This was unlike anything I've read before!
Roy and Celestial are newlyweds when tragedy strikes and Roy is falsely accused of rape. He is sentenced to a long prison sentence. Can this newly married couple make a life together when one of them is behind bars? After five years, in prison, Roy's conviction is overturned and he is thrilled to be getting out of prison, but is the life he left behind, still waiting for him?
Let me start by saying that the style of this book is something that I really enjoyed,I loved reading the letters that Roy and Celestial wrote to each other. I felt that this made the reader part of their story. I think that the letters added another layer of vulnerability to both characters. For me, Jones had you invested in this couples marriage like it was your own. This was a in-depth look at not only at a marriage but family and the criminal justice system.
Roy to me was a honest and imperfect protagonist. I found myself rooting for him from the very beginning and when he is sent to prison that support only grows.
I just have to say it, I could not stand celestial!
The dislike I had for Celestial for me is a testament to Jones' writing. She developed her character so well. I also wasn't too fond of Andre. I just felt frustrated by the couple and their treatment of Roy. Celestial for me came across as whiny, impatient and a bit blah.
I think only great fiction can make you feel things and that was Jones had done for me in this novel. I was ready to throw the book during several instances of Celestial and Andre's relationship and chapters.
My favorite minor character by far was Mr. Davenport, although Big Roy was a close second. The two fathers brought life prospective as well as comic relief. I loved the exchange between Andre and Big Roy about the telephone. Also, I was genuinely not expecting the plot twist that was Walter but it was a woah moment for me and also thought that it added incredible depth to the story. This book was so much more than a failed marriage. It tackles the systemic injustice that black men face in our criminal justice system. Roy was in prison for a rape that he did not commit, in prison he also meets his biological father. The two become cell mates and a father son relationship blossoms over the years. This is to was unexpected by one of my favorite story lines of the book.
The chapters were Roy gets out of prison break my heart, but i kept rooting for Roy and his journey and i think that his pain really comes across in the book. I have to be honest and say that i was afraid, i was going to hate the ending. I am a habitual reading of romantic fiction that ends in a nice happy ending bow. This story does have a happy ending, although not the one i predicted but the one that was deserved.
Overall, this book is one of my new favorites, i am so glad i picked it up and it will be my new number one recommendation!
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