Marriage and Other Monuments - Paperback

by Virginia Pye (Author)

"A fascinating and audacious novel about family, marriage and a society in flux."-Kirkus Reviews

"A suspenseful family drama with powerful themes of social justice." -Bruce Holsinger, author of Culpability, an Oprah Book Club pick

In the summer of 2020, social justice protests and the removal of Confederate monuments rock the city of Richmond, Virginia, as the marriages of two estranged sisters implode.

When Cynthia's husband, Bobby, can no longer hide his dire financial situation, their union finally ruptures. Melissa, her sister, has dedicated herself so fully to racial justice activism that she becomes alienated from her own Black husband.

As the summer heats up and their marriages veer in opposite directions, the sisters have no choice but to turn to one another. Meanwhile, their husbands conspire in a racial reckoning that their ancestors-one old Virginia White, the other old Virginia Black-would never have dreamed of.

When secrets within marriage erode trust, all couples must decide what's more important: being true to who they are as individuals or holding on to an illusion of the past.

Marriage and Other Monuments is a must-read multigenerational drama set against a tumultuous time of racial tension in the South.