Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “An American Marriage” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

An American Marriage

Tayari Jones (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 116,811 ratings · 12,304 reviews

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. In this deft exploration of love, loyalty, race, justice, and both Black ...more

Get A Copy

Or buy for

Hardcover, 308 pages

Published February 6th 2018 by Algonquin Books (first published January 29th 2018)

More Details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about An American Marriage, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Books of 2018

1,197 books — 2,039 voters

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

2018: What Women Born In The 1970s Read In 2018

7,005 books — 851 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

really liked it 4.00 ·

Rating details

· 116,811 ratings · 12,304 reviews

Filter

Sort order

Feb 22, 2018 Emily May rated it it was amazing

Shelves: modern-lit, mma-2018, botm, 2018

Much of life is timing and circumstance, I see that now.

I know it's still early, but I've got a feeling this is going to be one of my favourite reads of 2018. It is a powerful, subtle, sad tale about the criminal justice system in America, and the personal, long-term consequences of its injustices.

There's a lot of discussion, articles and fiction looking at race-based injustice in the prison system of the United States. Most of these focus on racial-profiling of young black men, and how juries are more likely to convict a black man than a white man when presented with the same evidence. An American Marriage, though, does something a bit different.

While race - specifically, being a black American - is one of the major pillars of the novel, it is not so much the focus as the stage on which this tale of love, marriage and loyalty plays out. Instead of looking at the injustice itself, the novel turns to the far-reaching consequences of it - how lives are turned upside down and relationships fall apart as a result. It is driven by complex and fascinating character drama, moving between the perspectives of the entirely non-white cast to create a character portrait that is both broad and deep.

Roy is a hard-working, entrepreneurial black man who has clawed his way out of a working-class background, earned a scholarship to college, and married a middle-class artist, Celestial. Next step: starting a family together. Then, during a trip back home to Louisiana, Roy is accused and convicted of a crime he didn't commit.

As the first person narrative gives way to an epistolary format during Roy's time in prison, we see how Roy's incarceration drives a wedge between him and Celestial. An American Marriage asks us to consider what it really means to be married, and whether there comes a point when loyalty can no longer be expected.

We are ultimately reminded that injustices against innocent black men are injustices against many others - the wives or husbands, the mothers and fathers, and the friends who love them. Jones sheds a haunting light on the all-encompassing nature of racial injustice. It is extremely effective.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube ...more

flag 894 likes · Like · see review

Mar 25, 2018 Meredith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I can’t say that I loved An American Marriage. What I can say, is that it made me think deeply about human nature, love, and, of course, marriage.

This is a thought-provoking, well-written, depth-filled character study about a marriage on the brink.

Celestial and Roy, a young couple from Atlanta, have been married for just over a year when Roy is arrested and sentenced to 12 years in jail. Will their marriage survive their separation or will they be able to withstand Roy’s incarceration? The b ...more

flag 562 likes · Like · see review

Feb 10, 2018 Ashley rated it it was ok

Shelves: 02-star, 2018, library

2.5 stars

I know this book is getting a lot of buzz and it was Oprah's Book Club pick so I had really high hopes but it didn't really work for me. I started to give it 3 stars but after thinking more on it I just couldn't. For me, a 3-star rating means that overall I enjoyed the book. However, this book just didn't rise to that level.

I'll start with what I did like. I liked how the author weaved in the complexities of being a successful black American. Roy was a rising business executive but bec ...more

flag 426 likes · Like · see review

Feb 20, 2018 Larry H rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars, rounded up.

For the latest resurrection of her book club, Oprah chose Tayari Jones' latest novel, An American Marriage. Raw, powerful, full of searing emotion, this is a book which speaks not only to the relationship between man and woman, husband and wife, but it touches on the bond between parents and their children, even in adulthood, and the mercurial nature of life.

"Love makes a place in your life, it makes a place for itself in your bed. Invisibly, it makes a place in your body, rerouting all your blood vessels, throbbing right alongside your heart. When it's gone, nothing is whole again."

Celestial and Roy first meet in college, he being the somewhat-smooth acquaintance of her childhood friend, Andre. Although Roy is attracted to Celestial almost instantaneously, she's less impressed with him. But when they meet again a few years later in New York, the two fall in love. Roy is drawn to her creativity and her fierce sense of independence, while she is impressed that he knows just what he wants from life, including her.

