Audio book released on Audible 6th February 2018.
Newly-weds Celestial and Roy are embarking in the American Dream. Roy is a young business man and Celestial is a promising artist. They have everything to look forward to.
Until one day, when visiting Roy's parents in Louisiana, Roy finds himself accused of a crime he did not commit. Roy is a black man in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and despite his innocence and Celestial's assurances that he was with her when the crime was committed, he finds himself sentenced to twelve years.
Such a devastating blow, so early in their marriage, leaves Celestial at a loss and she finds it difficult to hold onto the love she felt for Roy. Instead, she finds comfort in the arms of Andre, their closest friend.
Roy understandably struggles with his loss of freedom and the developing distance between him and Celestial. When his conviction is eventually overturned, after five years of incarceration, he hopes he can return home and resume his life - but how does the land lie with Celestial, who he has not seen for two years?
*********************************************************************************
This is the book that won Tayari Jones the coveted Women's Prize for Fiction 2019. It is a powerful piece of writing and has received praise in many quarters - not least from Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey - as the moving portrayal of a the effects of a wrongful conviction on a young African-American couple.
The story is told in first person, switching between the narratives of Roy, Celestial and Andre, so you get to see into the hearts and minds of three characters bound together by love and friendship, trying to deal with a separation that has been forced upon them by tragic events beyond their control.
It actually took me quite a while to get through this one - alternating between the book and audio book - because this is pretty heavy, emotional stuff. I kept picking it up and putting it down, but found that I was compelled to find out what happens between Celestial, Roy and Andre, so had to reach the end of their story.
There is no doubt in my mind that this book deserves all the praise it has received, but I am not sure I actually found this an enjoyable experience. This is not a book to read if you are looking for some light relief! It evokes a visceral feeling of pain in response to the emotional turmoil of Celestial, Roy and Andre and is a very uncomfortable read in parts.
Is this really the state of marriage between African-American couples in the USA? I have no idea, but I am not sure Celestial and Roy's relationship would have survived, even if their marriage had not been so brutally ripped apart by the injustice visited upon them. Roy's admitted adultery, even before his imprisonment, played heavily upon my mind, and when added to his obvious arrogance, I found that I could not like his character - even though he was treated so unfairly. I was rooting for Celestial to break free all the way through...no spoilers from me though!
I am not sorry to have read this book - especially since it is beautifully written and has had such a high profile - but this is not going to be for everyone, and I would only recommend it with care. It certainly is not my favourite of the books that were shortlisted for the Women's Prize this year, which remains Anna Burns' Milkman (although I admit I have not read them all yet), but it is a worthy piece of literary fiction - maybe that sums up the root of my problem with it...it is just sooo worthy!
No comments:
Post a Comment