The Untelling
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3.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
From the author of the Oprah Book Club Selection An American Marriage, here is an emotionally powerful novel that "succeeds mightily...truly a wonderful story" (Boston Globe).
Aria is no stranger to tragedy -- as a young girl, she and her older sister and mother survived a car crash that took the lives of their father and beloved baby sister. And although relations with her remaining family are strained, she's done her best to establish a solid, normal life for herself, living in Atlanta and teaching literacy to girls who have fallen on hard times.
But now she has a secret that she's not yet ready to share with Dwayne, her devoted boyfriend, or Rochelle, her roommate and best friend: Aria is pregnant. Or so she thinks. The truth is about to make her question her every assumption and reevaluate the life she has worked so hard to build for herself...as it sends her reeling in a direction she had no idea she was destined to go.
Praise for Tayari Jones
"Tayari Jones is blessed with vision to see through to the surprising and devastating truths at the heart of ordinary lives, strength to wrest those truths free, and a gift of language to lay it all out, compelling and clear." -- Michael Chabon
"Tayari Jones has emerged as one of the most important voices of her generation." -- Essence
"One of America's finest writers." -- Nylon.com
"Tayari Jones is a wonderful storyteller." -- Ploughshares
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This tender novel follows a young woman trying to build her future while carrying the weight of her unexamined past. When Aria Jackson was a child, a tragic accident reshaped her family. Now in her twenties, she’s working at a literacy nonprofit and building a cautious relationship with Dwayne, a thoughtful locksmith who offers comfort and reliability. As Aria begins to imagine marriage and motherhood, an unexpected medical diagnosis forces her to confront painful truths about herself, her family, and the long-buried secrets they’ve been avoiding. Tayari Jones (An American Marriage) writes with remarkable emotional clarity, capturing the tension between Aria’s own dreams and what’s expected of her. With deep empathy, she nails the everyday rhythm of neighbourhood life in Black Atlanta while depicting the complicated bonds between mothers, daughters, and sisters with deep empathy. The Untelling makes Aria’s doubts, small victories, and stumbles feel deeply real, offering a thoughtful and emotionally grounded portrait of growth and self-understanding.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The legacy of a fatal accident haunts surviving family members in Jones's deep-felt second novel (after Leaving Atlanta). As a young girl, native Atlantan Aria Jackson lost her father and baby sister in a car accident; her inability to comfort her dying father, and her mother's failed effort to save the baby, have damaged their relationship. After graduating from Spelman, Aria goes to work at a local literacy center, where she is drawn to outspoken Keisha Evers, a young teen pregnant with her second child. When Aria believes she is pregnant, she confides in Keisha before sharing the news with her fianc , Dwayne. But when mysterious cramping sends her to the doctor, Aria learns that she is not pregnant but instead experiencing very early menopause. Reluctant to tell Dwayne the truth, Aria claims to have lost the baby. Dwayne's desire for a child remains strong, and Aria watches with growing envy as Keisha's pregnancy progresses. When a second doctor confirms Aria's condition, she is forced to make difficult choices with the shadow of her past looming over her. The first-person narration is convincing and genuine, and Jones handles her material with sensitivity and sympathy. This strong sophomore effort will bolster her reputation.
