One Summer in Savannah

by Terah Shelton Harris

A compelling debut that glows with bittersweet heart and touching emotion, deeply interrogating questions of family, redemption, and unconditional love in the sweltering summer heat of Savannah, as two people discover what it means to truly forgive.

It's been eight years since Sara Lancaster left her home in Savannah, Georgia. Eight years since her daughter, Alana, came into this world, following a terrifying sexual assault that left deep emotional wounds Sara would do anything to forget. But when Sara's father falls ill, she's forced to return home and face the ghosts of her past.

While caring for her father and running his bookstore, Sara is desperate to protect her curious, outgoing, genius daughter from the Wylers, the family of the man who assaulted her. Sara thinks she can succeed—her attacker is in prison, his identical twin brother, Jacob, left town years ago, and their mother are all unaware Alana exists. But she soon learns that Jacob has also just returned to Savannah to piece together the fragments of his once-great family. And when their two worlds collide—with the type of force Sara explores in her poetry and Jacob in his astrophysics—they are drawn together in unexpected ways.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Book Club, Adult Fiction, Literary Fiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2023

About the author

TERAH SHELTON HARRIS is an author and former librarian, who now writes upmarket fiction with bittersweet endings. She is the author of One Summer in Savannah and Long After We Are Gone. Her books have been chosen as a Target Book Club pick, LibraryReads pick, Kobo Best Book, Together We Read pick, Publisher’s Marketplace Buzz Book, and a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee for Best Debut. Terah was also named Target’s first Author of the Year. Her third book, Where the Wildflowers Grow, will be published in February 2026.

Find Terah online:
Website: www.terahsharris.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terahsharris/
Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/13825...

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars →

Though beautifully written, this was a tough book to read, as it tackles some heavy subject matter. Given the circumstances, I think you need to suspend disbelief in order to appreciate the story’s message of forgiveness.

The main character Sara was sexually assaulted at 18, and she gives birth to a daughter as a result, whom she raises in secret, far away from her imprisoned assailant and his wealthy family. Eight years later, Sara and daughter Alana must return to Savannah when her father falls ill.

Here’s where the tricky part comes in: Sara befriends her attacker’s identical twin brother Jacob, and she allows him to tutor her genius daughter, as long as he keeps her existence a secret from the rest of his family. Then Sara and Jacob’s relationship starts to develop into something more. Identical twin? Hmm.

This was a heartbreaking story that’s able to leave readers with a sense of hope. I was in awe of the strength of Sara’s character as she struggled with her trauma and her role as mother to Alana. My heart went out to Jacob as he tried to put the pieces of his broken family together.

One part of the writing I did not care for was how Sara’s father would only speak in poetry. When asked a question he would recite lines of his favorite poems, which unfortunately annoyed me after a while. It slowed down the pace trying to decipher what his answers meant, and there was a lot of poetry in this book.

Aside from the poetry, I found myself easily absorbed in this emotional story. I struggled a bit with the redemption parts, but I feel the author did a beautiful job with this uncomfortable and unique debut novel.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a digital review copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

[Lisa Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost DNFd this book at 30%, but made an effort to see it through. Awkward writing, unconvincing plot points (such as the main character falling in love with the identical twin brother of the man who raped her), and strange character elements (like the main character's father only speaking in lines of poetry) made this a frustrating read.

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I abhor having to review books I loved. Where do I even begin?

Messy. Heart-wrenching. Dazzling. Thought provoking. Powerful. And Poignant.

As soon as I finished this breathtaking debut, I knew immediately it would be in my favorites of 2023. Easily one of the most beautiful books I have ever read, I find myself still thinking about these characters.

At its core, this is a story about family; the family we are born into and the family we seek out. But rich with layer upon layer of subplot, this book encompasses so much more. It deals with trauma in a very realistic and relatable way. It examines the ideas of forgiveness and acceptance, especially as it pertains to family. And it deals with finding love again in the face of life-altering trauma.

