An American Marriage
Book - 2018
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9781616201340
1616201347
Opinion
From Library Staff
From Library Staff
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 imagi... Read More »
Discussing online via zoom January 27, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. (The eBook is available on Hoopla too.)
Discuss January 13, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. - Author! Author! New York Times bestselling writer Tayari Jones is the author of four novels. Her most recent release, An American Marriage, was an Oprah's Book Club Selection and appeared on Barack Obama's summer reading list as well as his year-end roundu... Read More »
Discussing on January 19, 2021 via Zoom. Zoom meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/95152365987
At the heart of “An American Marriage” is an old-school love triangle. The main characters are surrounded by mothers and fathers who have each come from unstable relationships: divorce, cheating, and love triangles of their own. With that setup, it is no wonder that the main stories love triangle... Read More »
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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 CommentThis 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.
https://electricliterature.com/46-books-by-women-of-color-to-read-in-2018/
"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.