What do you think?
Rate this book
Marriage and Other Monuments
Not yet published
Expected 10 Feb 26"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 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.
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 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.
- GenresFiction
364 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 10, 2026
3 people are currently reading
4156 people want to read
About the author
Virginia Pye
5 books74 followersVirginia Pye’s next novel, MARRIAGE AND OTHER MONUMENTS, due out in February 2026, is set in Richmond, Virginia in the summer of 2020.
Her most recent novel, THE LITERARY UNDOING OF VICTORIA SWANN (2023 Regal House) is a love story to writers and readers set in Gilded Age Boston.
She is also the author of two post-colonial historical novels set in China, RIVER OF DUST and DREAMS OF THE RED PHOENIX (2013 and 2015, Unbridled Books).
Virginia's short story collection, SHELF LIFE OF HAPPINESS (2018, Press 53) was awarded the IPPY Gold Medal for Short Fiction.
Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Literary Hub, Publisher’s Weekly, Writer’s Digest, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Rumpus, and elsewhere.
A graduate of Wesleyan University, Virginia holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. A Tin House Summer Workshop scholar, teaching fellow at the Virginia Quarterly Review Conference, and a repeat fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, she has taught writing at New York University and the University of Pennsylvania, and, most recently, at Grub Street in Boston.
Virginia is Fiction Editor of the literary journal Pangyrus, a Regular Contributor to Writer Unboxed, and she serves on the board of the Women’s National Book Association, Boston Chapter. To learn more about her, please visit:
www.virginia@virginiapye.com
Her most recent novel, THE LITERARY UNDOING OF VICTORIA SWANN (2023 Regal House) is a love story to writers and readers set in Gilded Age Boston.
She is also the author of two post-colonial historical novels set in China, RIVER OF DUST and DREAMS OF THE RED PHOENIX (2013 and 2015, Unbridled Books).
Virginia's short story collection, SHELF LIFE OF HAPPINESS (2018, Press 53) was awarded the IPPY Gold Medal for Short Fiction.
Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Literary Hub, Publisher’s Weekly, Writer’s Digest, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Rumpus, and elsewhere.
A graduate of Wesleyan University, Virginia holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. A Tin House Summer Workshop scholar, teaching fellow at the Virginia Quarterly Review Conference, and a repeat fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, she has taught writing at New York University and the University of Pennsylvania, and, most recently, at Grub Street in Boston.
Virginia is Fiction Editor of the literary journal Pangyrus, a Regular Contributor to Writer Unboxed, and she serves on the board of the Women’s National Book Association, Boston Chapter. To learn more about her, please visit:
www.virginia@virginiapye.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 4, 2025
Virginia Pye’s Marriage and Other Monuments masterfully intertwines the unraveling of two families with the chaos of a nation in turmoil. Set in Richmond during the pandemic and the protests that followed George Floyd’s death, Pye's latest novel captures how public turmoil seeps into and shapes private lives. The unraveling of two marriages unfolds against the toppling of monuments, revealing how race, class, and long-held secrets can erode even the strongest foundations. Pye writes with honesty and empathy about love, loss, and survival. Her characters are infinitely relatable, and I know I'll be thinking of them for a long time to come. Thank you, NetGalley and Koehler Books, for this wonderful early read.
September 5, 2025
This was a nostalgic, relatable, and timelessly relevant read. Between 2020’s pandemic, social justice protests, and marital issues, there was so much to absorb as I read. Lies about finances drive a couple apart and another couple is struggling over an uneven balance of activism. It was fascinating to see the material issues explode and how the Cynthia and Melissa navigate the messes left behind. sisters have no choice but to turn to one another. I really enjoyed the way the themes of of trust and societal issues are painted throughout the pages. I felt a lot of emotion for every character and their individual issues.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 1, 2025
This was an insightful portrayal of two tumultuous marriages amidst the Covid pandemic and racial protests in Richmond, Virginia. The "Other Monuments" in the title is both figurative--the monuments of social justice and society--and literal, as activists demand the removal of Confederate statutes in town.
The novel is told from the four points of view of the two marriages. The novel excels at showing each person's thoughts and needs, in a way that when reading each character, you're convinced that their story of their marriage is the correct one... until you are swayed by the character in the next chapter. Pye deconstructs the marriages realistically, showing that both sides of a story can be both true and misleading.
This novel is both a timepiece of 2020 as well as an unfortunately timeless story of inequality and hope. The characters are flawed and wonderful and spending time with them was pure joy. An excellent read.
Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read an advance copy.
The novel is told from the four points of view of the two marriages. The novel excels at showing each person's thoughts and needs, in a way that when reading each character, you're convinced that their story of their marriage is the correct one... until you are swayed by the character in the next chapter. Pye deconstructs the marriages realistically, showing that both sides of a story can be both true and misleading.
This novel is both a timepiece of 2020 as well as an unfortunately timeless story of inequality and hope. The characters are flawed and wonderful and spending time with them was pure joy. An excellent read.
Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read an advance copy.
November 20, 2025
I read this book with great interest and quite quickly. I found it to be a complex yet readable story and I loved how its various narratives were intertwined to deepen and connect the themes. I've read a few of Pye's other books and this one really stuck out for me. I was moved by the characters' dilemmas and being taken back in time to the recent history of the George Floyd summer was a powerful experience. Thank you for sharing this galley with me; I will certainly recommend this book with enthusiasm.
December 30, 2025
What an interesting novel! I am happy I won this on Goodreads and was able to appreciate the author's ability to weave so many themes into the story. I think the title is both literal and figurative and makes the reader contemplate the different monuments in our lives. The author has a strong narrative and presents the different characters in complex, meaningful ways. It's a thoughtful study of our current society, how we deal with our past and future, and how we interact with each other going forward.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
i won this in a giveaway
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews