A novel by Tayari Jones
I actually had a hard time finishing this novel but I am glad I pushed myself to read until the end.
Roy and Celestial are two newlyweds. They live in Atlanta where Celestial makes home-made dolls and Roy sells textbooks for a small company.
One day, a year into their young marriage, the couple travel to a small town in Louisiana to visit Roy’s parents. Though they are welcome to stay at Roy’s parents, they decide to stay at the local motel. A decision they both would regret. As Roy and Celestial are talking, Roy tells his wife that his father is not his birth father. For some reason this angers Celestial and they have an argument. Roy leaves the hotel room for a few minutes and meets a woman who will change his life.
He does a favour for the young woman and brings her into her hotel room as she has suffered a broken arm and wishes for help. That night someone breaks into the young woman’s hotel room and commits a very heinous act. Roy is blamed for the violent attack on the girl. The girl positively identifies Roy though she can’t prove it, her word is taken for gospel.
Roy is tried and convicted and sent to prison for 12 years. The couple maintain correspondence for the first few years of Roy’s incarceration. But, eventually, Celestial begins a relationship with Roy’s best friend, Andre.
Roy is eventually parolled and seeks to re-establish his relationship with Celestial. She however is no longer interested in being married to him.