The two settle in Atlanta. Roy starts becoming a successful sales executive, while Celestial's art career is on the verge of taking off. Their marriage isn't without its bumps, as the couple starts talking about whether or not to have a baby. But one night, everything changes. Roy is accused of committing a crime Celestial knows he is innocent of, and he is sentenced to a 12-year prison sentence.

"Looking back on it, it's like watching a horror flick and wondering why the characters are so determined to ignore the danger signs. When a spectral voice says, get out, you should do it. But in real life, you don't know that you're in a scary movie. You think your wife is being overly emotional. You quietly hope that it's because she's pregnant, because a baby is what you need to lock this thing in and throw away the key."

Celestial doesn't know how to deal with a husband in prison, and she's not sure she knows how to be alone. Although she loves Roy, she starts spending more and more time with Andre, who has loved her from afar (and closer than that) for as long as he can remember. Roy struggles with the idea of spending 12 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, and finds it difficult to be so isolated as the outside world keeps marching on. He vacillates between wanting Celestial to wait the 12 years for him and wanting her to go on with her life.

Five years into his sentence, Roy is unexpectedly released. He finds that life is very different in so many ways, even just five years later. He is unsure what to expect from his marriage—although he and Celestial had difficult times while he was in prison, she never filed for divorce, so he wonders if he has a chance to resume their life together. She is caught between the love she knew, the one she felt tethered to, and the love that gives her security she has always craved. But which one is right for her?

Narrated in alternating chapters by Roy, Celestial, and Andre, An American Marriage is a searing portrait of the ragged ways we fall in and out of love. Jones is such a talented writer, and you actually feel the same dilemmas faced by her characters. She has such an ear for dialogue, for capturing emotion, and for showing how our relationships can both make us feel safe and make us come undone.

As complex as these characters are, none of them are completely sympathetic, and Jones doesn't force you to choose a side in this struggle. There was an instance when I thought the plot would veer into utter melodrama and tread a path I've seen too many times, but Jones showed some restraint, thankfully. I wasn't sure if I liked any of the characters fully, but I was still utterly engrossed in their lives.

"You can never really unlove somebody. Maybe it changes shape, but it's there."

This book really was excellent. It makes you think while it tugs at your emotions, and that felt very fulfilling. And once again, this book proves Oprah knows how to pick 'em.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.

...more

flag 255 likes · Like · see review

Mar 22, 2018 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing

Update: 2018 National Book Awards: Fiction
Another great choice pick this year!!!

SMALL UPDATE: I said I would come back and write a more complete review... but a few comments in here have inspired and encouraged me ... to perhaps leave this review alone.
So.., I’ll only add a couple of things.
Sharing First: it’s funny - what happens to our minds when we move on right away to reading other books after a deep thought- provoking read...
It’s like ADDING more children to the family - expanding our h ...more

flag 233 likes · Like · see review

Feb 24, 2018 Julie rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, contemporary-fiction, e-book, fiction-literature, axis360

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones is a 2018 Algonquin Books publication.

Well drawn characterizations and a thought provoking and timely topic combines to make a potent blend, which kept me riveted to the pages of this book.

Roy had done everything right, is successful, married to a beautiful woman, living the American dream- until he is falsely accused of rape and sent to prison.

Celestial finds her comfortable life turned on its axis after Roy is incarcerated. She remains loyal to her husban ...more

flag 222 likes · Like · see review

Feb 10, 2018 Brandice rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Is it possible that in mid-February I’ve already read my favorite book of 2018? An American Marriage was outstanding. Not only did I immediately become hooked and stay invested in the story, the quality of the writing was pure excellence.

A newlywed couple, Roy and Celestial, are early on in their marriage when Roy is sentenced to 12 years in jail for a crime he did not commit. This changes the course of their lives and feelings, and the story unfolds from here. Roy’s conviction is overturned 5 ...more

flag 204 likes · Like · see review

Jan 09, 2018 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it

Roy has done the best he could with the life he was given. Now married to Celestial, a young woman with dreams of her own, are traveling to meet his parents for the first time. The visit will prove less than successful, and a terrible miscarriage of Justice will occur that will detail their young lives and marriage.