There are few books I want to yell from the rooftops about, the last being Look Closer by David Ellis. This, my friends, is a must read.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
•emotional reads
•single parent romance
•found family
•angst
•overcoming trauma
•messy families
•book hangovers

Thank you {partner} Sourcebooks Landmark for my gifted copy.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soft. Sensitive. Hard issues to overcome with a strong momentum towards forgiveness. This is that story.

We meet the characters…

Sara, the mother. For what happened to her, and what she must overcome. Alana her brilliant and precious 8-year-old daughter. Jacob and the guilt of family association. Hosea and his quotable poetry. Sylvia and her devotion to Hosea and his family. Birdie and Daniel, what they did, and what they needed to do to move through their past.

All these lives converge. Past and present. Told through Sara’s and Jacob’s eyes.

As a reader, you will be mesmerized by the beauty of the author’s prose. You feel the feelings. All of them.

But…Mostly, you will look to love and forgiveness and hope that these lives can heal.

And…With Kleenex in hand, we are forever changed as readers, because we spent some time between these pages watching and waiting for forgiveness to guide them to where they truly needed to be.

Grateful for…Alana. The power and preciousness of this precocious little girl.

Stunning, powerful debut novel. A must-read!

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This book was well-written, and moved briskly.

As far as the plot, I cannot understand why a story about forgiveness requires a rape victim to fall in love with the rapist's twin brother, AFTER having the rapist's child. Boy that's a lot of forgiveness. Or just torture. The ending was pretty predictable but so, so unbelievable. Anyone with a modicum of mental health who had processed the trauma would NEVER do this.

[Kezia Duah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was highly skeptical about this one because the description was just too sketchy. However, I’m glad I went ahead and still read it because I ended up having my heart pierced just the way I liked it.

There were a variety of personalities when it came to the characters, keeping the book really interesting. The imperfections of people were laid bare here, which was reasonably necessary for the theme of forgiveness that was clear throughout the story. Touchy subjects like these can be quite tricky, and so I commend Harris for doing a great job with this! I loved how it ended, and this is one of the few times I wish a book had a sequel!

[Chanel Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

All I got from this is that Jacob & Sara’s future children would be siblings/cousins.

I didn’t enjoy this book and was definitely not moved by the romance. It just wasn’t believable to me. In no world would a woman fall in love with her assaulter’s identical twin brother. She fears water because of the memory of that day but doesn’t speak of any fear of having her assaulter’s identical face over her/beside her during intimate moments. It’s one thing to be forgiving which was the main theme in the book but this just wasn’t it.

Also disliked that her father only spoke using poetry. Actually skipped any scenes with him in it because I was annoyed.

One last thing the assaulter’s family including love interest Jacob infuriated me. They continuously spoke about Daniel’s genius and how impactful he would have been in the world as a way to absolve him of his crime. One may argue his crime shouldn’t define him but it was a disservice to Sara to pretend like he didn’t commit the act. Plus I only believe he was remorseful because of his diagnosis.

This book wasn’t for me & I’m honestly confused by some of the raving reviews.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a hard read for me. As I victim of rape I just didn't find this story very believable! Forgiveness is one thing but falling in love with his twin... Its been over 30yrs since my assault and I have forgiven him but if I saw him again, his face, there is no way I could look at the same face and see love. I understand the redemption story and it was well written, but just didn't work for me. I will definitely look for more of her books in the future!

[Rochelle Weinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends, add this one to your TBR. Already one of my favorites of 2023. Thought-provoking, layered, and just wow.

[Taylor Mason · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m in the minority here, but I really struggled with this one. The overarching theme of forgiveness and what it means to forgive is such a rich and beautiful one to explore — and I realize we all process trauma differently — but as an SA survivor, I found the plot very, very difficult to believe: A young woman, Sara, whose genius daughter was conceived from Sara’s rape eight years prior, returns to her hometown to be with her dying father and falls in love with her rapist’s (identical!) twin brother. Sis what?

To be fair, the plot is clearly outlined on the cover description so I knew this going in, but I had hoped Shelton Harris had the nuance and skill to tackle such a heavy plot with respect and grace, and I’m not so sure about the latter.

