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'An American Marriage' is a beautiful love story that's as heartbreaking as it is complex

Much has been said about love in literature. True love's first kiss will cure all. The greatest gift we have is love. Love is the most powerful magic. 

But Tayari Jones knows the truth: "How you feel love and understand love are two different things." Or so she writes in her 2017 novel, An American Marriage.

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An American Marriage follows the love story of Celestial and Roy, a recently married couple living in the South. The two seem to have their whole lives ahead of them — Roy is an entrepreneur and Celestial is an artist who is getting more and more attention for the beautiful dolls she designs. But when Roy is falsely accused of rape and convicted to 12 years in prison, the life they thought they'd built for themselves is shattered. While Roy is in prison fighting for his freedom, Celeste has another battle to face as she tries to figure out how to support Roy, all the while living her life and pursuing her dreams.

When Roy is released 7 years early, after serving only 5 years in prison, their world is once again thrown into chaos. Roy wants to pick up where he left off with Celeste. But Celeste has been put in an impossible spot: Is it possible to pick up a love you once had when your life has moved on, and does she even want to?

“A marriage is more than your heart, it's your life," Tayari writes. 

Raw, painful, and filled with wisdom, An American Marriage is a beautiful love story that is as heartbreaking as it is complex.

This week on the MashReads Podcast, we are joined by Whitney Hu, director of public programs at the National Book Foundation, to chat about An American Marriage. Listen in the episode above as we talk about unforgettable portraits of love, the effects of incarceration on families, and what sets An American Marriage apart from other stories about love triangles.

Image: Algonquin Books

Then, inspired by An American Marriage, we talk about our favorite books about love, including Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman, The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera, and more.

And as always, we close the show with recommendations:

Martha recommends the song "Bubblin" by Anderson .Paak, which she nominates for song of the summer. "It's just such a vibe. I don't know how to explain it. You just have to listen to it, it'll make you feel happy."

Whitney recommends five songs that she thinks would be on Celestial's music playlist in An American Marriage: "Love Me Right" by Amber Mark, "Holy" by Jamila Woods, "Distance" by Emily King, "Focus" by H.E.R., and "Tender Love" by Meshell Ndegeocello. "I think all of those songs, when you listen to them, have this women empowerment/ also 'love is really complicated and I have feelings for you, why do you have to treat me so wrong' vibe."

MJ recommends two Twitter videos that'll make you laugh. The first is an interview where Mariah Carey apparently learns that people have to pay bills, and is completely baffled by the fact. The second is a video of the very polite rage expressed by a woman named Kim when a customer Ginger won't say whether or not she wants to buy a cheesecake.

And as always, if you're looking for more book news, be sure to follow MashReads on Facebook and Twitter if you want to keep up with even more book news this year.

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