very insightful, touching story about contemporary relationships.

here to start in unpacking this book. First of all, it was excellent.

I did not read the synopsis of this book before I read it, and I suggest that you do not either. Just trust me, this is worth it. This is my first Tayari Jones book, and it won’t be my last.

There are so many layers and messages that this book offers. Obviously, per the title, it is about marriage. How do you sustain a marriage while one person is estranged, and is away for longer than the two of you have been married? This book is also about family, what makes a family, how do these ties bind you to the past and the present.

One of the things that made this book so powerful was the way the author told the story. It is told through a combination of first-person accounts, and letters written between the characters while the husband is away. You never get an omniscient and unbiased view of the characters, you are left to make your own assumptions and judgments.

The plot of the book moves along and never gets boring. Because of the first-person accounts, and some going back and forth in time, it fills in the gaps of the story and keeps you interested.

This was a really smart, engaging, enlightening, heart-wrenching story. If you are looking for a well-written book that will make you think, then this is your read. Also, without giving too much away, this is an important story to tell. It deals with race and how people are unfairly treated and judged. An always important story to tell, but even more so today.