Tayari Jones' An American Marriage
Jones' Silver Sparrow was one of my favorite books of 2011, so I was eagerly anticipating this novel, especially once the hype kicked in AND it was made an Oprah book. I am please to say it lives up to the hype and then some. It's the story of an upwardly mobile black couple, married just a year and a half, when the husband is put in prison for a crime he didn't commit. It's a beautiful novel, told from both of their POVs and occasionally some others, and also told through their letters. I think I would have thought this novel was GREAT any time I read it, but it feels particularly resonant in early 2018. Just gripping and masterful and GREAT. A.
I had a hard time getting into this one. I couldn't tell what I was supposed to be rooting for. I mean, it definitely made me feel embarrassed YET AGAIN for our country, but both of the main characters were kind of the worst. And Andre was such a wimp. The writing was beautiful, though!
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