An American Marriage- Tayari Jones

Relationships are indeed complex- especially the one between a man and woman. Tayari Jones forms the basis of her novel – An American Marriage- on these lines. The book has been praised across various platforms for the sensitivity it brings in its plot. It also won the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

The plot focusses on the marriage between Roy and Celestial- both middle class hardworking Afro-Americans who suddenly find their lives torn apart when Roy gets wrongly convicted for a crime he did not commit. The sudden turn of events in their lives impacts them deeply and their future begins to take an altogether different form- one that both seldom imagined it would be.

Getting to the Plot

Roy a textbook company sales representative and Celestial an artist specializing in custom made baby dolls are just another young couple in Atlanta. Married for a year they share a cordial relationship, with occasional bouts of arguments that is so a part of most marriages. On a particular night in Louisiana a women is raped and she believes Roy is the one who raped her. Despite being innocent Roy is sentence to 12 years in prison.  

The book picks up from this point. With turmoil in both minds, the two express themselves through letters they write to each other during the sentence period. Roy’s growing frustration is evident as Celestial’s artist career takes off. Slowly the distance between them grows and after three years Celestial tells Roy that she no longer wishes to be his wife. At this point in time Celestial finds herself falling in love with her childhood best friend Andre. Soon Roy’s case is overturned by the local District Authority and he is all set to be released. And then begins a crises that both must face. Would Roy and Celestial rework on their marriage, putting their distances away? Or would the two chart the course of their future in their own way?

An American Marriage is the story of these two individuals, both from different worlds, yet loving and arguably stubborn.

“Much of life is timing and circumstance, I see that now.” 
― Tayari Jones, An American Marriage

Aah and oops!

What I liked the most in the novel is the way it has been structured alternating between three narrators- Roy, Celestial and Andre. Each of them narrates the story in their point of view. This alternating narrative is seamlessly done so you wouldn’t really find yourself confused or, turning back pages to get a grasp of the story. The writing is lovely- simple just the way real people talk. The book charters its own pace steadily across pages, communicating the fact that all it requires for life to turn topsy-turvy is one unfortunate incident, an incident that has the potential to change the course of one’s future.

What I did not like was the way the book ended. Somehow after going through the whole emotional journey of Roy and Celestial I just wished Tayari Jones could have had it end in a different way. But that’s surely just a personal opinion.

Having said that An American Marriage is a slow emotional journey. It has an element of profoundness in it, so you would have to be in a frame of mind to read this.

You may need to give this book time to actually be able to extract the true essence of it – people do grow out of love.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
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*This book was received from the publisher in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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