a relationship can endure.
Beautifully well written and packed with emotion, heartbreak, and injustice, Jones invites readers to examine the marriage of Roy and Celestial, two newlyweds barely into their second year of marriage when they are ripped apart by an unjust legal system that deems Roy a criminal. Facing a 12-year sentence, Roy and Celestial struggle to maintain their relationship and are facing an uncertain future when Roy is released back into society seven years early. Rather than portray a rosy ending, Jones promotes realism, examining the ties that bind us and the choices that we all make
Innocent black jailed for rape. Not for book club
What happens to a relationship when someone is wrongly incarcerated? This powerful novel delves into the aftermath of such a tragedy, providing an unforgettable narrative and complex characters.
Tayari Jones does an excellent job of writing complicated characters. You'll find lots to discuss and ponder while you read this.