American Marriage, An : A Novel
Author(s): Tayari Jones
OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB 2018 SELECTION
One of the most anticipated novels of 2018 according to Entertainment Weekly * Goodreads * Esquire * Elle * Cosmopolitan *BBC * Huffington Post * Bustle * Southern Living * Newsday * Bookish * Nylon * iBooks Store
“Transcendent . . . Triumphant . . . Gorgeous.”—Elle
“A stunning epic love story . . . An exquisite, timely, and powerful novel that feels both urgent and indispensable.”—Edwidge Danticat
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. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.
This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward--with hope and pain--into the future.
Review(s):
“Jones writes with such companionable intelligence.”
“A tense and timely love story. Told in letters and from alternating perspectives, packed with brave questions about race and class, An American Marriage is the perfect book-club book—one the whole group will finish and discuss with conviction.”
“Breathtaking. . . . Through her indelible characters, Jones masterfully probes denial and the ways it slowly seeps into the cracks and crevices of a shaky marriage until at last, it fully embodies it.”
“Readers of An American Marriage will discover a bold, big Southern story to match its ambitious title.”
“Exquisite. . . . Jones’ writing is honey-rich, every word encapsulating the taste of the South.”
“Tayari Jones has emerged as one of the most important voices of her generation.”
“Epic . . . transcendent, triumphant . . . Jones . . . is a genius at tackling big-picture subjects such as love, identity, race, loyalty, and injustice. Jones’s deft story pacing and breathtaking language make An American Marriage one of 2018’s best novels.”
“The radiantly talented Tayari Jones has written a deeply beautiful and painful novel that examines the crush of false imprisonment through An American Marriage.”
“Jonses’ fourth and best novel. . . . Celestial is Jones’ finest creation to date. . . . True to its title, An American Marriage speaks universal truths, even as its author and characters never forget who they are and where they’re from.”
“Powerful. . . . In our greatest tragedies, there is the feeling of no escape—and when the storytelling is just right, we feel consumed by the heartbreak.”
Hudson Booksellers Book of the Year, International Dublin Literary Award, New York Times Notable, Women's Prize for Fiction, A New York Public Library Best Book for Adults, Goodreads Choice Awards, Oprah Magazine Favorite Book, Kirkus Best of for Up-to-the-Minute Fiction
ISBN: 9781443456951