I didn’t love most of her writing but I think my issue with it mostly stems from the fact that I’ve never been a fan of the romance genre in general. It reminded me a little of Where the Crawdads Sing, which I didn’t love either. The dialogue in particular felt stilted and unrealistic. Oh, and Sara’s dad only speaks in poetry verses for some reason. For like, the whole book. It was an unnecessary add and was mostly just annoying to read.

Idk man. The topic of forgiveness — especially in the context of SA — is one that’s so powerful and important and one that I’m hungry to read about. But I just wasn’t able to suspend my disbelief with this one and the ‘ick’ factor was too strong. I’m at 80% and still plan to finish, and this novel clearly resonates with most readers — but not for me.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was extremely hard to read. I hated Sylvia more than I hated Birdie or even Daniel. I couldn’t fathom how Sara could even look at Jacob without roiling in disgust (meaning I know I couldn’t). So while it's a beautiful story, it’s also far too unrealistic for my brain to grasp. Perhaps I’m less charitable than Sara. Perhaps Sara is more of an aspiration for the kind of heart I would like to have someday.

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god! Amazing and brilliant! Brave and compelling! And that ending 💥
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I turned the final page, I sat and tried to absorb the feelings and emotions from this impactful and powerful story. Harris has taken a story that needed to be told and ripped my heart to shreds.

Fair warning – you need to be open and willing to read about the aftermath of a sexual assault. Trust me when I say, I was nervous too, but this author takes a tragedy and creates a miracle. It is truly a stunning story.

Harris has taken the raw and gritty and gifted us with heart, compassion, healing, forgiveness, and love. Set aside a quiet weekend and read this with tissues and an open mind. One Summer in Savannah and Harris is amazing and brilliant! Brave and compelling! And that ending is nothing short of bomb-tastic!

This is the best read of 2023 so far! Harris has just put her name in lights!

* copy received for review consideration
* full review - https://amidlifewife.com/one-summer-i...

[Mary Fabrizio · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was highly contrived (identical twins? Really?) and I was unable to get past the Ich factor (yes, identical!). It's well written but the father speaking in verse was distracting and unnecessary.

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris is a rare novel that I complete and say let’s read it again NOW! A novel about forgiveness, acceptance, letting go, accountability, entitlement and love! It took a minute to get into but just a minute and then I didn’t want to put it down. This novel is worth every single minute spent in it. Wonderful!!

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

No. Nope. Just no. Completely unbelievable. No way would a rape victim fall in love with her rapists identical twin brother. No way. It’s ridiculous. And frankly, the notion of forgiveness for some things is also ridiculous. I just wanted to ask Sara and her father and step mother what the hell was wrong with them?? The whole book was just ick

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was genuinely awful. There is no understanding of trauma, place, how the judicial system operates, or how race and class would have impacted this situation. Incredibly disappointing, and potentially harmful to survivors of sexual assault.

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this; I just wish every character in this book wasn't so... singular. ✨🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄✨

Alana is an 8yo prodigy, but prodigy is too mild to describe how much of a genius she is. She quit learning new languages when she was 4 because she got bored with it, and now she's trying to solve the Navier-Stokes Equation. Alana is, sadly, the product of a rape. Her mother, Sara, left Savannah after her attacker's trial, and only her family knew she was pregnant. Sara's inner strength is such that she kept the baby and came to love her in spite of the terrible circumstances around her conception. Sara's father, Hosea, fell into deep depression after his wife died. Ever since then he only quotes poetry - it's up to everybody else to interpret what he's trying to tell them. The dialogue contains tons of poetry so if you're a fan, boom.

Alana's father is Daniel, a member of the incredibly wealthy and successful Wyler family. His megarich white father chose to marry the love of his life, a black woman, during a time and in a place and family that did not accept mixed marriages. Everything turned out okay because Dad became even richer than he was before. Daniel was one of the smartest people on Earth, on his way to Harvard Medical School, when the crime he drunkenly committed against Sara derailed his future. Finally, there's Daniel's identical twin brother Jacob. Jacob is another genius who chose to direct his big brain toward astrophysics. He was hired out of college by NASA and spent the last decade all over the world performing research.