These are characters to that one wants to root for, wants things to turn out well for them. Of course, life seldom works that way, things change, circumstances beyond ones control int ...more

flag 170 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2018 JanB rated it liked it

Shelves: book-of-the-month, book-club

Edited 9/20 to add: My book club discussed this last night and while not everyone loved the book (but no one disliked it), it made for a lively and interesting discussion. I'd highly recommend for book clubs.

I’m afraid I’m in the outlier club with this one.

What I liked:
- The writing is gorgeous. 4-5 stars for the beauty of the prose. Plus the author writes in a way that sounds like the way real people think and talk
- The letters Celestial and Roy exchanged
- How one unfortunate tragic event, unf ...more

flag 165 likes · Like · see review

Jan 19, 2018 Debbie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: couple-love-and-hate, 2018-best-reads

One sock officially knocked off!!! (equals 4.5 rounded up up up!)

I look a little funny on my pogo stick (yes, this is a pogo stick kind of book) since I have just one sock on, but I have my reasons, really I do. The reason is that there was a slump for me in the middle of the story, so that one sock just held onto my foot like nobody’s business. But it was a short-lived slump, and the beginning and the end of the book are so insanely powerful, the other sock almost flew off my other foot. Since ...more

flag 175 likes · Like · see review

Apr 19, 2018 Lindsay - Traveling Sister rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 stars! This was a beautifully written, thought-provoking, slow burn novel that crept its way into my heart, settling deep within my bones. I will be thinking of these characters long after finishing this book.

This story follows Roy and Celestial, a young newlywed couple who have a passionate and impetuous relationship – loving deeply and arguing stubbornly. They are from different “worlds”, but have found an explosive love and connection with one another. Less than two years after getting marr ...more

flag 164 likes · Like · see review

May 17, 2018 Angela M rated it really liked it

One of the things I liked the most about this novel is that a portion of the book is comprised of letters, mostly between Roy while in prison for a crime he didn’t commit and his wife Celestial. Letter writing seems like it’s from a bygone time and I never feel as if e-mail and certainly not texts adequately reflect the intimate picture of ourselves that a hand written letter does. This is not just about the intimate look at this one relationship, but it’s about their families and their pasts. O ...more

flag 142 likes · Like · see review

Feb 17, 2018 Ashley Gallegos rated it did not like it

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why people like this book. If it weren’t for Oprah loving it, I honestly do not think people would buy it. There was no plot and it is the most boring book I’ve ever read. Basically if you read the synopsis, you’ve read all the “exciting” parts and know the entire plot. It’s technically an easy read but boring overall. I powered through to finish it since it has so many positive reviews, with the hopes that it would suddenly turn around or have an amazing ...more

flag 134 likes · Like · see review

Apr 25, 2018 Linda rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

"I feel like I need and need and need and it's wearing a hole in the fabric."

Celestial and Roy's marriage is just breaking ground as a young seedling when the earth ravages the soil and the fissures play havoc with such gentle growth. Roy has been accused of a rape that he did not commit. His kindness to a down-and-out woman has spun around on him. No matter how many times that Celestial recants the story that Roy was with her all night, the court hears otherwise. Roy will serve his time....twel "I feel like I need and need and need and it's wearing a hole in the fabric."

Celestial and Roy's marriage is just breaking ground as a young seedling when the earth ravages the soil and the fissures play havoc with such gentle growth. Roy has been accused of a rape that he did not commit. His kindness to a down-and-out woman has spun around on him. No matter how many times that Celestial recants the story that Roy was with her all night, the court hears otherwise. Roy will serve his time....twelve years to be exact.

Tayari Jones weaves her story through a series of powerful letters written back and forth between the married couple after Roy is incarcerated. You readily feel the depth of the devastation wrought upon these two as evidenced by this jarring correspondence that reveals an ebb and flow of intensifying and waning emotions swept up in this remorseful stew. Jones packs her dialogue with the razor edge of bitter consequences of life that will alter these two individuals forever. "You've got to work with the God you were given."

Jones' prose will rest heavily upon you. It is raw, pulls-no-punches, and is, without question, painfully brutal in its telling. She seems to ask us just how much velocity from the violent storms of life can we tolerate before completely shattering? Is it possible to cleave to one another when time and place separate us so radically? At first, Celestial believes that love can change its shape. Roy ponders this exceedingly. And, furthermore, do we both see the same images anymore in the darkness and stillness of night that has visited upon us? Perhaps and perhaps not.

