February 2018

I loved Tayari Jones’ 2011 book, SILVER SPARROW, which was a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection, and I have been looking forward to seeing what she would write next. Patiently. It’s been seven years, something she is all too aware of! When I opened my advance copy of AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE, I was reminded again why I love her work. She captures people and emotions so well. Her characters get messy, get confused, get undone, and then put themselves back together again.

In AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE, Roy is sent to jail for 12 years for a crime that his wife, Celestial, knows he did not commit. What happened in their marriage before and after is the story. During a media lunch back in October, Tayari shared that this book was originally written from the perspective of Roy, then she layered in Celestial’s, and then finally she realized she needed another voice --- that of Andre, Celestial’s childhood friend. It was rewritten a lot. The novel that emerges is intimate and soulful, and book groups will be able to take a deep dive into this one. And yes, it’s an Oprah Pick, her first for 2018, but I had it earmarked as a winner before it was given that designation.