An American Marriage

I received a galley of this book to read and review. This has not influenced my thoughts or opinions.

Damn, this book was good. It alternates perspectives across three characters, and it's ultimately a story about love. The love you feel at the beginning of a marriage. The love you feel when it's unrequited and then fulfilled. A fatherly love. The love of saying goodbye. Love that is lost.

This was about to be a 4-star book for me until the epilogue, which I felt really brought the book together and gave it a closure that I really appreciated. Jones has this incredible way with prose where she makes the most astute observations sometimes, and alternates them with language that is evocative yet compact.

An American Marriage is what I had hoped The Course of Love by Alain de Botton would be.

“Marriage is between two people. There is no studio audience.”

“One of the hurdles of adulthood is when holidays become measuring sticks against which you always fall short.”

“Hope woke up with a growl like a hungry stomach.”

“How did we end up here? My key works, but you won't let me in.”

“When I looked at her looking at me, I became what she thought I was.”