You will sit with this one for a while after reading the last page. No cookie-cutter ending here.....just reality served up with plenty of forks in the road. Some expected and some maybe not. Life rumbles in and the aftermath is not always planned beautifully and gracefully in the stars. We just do, folks, under completely different constellations this time. Highly recommend this one. ...more

flag 128 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2018 Kelli rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio

Nothing is ever over.

This was beautiful. This was a slow roil. A story told with realistic dialogue. A story littered with metaphors. A story sprinkled with wisdom.

I listened to the audio and it was sublime...so gorgeous were the cadence and rhythm that I was often mesmerized, wrapped up in the story and swept away by what felt like a foreign language and a different culture. Highly recommend. 4.75 stars

flag 122 likes · Like · see review

Mar 25, 2018 Barry Pierce rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 21st-century, read-in-2018

I decided to pick up An American Marriage because Tayari Jones has a fun instagram. Also in her By The Book in the New York Times she recounts that she once accepted a gig in Dubai just because the flight gave her nineteen uninterrupted hours of reading time. I love that. She seems like such a fun and likeable person. Therefore it really does hurt to write that An American Marriage savagely disappointed me.

The novel concerns a married couple, Roy and Celestial, who live a fairly normal life unti ...more

flag 99 likes · Like · see review

Feb 24, 2018 Tia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 7-cloudlibrary, black-fiction-literature, listened

That ending...

Writing- 4 stars
Characters- 3 stars
Language- 3 stars
Plot/Concept- 2 stars

Ugh! Those people exhaust me. Only the parents and Davina were likable. Can't forget about the Uncle who helped Roy. I didn't like Celestial's mother either.

flag 99 likes · Like · see review

May 06, 2018 Cheri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, library-book, georgia, louisiana, prison

”When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold

“And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

“I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up”
--”I Won’t Give Up,” Jason Mraz, Songwriters: Jason Mraz, Michael Natter

Roy is a young man living in Atlanta, born and raised in Eloe, Louisiana, but Atlanta is where he raised himself from b ...more

flag 101 likes · Like · see review

Jun 26, 2018 Justin rated it really liked it

I had never heard of this book. This kind of thing would never really be on my radar anyway. I don’t read a lot of books about marriage, relationships, love, etc.

But, listen, when Oprah tells you to read something, you read it. That’s just how the world works.

I remember that fateful day, sitting on my couch, watching The Today Show or something like that. They kept teasing the big reveal of Oprah’s new book club book. Coming up right after the break. Coming up right after this. We will be right I had never heard of this book. This kind of thing would never really be on my radar anyway. I don’t read a lot of books about marriage, relationships, love, etc.

But, listen, when Oprah tells you to read something, you read it. That’s just how the world works.

I remember that fateful day, sitting on my couch, watching The Today Show or something like that. They kept teasing the big reveal of Oprah’s new book club book. Coming up right after the break. Coming up right after this. We will be right back with the new Oprah thing. Oprah coming up. Stay turned for a book. Books coming right up. Oprah. Book club. Read. Oprah. Stay tuned. Don’t move. Hang in there. Right after this. After these messages. Here we go!

Finally, after what felt like hours of weight loss tips, ways to get organized, gardening, Donald Trump, weather, and summer fashion, this book was revealed. I was so disappointed. First of all, I don’t even know why I cared in the first place. When I heard what the book was about I was not enthused and rolled like a sloth off of the couch on to the floor. I just laid there in a daze for a while, and then I found a way to carry on with the rest of my day.

Later that week, I walked into the library and there was An American Marriage right there in an American library for an American to read. So I checked it out. And I didn’t read it.

Recently, I found the audiobook on my trusty Overdrive app so I downloaded it. This time I actually followed through and listened to it. I listened to the first half in one day, took a break, and listened to the second had today.

And, hey, I really enjoyed listening to it. I had honestly forgotten about the plot so as the book jumped around in the early chapters I was legitimately surprised. It took so abrupt turns that kept me engaged, and the conflict between the handful of characters in the story felt real and emotional and raw. Everything kind of slowly builds up and explodes in the end, but I honestly found myself caught up in the story he whole time.

