A review by jayisreading
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

An American Marriage was a novel with many moving parts to craft wonderfully complex—but also frustrating—Black American characters to explore key components of a relationship (romantic or otherwise): love, duty, trust, communication, and more. It’s an exploration of the successes and, in many cases, failures to uphold these values. Primarily through Roy, Celestial, and Andre, Jones asks to what degree do we have power and commitment to maintain our relationships. The answer, as it turns out, is a really messy one for the three main characters.

While Jones focuses primarily on relationships, she also acknowledges that there are layers to what can impact these ties. The main one is that system racism is ever-present, even if it isn’t explicitly acknowledged. This is accomplished in this book with much of the plot centering the effects of the wrongful incarceration of Roy. Another one that I found particularly interesting was class privilege, especially within the Black community, and the night-and-day difference money can make in their lives. I should mention that this book deeply and unapologetically centers Blackness and Black American voices, which I really appreciated.

That being said, I have to admit that I didn’t feel I was the intended audience. It’s possible that me being non-Black played a role. However, I think it’s because this book centers romantic relationships that this book didn’t really click with me. I don’t care very much about romance in books; it’s fine if it appears, but I lose interest if it’s the main point. Despite this, I still felt that there’s a lot to appreciate about this book, and I fully recognize what was done well. 
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