The Two Lives of Sara

April 1, 2022

Among the 59 men who signed the death warrant that led to the beheading of King Charles I, Gen. Edward Whalley and his son-in-law Col. William Goffe flee to 1600s New England in an attempted Act of Oblivion when the royalists regain power, pursued by the secretary of the regicide committee, in internationally best-selling Harris's first substantial departure to North America's shores (75,000-copy first printing). In the New York Times best-selling Robards's The Girl from Guernica, 17-year-old Sibil's mother and sister are killed in the German bombing of Guernica, and with two other sisters she joins her scientist father in Germany, where he works on jet propulsion engines for the Nazis and secretly helps the Resistance (50,000-copy first printing). Having spent their lives rehearsing strenuously On the Rooftop to achieve their mother's dream of stardom, sisters Ruth, Esther, and Chloe--known as the Salvations--are having dreams of their own even as their Black neighborhood 1950s San Francisco resists gentrification in this latest from National Book Award finalist Sexton (150,000-copy first printing). West's follow-up to her striking debut, Saving Ruby King, The Two Lives of Sara features a young, unwed Black mother who flees Chicago for Memphis during the tumultuous Civil Rights era, finding refuge at sweet Mama Sugar's boardinghouse and possible love with schoolteacher Jonas--all of which could be jeopardized by a secret from Mama Sugar's past (75,000-copy first printing).

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July 15, 2022
In the early 1960s, a pregnant Black woman flees Chicago and makes her way to Memphis. Sara's life has been difficult, and in Memphis, she finds herself trying to hide from her demons--physical and mental--from back in Chicago. Her best friends, Naomi and Violet, helped her make her way to Memphis, where Naomi's aunt Mama Sugar welcomes her with open arms. In Mama Sugar's boardinghouse, Sara settles in; her son, Lebanon, is born; and the days begin to flow by as she helps take care of Mr. Vanellys, Mama Sugar's husband; Elvin and Buster, two long-term boarders; William, Mama Sugar's grandson; and all the other boarders who come and go on their way through Memphis. Soon Sara's circle expands: There is Mr. Coulter, one of Will's teachers, forever giving Will extra assignments to expand his mind; Cora and Lawrence Morgan, a doctor and his wife from Mama Sugar's church; and Ms. Mavis, a local bakery owner. But this is not a fairy tale, and happy endings are in short supply: Sara's circle also includes Amos, Will's here-now-and-gone-again father, a drinker and gambler; and Lucky, who is willing to do anything to get the money that Amos owes him. The story follows Sara and the others over the course of a few years, as Lebanon grows, good times follow bad times, and joy and tragedy come fast and furious. Author West has written a book that seems made to be filmed: Weighty conversations about living with segregation and trying to survive despite all the difficulties drive the story. A raw look at life for a Black woman in the segregated South.

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July 25, 2022
West draws on characters from her 2020 novel Saving Ruby King in this dramatic if uneven story of a young Black mother who builds a makeshift family. In 1960s Memphis, sharp-tongued Sara King lives and works at the boarding house of the formidable Mama Sugar, who asks no questions of Sara about her background or her obvious resistance to mothering her son, Lebanon, whom she gave birth to shortly after arriving from Chicago. Sara, though, surprises elementary schoolteacher Jonas Coulter, who has taken a special interest in Mama Sugar’s grandson Will, by being well-read. Will’s shiftless father, Amos, runs afoul of a loan shark, leading to him being beaten and then the arson of the boarding house. As Mama Sugar rebuilds, romance blossoms between Sara and Jonas, who does not hesitate to marry her even after she reveals her reason for fleeing Chicago while pregnant. Just as Sara seems headed for bliss, tragedy strikes, sending her reeling. Though the story tends to drag, West demonstrates careful attention to the realities of the Jim Crow era and the burgeoning civil rights movement. The moments of crisis and quiet reflection will please fans of historical family sagas. Agent: Beth Marshea, Ladderbird Agency.

Starred review from August 1, 2022
Sara King finds herself in 1960s Memphis, Tennessee, unwed with a newborn baby and having fled her hometown of Chicago with the details of her pregnancy a haunting secret. Mama Sugar, a friend's aunt, welcomes Sara to her local boarding house for Black travelers. The civil rights movement and the history of Memphis serve as a strong backdrop for West's second novel as they influence the circumstances of her characters. The Memphis community embraces Sara and her son, Lebanon, with love and affection that begin to soften Sara's tough exterior. She opens herself up to dating and eventually marries Jonas, a local English teacher. Just as they learn of her second pregnancy, tragedy strikes. Triggered by grief and devastation, Sara rebuilds emotional walls and flees once again, this time leaving behind her supportive community and all other evidence of her blissful life in Memphis. Focusing on the interplay between generations as she did in her debut (Saving Ruby King, 2020), West writes with charming precision and intention. Every character is a beautiful, relatable complication. Both masterfully suspenseful and certain to tug at the reader's heartstrings, The Two Lives of Sara solidifies West as a literary force.

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