The story was good, and the themes of resentment, love and forgiveness were handled very well, but there's no escaping the fantasticness of all these characters. I would've related more if they'd just been normal ol' people.

So. Many. Ones of a kind.

[Lola Akinmade Åkerström · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeously-written, tender examination of love, loss, and the heart-wracking journey towards forgiveness and self-discovery. Terah's elegant prose draws you into intricately-woven lives and the nuance of emotions she explores through unforgettable characters. A gentle reminder of the self-healing power of forgiveness and the courage it takes to push darkness away, while letting true love (and poetry) fully fill the cracks of our broken lives.
---------------------------------------------
Review of an advanced reader copy.

[Erika · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh boy! I regret everything!!!
This was not a good time…
It felt like it was written by an ultra-woke, douchey millennial.
The characters were not interesting. Although, I think that had more to do with the robotic and constipated qualities of the writing in general.
It was not good… in any way.
Don’t get me started on the romance in this dud. Supremely mega cringy. Just plain gross.
The MC’s father, who only spoke in riddles and poems, drove me effing insane.
I wanted to smack him every time he opened his dumbass mouth. What an irritating and pointless character! He was the absolute worst!
Dad alone is worth a deduction of a star for his part in this dumpster fire.
Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccckkkkkkkkkkkk

[Just A Girl With Spirit · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 underwhelming stars.

This was just okay for me. It was very predictable and kinda meh in some places, but it had a good ending even though the story was full of hard topics and traumatic events that the heroine went through.

[Nia Forrester · Rating 3 out of 5]

When all was said and done, I liked this book, and I admired its aspiration of tackling a very difficult subject with a light touch. But at the end of the day, it may have been a little too light for me.

The premise of 'One Summer in Savannah' is that Sara, having been sexually assaulted as a teenager and as a result having a daughter, returns home after an 8-year absence to see her father when he suffers a very serious health challenge. She has stayed away all these years because the young man, Daniel, who raped her—now serving a prison term after his conviction—came from a very powerful and wealthy family, and she fears that if she returns with her daughter, the family will try to get custody. So far so good ... makes sense. But once Sara returns, she realizes that in her absence, her father has developed a bond with the identical twin brother of the rapist, Jacob, who testified against Daniel and helped secure his conviction.

Jacob is somewhat estranged from his mother and brother because of his role in securing his twin brother's conviction. Like Sara, he returns somewhat unwillingly to his hometown. Though Sara's father has never disclosed to his new friend Jacob that there is a child, Alana, born of the rape, Jacob meets her anyway, completely by happenstance. Alana is the spitting image of Daniel and Jacob's long-dead sister Naomi, and like Daniel (the imprisoned brother), like Jacob, and like Naomi, Alana is a certifiable genius. Once Alana's existence becomes known to Jacob, Sara secures his agreement to keep it secret from the rest of his family, in exchange for him getting to know his niece and tutoring her so she can fully realize and build on her uncommon mind and talents. But Sara and Jacob are drawn to each other and despite herself, Sara begins to fall for the twin of the man who raped her.

What kept me from loving this book were a few things: having Sara falling for (and even rhapsodizing over the handsomeness) of a man who is identical in appearance to her rapist was hard to reconcile. But ... all is possible in the human experience so I talked myself into getting over that. I just didn't see enough of her getting over that. It was very cursory, the mention and inner monologue about how Sara grappled with that. And believe me, the book had PLENTY of inner monologue (which I honestly don't mind so long as it isn't a substitute for external action, conversation, and character development).

Secondly, I struggled with the tone. The novel read mostly like a sweet romance—almost all the names were biblical, the small-town everyone-knows-everyone setting, the powerful family with untold wealth and its surname on everything—but sought to tackle very weighty topics: rape, reconciliation and redemption. And yet, the precipitating event, the circumstances of the rape itself were very vague, as were details of its aftermath, though it was billed as a defining moment in the lives of most of the characters. And then there was the genius child (Alana) element; and Sara's own issues having a father who speaks only in poetry, damning (or blessing, depending on your point of view about poetry) her to communicating with him only through verse, which in some ways deprived her of him as a confidante and comfort. Sooo many thorny elements ...