Shout out to Oprah for bringing this to my attention.

...more

flag 100 likes · Like · see review

May 13, 2018 Susanne Strong rated it really liked it

4 Compelling Stars.

Marriage, on its own is a complicated venture. Throw in anything else and Kapow! Everyone always says that first year of marriage is the hardest. For Celestial and Roy, nothing will prepare them for what is to come. Madly in love, they think they can conquer the world. Such wishful thinking. After being married for a year, Roy gets arrested for a crime he didn’t commit and is sentenced to twelve years in Prison. Twelve years. What a great start to their marriage. Initially, Ce ...more

flag 102 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2018 karen marked it as to-read

just a reminder that this list exists. i haven't updated it for 2019 because i have become overwhelmed by life's challenges, but perhaps it can be of use until i am better equipped to handle my shizz.

**************************************

it's probably far too late in the month to be of use to anyone making black history month displays, but i made this list over on riffle if anyone's interested, because even if you're not entrusted with display-making, it's a handy list of books for reading any m ...more

flag 96 likes · Like · see review

Mar 22, 2018 Liz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-2018

Celestial and Roy have only been married a bit over a year when he’s found guilty of a crime. Roy isn’t a saint. Celestial discovers he’s already cheated on her on their first anniversary. But he is innocent of the crime.

In the blink of an eye, they go from living “that Huxtable life” to Roy being in prison.

The author gets certain things exactly right, like being caught between a parent and a spouse. And how little we really know about our spouse when we go into marriage. Prison forces Celesti ...more

flag 96 likes · Like · see review

Apr 17, 2018 Karen rated it it was amazing

4.5 rounded up for this novel, an Oprah book selection! Oprah has never let me down with her book choices!

A terrible racial injustice has occurred that rips apart the marriage of a black couple, Roy and Celestial after only a year of marriage. The storytelling is stellar and the characters are just so real.
Very moving! Recommended!

flag 99 likes · Like · see review

Apr 21, 2018 PorshaJo rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, challengereads, challengereads-2018

Rating 4.5

At the heart of this one is the story of Celestial and Roy. They are a young married couple with so much ahead of them. I would not say they had the perfect marriage or knew what marriage is really about in the beginning. They had money, good jobs, a promising life together, and then it was all shattered.

This is a in-depth story told from the point of view of both Celestrial and Roy and their friend, Andre. It also includes letters between them interweaving them into the story. Celestr Rating 4.5

At the heart of this one is the story of Celestial and Roy. They are a young married couple with so much ahead of them. I would not say they had the perfect marriage or knew what marriage is really about in the beginning. They had money, good jobs, a promising life together, and then it was all shattered.

This is a in-depth story told from the point of view of both Celestrial and Roy and their friend, Andre. It also includes letters between them interweaving them into the story. Celestrial comes from money, her parents have money. Roy does not come from money, his parents seem to struggle. But Roy pushes himself in college and finally has a good high paying job. On a trip to see Roy's family, Celestrial and Roy decide to stay at hotel overnight. During this time, Roy is accused of rape - no spoiler here. He didn't do it, but is sent to prison for 12 years. His crime itself is not central in the story. It's never discussed other than he is sent to prison. And here you see how this impacts the marriage of Celestrial and Roy. It is such a wonderful, character driven novel. You see the struggles they face while Roy is incarcerated. You see from both points of view. You get the back story of their lives and how they met. Then, after years of his lawyer fighting his case, the lawyer being paid for by Celestrial's parents, he is freed. After 5 years away, he's ready to return home, to his wife, to his previous life. But that's just it...it WAS his *previous* life. Everything is different now. Celestrial has found comfort in the arms of their friend Andre. And after all this time, no one is the same person.

