Every character is a beautiful, relatable complication. Focusing on the interplay between generations as she did in her debut ( Saving Ruby King, 2020), West writes with charming precision and intention. 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. Just as they learn of her second pregnancy, tragedy strikes. She opens herself up to dating and eventually marries Jonas, a local English teacher. The Memphis community embraces Sara and her son, Lebanon, with love and affection that begin to soften Sara’s tough exterior. 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. 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.
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