And finally, apart from both Sara and Jacob making celestial analogies in their heads about their pull toward each other, I can't say I got what it was about their bond that was so irresistible given the humungous obstacles. It was almost as though they fell in love in parallel to the other, not 'together'. While the ending did bring some manner of resolution to the big issues, it felt sudden, as though an arc spent telling us the main protagonists fell in love might have been better spent on making the reader believe that their love was even possible.

But I did like what the book tried to do, and there were a few heartwarming moments among the characters that convey the author's real passion for portraying family bonds—how they're made and how they can fracture. There's no reason I wouldn't read something else she puts out in future.

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so privileged to write the first review of this book! I have been following Terah on Twitter since I learned her debut was coming out. We are both librarians and writers, so we have a lot of common ground. I was blown away by this novel, and I'm dying to discuss it.

Sara Lancaster lives a quiet life in Maine with her daughter, Alana. They left Savannah years ago after a brutal sexual assault forced Sara away. Alana is a math genius, and Sara is no slouch herself, a poet with a lyrical mind influenced by her father's love of poetry. In fact, he only speaks in poems and nothing else. But when her father is diagnosed with a brain bleed that will kill him sooner rather than later, Sara takes Alana to spend time with her grandfather before he's gone. Meanwhile, Jacob Wyler is also back in Savannah after his time away. He'd testified in his twin brother's rape trial, sending Daniel away to prison, and Jacob's ties to his family are flimsy. When Jacob and Alana cross paths at a museum, he realizes that Daniel is the child's father. Everyone in the Wyler family is a genius, and Jacob begins tutoring Alana under Sara's wary eyes. As new ties form among the Lancasters and the Wylers, the double themes of pain and forgiveness emerge.

This book is compelling from the first page. Terah's writing is powerful, bringing the reader into the sensory experience of Sara's life with Alana and the love that informs it. Despite her trauma and the fact that Alana is a product of it, Sara is her daughter's fierce protector. It feels impossible that a woman would become friends with her rapist's twin brother, but as the emotion grows between them, the reasons become clear. I don't think I can say much else without giving spoilers. It's a must-read, and I'll be pushing it until it comes out next year!

[Emily Cuadras · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this book is well written I struggled with the fact that the main character falls in love with her rapist’s identical twin brother. I saw this coming while reading the first third of the book and then went and read the last few chapters to see how it ended and what I read in the last few chapters convinced me to DNF the rest of the book. (DNF’d at about 40%.) While there where parts of the book that I found intriguing, like her father’s health struggles, him only speaking in poetry, and her genius daughter, I just could not get over her falling in love with her assaulters IDENTICAL twin brother. (it gets brought up quite a few times in the part I read that they are identical). I get that the theme of this book is forgiveness and all. But this was unfortunately not for me.
Won an ARC through a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This was an impressive debut novel that was thoughtfully crafted around a triggering subject matter. The author took great care to create a trauma informed piece of fiction that explored the process of forgiveness from a sexual assault.

Sara was only 18 when she was sexually assaulted. Her attacker David, a brilliant man with a bright future ahead of him, was convicted and remains in prison 8 years later. David has always maintained his innoncence, leaving his mother to direct all of her anger and blame towards Sara. Upon hearing that her father is dying and only has a few months to live, Sara, who moved away after learning she was pregnant from the assault, opts to return to her hometown with her now 8 year old daughter Naomi, despite her fears of David's family finding out about her. Sara has done everything up to now to keep Naomi away from and knowing anything about her paternal roots. However, as David's twin brother Jacob, facing his own demons, becomes wrapped up in Sara and Naomi's lives, the two worlds suddenly collide.

The writing was gentle and beautiful. It felt safe, which provided the perfect springboard for exploring family dynamics, grief, and the challenges of forgiveness.

