Published: 2018
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date Started: 7 June 2020
Date Finished: 11 June 2020
My interest in this book is:
I picked up this book after reading great reviews on Goodreads and that the book was also on Oprah's Book Club. The book also had a good rating on Amazon. And let me be honest, the cover looked good too! Yes, I judged the book by the cover!
Ideas Expressed/Message/Plot:
The story is about Celestial and Roy, who are newlyweds, trying to achieve their American dream in the south. Roy is an executive and she is a doll maker. They are trying to settle into their life together when the unimaginable incident rips them apart. Roy is sentenced to twelve years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. The story revolves around Celestial and Roy's writing to each other and how things change outside when Roy is in prison. Andre, who is Celestial's childhood friend and best at their wedding comfort Celestial when Roy is away.
The lives of everyone around Roy change when he is in prison and when he is out of prison, it is hard for him to accept that everyone has moved on. This book is about the hearts and minds of three friends who are trying to make sense of whatever happened. Along with this, the story also covers the families of Roy, Celestial, and Andre and how the parents shaped their lives.
Favorite Characters:
I did not find any particular character as my favorite, but all of them had their own charm in the story. The one who left an impression on me even after I was done was Roys father Roy Sr. He stays true to his wife and to Roy.
When I finished this book, I felt:
It was a roller coaster ride of the emotions of all the characters. After I finished, I was still thinking about how things turned out even when no one was at fault, and was it fair on Roy's part to expect the same kind of love, affection, and acceptance as it was before he went to jail. But on everyone else's part, it was fair that they had to move on and make a living when Roy was away. Whatever happened to Roy, was it fair? - No, but was everyone else fair in moving on with their lives? - Yes!
Favorite lines from the book:
For children, Thanksgiving is about turkey and Christmas is about presents. Grown-up, you learn that all holidays are about family, then few can win there.
There is no weight like the burden of a body.
I'll never forget the sound of the landing dirt.
Even a dog can make a bunch of puppies, but a real man raises his kids.
Weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
If you need a kid to keep you together, then how together are you?
