5 Stars– After finishing this book, I sought out interviews with Tayari Jones. In this article, she explains how she overheard a couple having a conversation at a mall , which sparked the creation of this novel. She then wrote the novel fully from Celestial’s view. When finished she said writing from Celestial’s view did not do justice to the book and she thought of something written by poet Claudia Rankine:

“What happens to you doesn’t belong to you. It’s not yours. Not yours only”

This line in the article stuck with me. This line summed up how I felt about “Beartown” and the horrible act that divided the town. And again this line describes a book perfectly. Roy going to jail affects everyone in his life. Yes, his whole life has been unended, but so has the life of Celestial. Is she wrong for not wanting to wait? One cannot say because most of us have never been in this situation– especially when your husband is knowingly interested. Is Andre wrong for capitalizing on Roy’s false imprisonment? Knowing he could be gone for 12 years is Roy wrong for thinking Celestial should wait?

All of these questions ran through my mind while reading this book. Because what happened to Roy did not just happen to Roy. What is the “right” answer to those questions? Is there even a right answer?

Jones wrote a thought provoking book that made me change my feelings multiple times. And deep down, I did not like the characters. I did not feel the marriage of Celestial and Roy was “real”– she seemed to want her own life while he seemed to want to be the only thing in hers. Celestial was wrong for not wanting to wait any longer. Celestial has a right to move on with her life. Roy has a right to want his wife to wait. Roy is selfish for expecting her to wait 12 years. Andre has pure love for Celestial. Andre is a parasite waiting for a moment of weakness. Many feelings and thoughts with this one.