My two reasons for losing stars were that I didn't care for the poetry narrative. I found the idea of Sara's father only able to express himself via poetry as strange and somewhat annoying. I also didn't care for the audio performance. The narrator's reading was stilted with an irregular pacing that made it difficult to get into the story. I would suggest reading this book instead.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgiveness, I have learned, is like a door. You can open yourself up to it or close yourself off from it at any time. We can’t rewrite history, or change the outcome. Life is a series of choices. And we live in and with those choices we make.

What a moving, beautiful, complicated and compelling novel this is. Sooooo much nuance. It made me think and cry and cringe at times. But black and white just doesn’t work in this space. You have to embrace, dissect, and acknowledge the gray.

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sara hasn’t been back to Savannah in 8 years. She left after an assault and since then has been living in rural Maine with her 8 year old daughter, Alana, who is brilliant and outgoing. When Sara’s father becomes ill, she and Alana return to Savannah to spend time with him and help run his bookstore. Sara hasn’t truly healed from the emotional trauma of the assault and is afraid the powerful family of her assaulter will learn about Alana, even though he is serving time in prison.

Sara then discovers Jacob, the twin brother of her assaulter, has also returned to Savannah after several years away himself. He, too, is dealing with family issues. Jacob learns about Alana and agrees to tutor her, in exchange for keeping her existence a secret from his family. Sara and Jacob eventually find themselves drawn to each other, despite the painful history they’ve both experienced and the complicated emotions they feel with everything currently happening in their lives.

Told in dual POVs, One Summer in Savannah is moving and emotional, with many “what would I do?” moments from both characters’ perspectives. This is a thought provoking story with themes of family, grief, forgiveness, and love — 4.5 stars

[Meridith Yancey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was icky on so many levels. But SPOILERS really I never got over the main character being attracted to her rapist’s IDENTICAL twin brother much less falling in love with him.

Also just blech are: 1. The genius kid as a plot device 2. The father only speaks in poems and then in the text of the book the narrator translates. If you have to explain it and don’t think the reader is smart enough to figure it out then DONT DO IT. 3. The father and his care giver start hooking up. 4. The way mixed race complexions are described.

When the main character first interacted with the twin I should have lit this book on fire. My aversion to DNFing might have been cured. Lesson learned.

[Zoe Singeisen · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I first spotted this book in stores I was intrigued as someone who not only grew up in Savannah GA, but as some one who was also SA’ed with it being covered up by the family. I thought I could see myself in the story. And I was, the plot was interesting and I felt like I could look past the weird vibes I got from the main character falling for her rapists identical twin, and overall inaccuracies when it came to Savannah and GA as a state.

This was until the main characters fell in love and became physical with one another on page 362. What really did it in for me though was when not only did Jacob betray Sara by telling Daniel about his daughter conceived after the assault, but then went and told him EVERYTHING about her, including showing her pictures and videos. And if that’s not angering enough when he tells Sara what he has done, 26 pages later, when he apologizes with the weakest thing possible, she forgives him!

Another point that irked me was how Sara’s dad and (step mom???) knew about Jacob and his relations to Daniel, and they’re insistent on forgiving Jacob and Daniel and their mother who is just as bad as Daniel, and letting the daughter INTO their life…and later doing so. And do you want to know why? Because both Sara’s father and Daniel are in the hospital and “he deserves to know his daughter.”

NO TF HE DOES NOT!

A lot of people are also upset at the unfinished plot points and over use of poetry from the dad as well as the book in general and I agree, but it was by far not the worst aspect of this story.

I did push myself to finish it because I’m stubborn as hell but my goodness was it not easy or fun.

[Breeee Ranae⚜️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

W O W
This might be one of the best books I have ever read. Definitely top 5. I want to read everything Ms. Terah writes from here on out !!

This book is so intense. I had so many emotions reading this. Sadness, happiness, joy, anger, & sympathy. My anxiety was so bad. Sara’s situation is so heartbreaking as well as Jacob’s. The way this book is written with so much detail I was feeling all the grief, love, and Anger with every character. & the poems ?? 😭GET ME OFF THE FLOOR CUZINS !!

