An American Marriage
by Marisa De Los Santos
4 stars
Celestial and Roy, a young, successful couple from Atlanta, have been married for just over a year when Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years in jail for a crime he did not commit while visiting his parents in Louisiana. The author lets the reader know he is innocent because he was with his wife at the time. With both of their lives upturned, Celestial remains loyal to her husband, but after a few years, she finds herself adrift and turns to her childhood friend Andre for comfort. Then suddenly, after five years, Roy’s conviction is overturned and he returns to face Celestial and Andre while trying to figure out where he belongs. Roy, Celestial and Andre are each given a voice in alternating chapters, which pulls the reader back and forth weaving a complex of emotions for the reader on who to side while tugging at our emotions. I really thought this book was going to be about our broken judicial system in regards to racial inequality and mass incarceration, and while those topics were explored some, the story is really about the quiet devastation of a marriage that maybe wasn’t as solid as we all thought. I thought the story was beautifully written and I found myself rereading different passages because I was moved by the strength and flow of her words. Recommend.
Read alikes:
The Mars Room: a novel by Rachel Kushner
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
