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Cover of An American Marriage (Oprah's Book Club)

Literary Fiction · 2018 · PG-13

An American Marriage (Oprah's Book Club)

by Tayari Jones

He went to prison for a crime he didn't commit. She couldn't wait forever.

A NEW YORK TIMES AND WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK A 2018 BEST OF THE YEAR SELECTION OF NPR * TIME * BUSTLE * O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE * THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS * AMAZON.COM OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB 2018 SELECTION LONGLISTED FOR THE 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION “A moving portrayal of the effects of a wrongful conviction on a young African-American couple.” —Barack Obama “Haunting . . . Beautifully written.” —The New York Times Book Review “Brilliant and heartbreaking . . . Unforgettable.” —USA Today “A tense and timely love story . . . Packed with brave questions about race and class.” —People “C

For14+GenreLiterary FictionLength308 pagesRead time~8 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

Barely any

Prison violence referenced; the injustice of wrongful incarceration described

Language

Some

Moderate language reflecting each character's authentic voice

Sexual Content

Some

Adult romantic relationships; some intimacy between married partners and in emerging relationships

Substance Use

Barely any

Social drinking; nothing significant

Emotional Intensity

A lot

Wrongful incarceration and its destruction of a marriage, the impossible waiting, guilt over choosing survival

What this book is about

Celestial and Roy are newlyweds — successful, in love, building a life in Atlanta. Then Roy is wrongly convicted of rape and sentenced to twelve years. Over the years that follow, Celestial tries to hold their marriage and her art career together while growing closer to her childhood friend Andre. Told through letters and alternating perspectives, Tayari Jones's novel is a quiet devastation about race and the criminal justice system, and about what a marriage can survive.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

wrongful conviction and racial injustice as central themes

marital estrangement over years apart

emotional devastation throughout

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