I really enjoyed this one. I listened to the audio version and the narrators did a wonderful job. I felt that Roy and Celestrial were telling me their story. I was so immersed into this one and kept listening to more and more cause I had to hear how it would end, but I didn't want it to end. I was initially drawn by cover love, then I was sucked into by the wonderful story. I did not know who this author was but you can bet I'll be reading more by her. Why not a 5...well, I'm stingy. But the very end, the epilogue just went off the rails a bit for me. And one other item kinda threw me off. Finally, I would not read this one again. Don't get me wrong, I really liked it and would suggest to anyone to read. It's just, I know what happens. I'm so glad I read this and I'm sure I will be thinking of it for some time. ...more

flag 95 likes · Like · see review

Sep 06, 2018 Justin Tate rated it it was amazing

The strongest writing I've read in a while. Witty in all the right places. Rich characters. The plot isn't ultra-memorable but I have the feeling it's going to haunt me the more I think about it. There's a lot of overt conflict, internal and external, but the ever-present social subtext is what makes it art. Glad I didn't miss it!

flag 92 likes · Like · see review

Mar 11, 2018 Erin rated it really liked it

Recommended to Erin by: La Tonya Jordan

Shelves: audio-books, books-i-own

Audiobook performed by Sean Crisden & Eisa Davis 9h

I really enjoyed the performance of these narrators as they breathe life into Tayari Jones' story. They definitely kept me riveted to my seat as the triple narrative between Celestial, Roy, and Andre unfolded. Given the title, the central story really is about this couple's marriage-their courtship and all that comes after. It was all the family relationships that convinced me this book was a solid 4 star rating. Oh and how I loved both B ...more

flag 87 likes · Like · see review

Dec 15, 2018 Carol (Bookaria) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, fiction

A compelling and complex novel. I was captivated from beginning to end!

Roy and Celestial are young and successful, he is an executive and she is an artist. They have been married for 1 1/2 years when a life-changing event happens that will test their marriage. The book explores the meaning of marriage, love, sacrifice, and resilience in the face of injustice.

The story is narrated in alternating points of view and takes place (mostly) in Atlanta, Georgia. The strength of this novel lies in its c ...more

flag 84 likes · Like · see review

Nov 13, 2017 Jessica Woodbury rated it really liked it

Shelves: authors-of-color, arc, best-2018-arcs

If you can, read this without knowing anything about it. It won't be destroyed if you know the hook, but the first section will lose a bit of its grip and its grip is fantastic. (Yes, this includes the summary at the top of the Goodreads page. Sorry.)

This is a book about marriage and the very specific kind of loyalty it asks us to give. Is that loyalty a fair thing to ask? Is it right? What circumstances excuse breaking this bond?

Celestial and Roy face their own unique set of struggles and priv ...more

flag 80 likes · Like · see review

Apr 28, 2018 Erin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-club, oprah-s-book-club, bookriot-challenge-2018, popsugar-challenge-2018, april-2018, favorites, 2018-around-the-year-in-52-books, best-of-2018

An American Marriage is my first Tayari Jones novel but it won't be my last. I had my doubts going in because Oprah tends to choose sad and depressing books for her bookclub and given the subject matter I feared An American Marriage would be sad, depressing and anger inducing.

I'm happy to report that An American Marriage beautifully written, honest, heartbreaking but ultimately its a story of hope. Ms. Jones has created not fictional characters but real people. I recognized Celestial, Andre &am ...more

flag 86 likes · Like · see review

Feb 11, 2018 Marialyce rated it really liked it

4 sad beautiful written stars

Some say the hardest job in the world is being a parent, while others say the hardest job is being married. Working together for a lifetime can bring a couple much happiness or it can be a wedge that grows deeper each day and festers until that marriage is over. However, in the case of Roy and Celestrial, newly married, their life takes a most unhappy turn when Roy is accused of rape. Roy is innocent, but Roy is black so he is automatically assumed to be guilty even ...more

flag 79 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Black History Month - Favorite books by Black Authors	3	18	Mar 11, 2019 01:57PM
Reading Women: February - An American Marriage	10	106	Mar 10, 2019 06:48AM
Fox Book Club: Best Fiction	5	254	Jan 19, 2019 04:18PM
Oregon Public Lib...: An American Marriage [Feb 2019]	1	6	Jan 19, 2019 09:05AM

Readers Also Enjoyed

Genres

Fiction

2,040 users

Contemporary

498 users

See top shelves…

About Tayari Jones

Tayari Jones

3,805 followers

Tayari Jones is the author of the novels Leaving Atlanta, The Untelling, Silver Sparrow, and An American Marriage (Algonquin Books, February 2018). Her writing has appeared in Tin House, The Believer, The New York Times, and Callaloo. A member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, she has also been a recipient of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Co ...more