An American Marriage

by Tayari Jones

“I have one thing to say to you, as a black man: Roy is a hostage of the state. He is a victim of America. The least you could do is unhand his wife when he gets back.”

“What’s all this Mr. Davenport this, Mr. Davenport that. This ain’t complicated. You want this man to come home after five years in the state penitentiary for some bullshit he didn’t even do, and you want him to come back and see his wife with your little ring on her finger and you talking about you love her?

It was just the wrong race and the wrong time. Police are shady as hell. That’s why everybody is locked up.”

‘Accident of birth is the number one predictor of happiness.’