Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment* of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of* an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances* neither could have imagined.

Roy is arrested and sentenced to 12 years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though independent, Celestial finds herself sad and lonely, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction* is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to continue their life together.

This stirring love story is a deeply insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. It is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with* the past while moving forward — with hope and pain — into the future.

The story is both sweeping and intimate — at once an unsparing exploration of what it means to be black in America and a lifelike portrait of a marriage.

Tayari Jones is the author of four novels, including “Silver Sparrow,” “The Untelling,” and “Leaving Atlanta.” A winner of numerous literary awards, she is a professor of creative writing at Emory University. (SD-Agencies)