Reviews with content warning for Abortion - An American Marriage

This story examines modern marriage - what it can handle and what is too much - while touching on what it means to be a black man in America. There are a lot of “this isn’t fair” moments that leave you angry. It leaves you in the end without a clear picture of who’s “side” you’re on - Roy’s, Celestial’s, or even Andre’s.

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gracer0sew's review

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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agznnn's review

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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holly_daze_'s review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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lindsaywolfson's review

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Storytelling from multiple perspectives is a unique gift and one that Tayari Jones has.

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erint251's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Title: An American Marriage
Author: Tayari Jones
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: February 6 2018

T H R E E • W O R D S

Complex • Insightful • Powerful

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Newlyweds, Roy and Celestial, are settling into their new life together - he as a young executive and her with a promising career in the arts. But when Roy is arrested and wrongfully convicted to twelve years in prison for crime he didn't commit, they are torn apart by their circumstances. In Roy's absence, Celestial finds comfort in her childhood friend, Andre, eventually finding herself unable to hold onto the love. When five year's into his sentence, Roy's conviction is over turned, he leaves prison ready to resume their lives together. An exploration of love and marriage, and of race and injustice.

💭 T H O U G H T S

At it's heart An American Marriage is a love story and impossible choices, yet it is also filled with twists and turns. It most certainly was the book I was anticipating, rather it was so much more. The story is narrated through the POVs of the three protagonists, Roy, Celestial, and her childhood friend, Andre; this multi-character narration works brilliantly here. It is a well-crafted story with complex character development, and I was instantly invested in how it would all unfold.

Beyond the plot and beautiful writing, I loved the role both sets of parents played within the story. This portion contributed extra layers to already complex relationship. This isn't just a novel, but a book that asks hard questions, made me think, and opened up dialogue around the foundations of marriage, as well as, injustice and betrayal. The fact that parts of the story are narrated through letters was an added bonus. It drew me into the characters lives even more.

This one started out with 5-star potential, but for some reason I found my interest waning throughout the second half of the book. Despite this, it is a thought-provoking book that truly reflects the complexities of relationships and marriage, with a powerful messages surrounding the injustices Black people face. There's no doubt in my mind that Tayari is an incredibly talented writer, and I will keeping an eye out for more of her work.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• bookclubs
• readers looking for an exploration of marriage and injustice
• fans of Ask Again, Yes and/or We Are Not Like Them

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"This is what it must be like to be married to a widow. You give her bandages for her wounds; you offer comfort when memories sneak up and she cries for what looks like no reason. When she reminisces about that past, you don't remind her of the things she has chosen not to recollect, all the while telling yourself that it's unreasonable to be jealous of a dead man."

"But home isn’t where you land; home is where you launch. You can’t pick your home any more than you can choose your family. In poker, you get five cards. Three of them you can swap out, but two are yours to keep: family and native land."

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bandysbooks's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A frustrating look into how wrongfu incarceration can affect a family. This book will leave you frustrated and angry.

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