Tayari Jones’ An American Marriage is a powerful tale about the criminal justice system in America, and the personal, long-term consequences of its injustices. Roy, a black, college educated, hard-working, entrepreneurial man who has clawed his way out of a working-class background marries a middle-class whimsical artist, Celestial whom Roy’s mother would not have chosen as a mate to her son. Then, during a trip back home to Louisiana, Roy is accused and convicted of a crime he didn’t commit.
As the first-person narrative
gives way to an epistolary format during Roy’s time in prison, we see how Roy’s
incarceration drives a wedge between him and Celestial. An American Marriage asks readers
to consider what it really means to be married, and whether there comes a point
when loyalty can no longer be expected.
While race — specifically, being a black
American — is one of the major pillars of the novel, it is not so much the
focus as the stage on which this tale of love, marriage and loyalty plays out.
Instead of looking at the injustice itself, the novel turns to the far-reaching
consequences of it – how lives are turned upside down and relationships fall
apart as a result. It is driven by
complex and fascinating character drama, moving between the perspectives
of each character, painting a portrait that is both broad and deep.
We are ultimately reminded that injustices
against innocent black men are injustices against many others – the wives or
husbands, the mothers and fathers, and the friends who love them. Jones sheds a
haunting light on the all-encompassing nature of racial injustice that is eye-opening
and superb.