I really was not expecting the romance part of the book but my God it was so beautifully done & I am definitely still sobbing!!! I was screaming & swinging my feet.

I am satisfied with the ending!! There is nothing else left to be said. & y’all know I hate an open ending.

I feel like Birdie could definitely be played by Lynn Whitfield she plays the evil mother so good!!! Ms. Sylvia was my favorite character baby she was messsyyy the good kinda messy 😆 ADD THIS TO YOUR LIST!!

[Taylor Blackwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't mind the writing style, and I wasn't bored reading it. Took me only a couple days to finish.

I am giving it lower stars because it was pretty offensive and potentially harmful.

I probably would have enjoyed this book in my adolescence and early adult years when I was naive and thought everyone could change and loved a good turn-around story, prior to experiencing DV and SA and becoming a therapist working with survivors of abuse.

There are a lot of really harmful messages here. Not necessarily about forgiveness and keeping a child in these situations, because that can be healing for some people (not all).

But my God does this read of "he was young and stupid and hurting, he shouldn't have his whole life ruined because one little mistake."

First, there was a lot of guilt tripping for people having normal boundaries and safety protocols. Apparently, how DARE the main character want to stay in a state where she has a better chance of protecting her daughter and herself. And how DARE the twin brother not talk to his mother and brother for eight years after they engaged in one of the worst crimes ever and defended it. And apparently it is wrong for the victim to want to keep her daughter from these people, because my God, that is the rapist's child, and she deserves to know her family including her abusive, potentially sociopathic/narcissistic grandmother.

I can see why the brother would be conflicted since that is his twin brother, but he also said some ridiculous things, like saying he should have a chance to fall in love again and have his own kids after raping someone. He also told the main character who was raped, whom he apparently is in love with, that his family are not bad people. He made excuses for his brother and insinuated that if he wasn't going through grief of his sister, he probably wouldn't have raped her. He said that Sara was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Excuse me, what?!

I appreciate that the author wrote in the beginning that the book could be unrealistic for many. Because it is. It is extremely unlikely that rapists ever change or feel bad about what they did. Not impossible, but nearly. The rapist also doesn't seem that remorseful and changed because towards the end of the book when he got pissed he asked his brother if Sara was still a "good time". That does not sound like someone who feels genuinely remorseful about raping someone, rather someone throwing a pity party that they are dying and he demands people forgive him. And apparently the brother was so loyal (co-dependent) to his abusive rapist brother that all it took was a quick physical fight and he was back to decent terms with him again.

Not to mention, he broke a promise to Sara about keeping the child a secret. Apparently it was not fair for Sara to put him in the middle of that and it is understandable that he couldn't keep that secret. Again, what?! In the real world, that could be a death sentence for some, and a violation of safety planning. You're going to tell a rapist that he has a child just as he is getting out of prison?? And show pictures of the child because that might help him have closure as he's dying so he can have more closure that he did something with his life?

An obvious weird part is that this woman fell in love with her rapist's identical brother. But I suppose that is not that unrealistic in some aspects because people can still be in love with their actual rapist. But still weird, and I don't know why a necessary part of the plot.

The two main characters really seem to have thought processes of people who are severely abused (which they are) and are engaging in fawning/people pleasing behaviors, with poor boundaries and putting themselves in harm's way. Jacob seems to be in denial of how toxic and unsafe it is to be around his family. Rather than this reading like that is an unhealthy thing that they need to get help for, it reads as a positive and healing situation.

Part of me feels bad writing such a scathing review on an author's first book. She said that she wanted to write a book about forgiveness after hearing people forgive a shooter. But this is not the same situation at all, and forgiveness does not mean to put your head in the sand, turn a blind eye and enable abusive behaviors, and continue to give the abusive people access. She could have done a better job at making the story about forgiveness while still demonstrating healthy, appropriate boundaries between characters.

I suppose one of the only saving graces is that the rapist is about to die, so risk is lower. Except having to deal with that awful, emotionally abusive grandmother.

I get this is fiction and I am probably too invested personally in this subject, but rape victims are reading this story, and this is important.