An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

An entertaining exploration of what "'til death do us part" means to a group of richly drawn characters. At times the plot feels slightly contrived, but it hangs together in an interesting way.

Celestial and Roy are newlyweds discussing whether to have a baby. Their (mostly) happy life together is abruptly shattered when Roy is accused of a crime he didn't commit and sentenced to twelve years in prison. We know that Roy is innocent. The driving question of the book is whether their marriage can survive the lengthy separation, particularly once Celestial turns to their mutual friend Andre to comfort her in Roy’s absence.

Roy, Celestial and Andre take turns narrating each chapter. I found this device somewhat confusing at times, especially since the character’s voices are not entirely unique. But this approach allows for a more fulsome representation of each character’s emotions and perspective. Jones shows impressive restraint in sticking to the core narrative and is a good enough writer that she can draw out this basic plot over 300+ pages without a drag. Her voice is unique, the lyrical cadence is rich, and the characters are well drawn.

The book touches on some popular themes in political discourse, like mass incarceration and abortion, but at its core it is an entertaining love triangle. Its deepest observations relate to how love is forged and maintained, and the qualities that make for a sustainable attachment between people, even in the face of extreme adversity. On those points, the author’s observations feel true.

Modernity may be the story of broken institutions, from criminal justice to marriage. What determines the fate of these characters is not the flawed social structures around them but the depth of their bonds with one another.