In jail for a crime he did not commit, Roy's young marriage to Celestial is strained as he spends more time in jail than they had spent as a couple: as he pines for release and a return to the life he once had, Celestial's life moves forward in a diverging trajectory. The book is told from alternating points of view between Roy, Celestial, and family friend Andre who remains (and becomes increasingly) significant as time goes on. The havoc wrought on each of them and their family members is devastating, but it's just as devastating to consider how plausible this scenario is in today's American south. Would definitely recommend.