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A review by lauren_soderberg
The Two Lives of Sara by Catherine Adel West
4.0
“The world is good. And we have the chance to be the same, but you can’t choose for people who they will be, like people can’t choose that for you. Be vigilant in this world, but be open.”
The Two Lives of Sara is the kind of book that weaves itself into the core of you and lingers long after the words off the page have faded.
Those who have read author Catherine Adel West’s Saving Ruby King will already be peripherally aware of Sara King, and aware that her life was one of trauma and struggle. This novel delves into what happens when bad things happen to people and how it can shape them. And what happens when good things happened to people who aren’t used to it.
It’s a story set in a very specific time and place, and speaks to the unique circumstances of Black life in the segregated south, yet has a universality to it that transcends its setting/time period. Like Ruby King, The Two Lives of Sara is beautifully crafted and poignant.
Honestly? I hated the ending. It stabbed me right in the heart. And yet, I sensed that it was coming, even as much as I dreaded it. Not all stories end happily, though I’ll admit that I wanted it so badly for Sara, for Lebanon.
If a bittersweet ending doesn’t put you off, you will absolutely enjoy this book. But if you want things to end on a happier note? This might not be the book for you.
Thank you to Park Row and NetGalley for generously providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Two Lives of Sara is the kind of book that weaves itself into the core of you and lingers long after the words off the page have faded.
Those who have read author Catherine Adel West’s Saving Ruby King will already be peripherally aware of Sara King, and aware that her life was one of trauma and struggle. This novel delves into what happens when bad things happen to people and how it can shape them. And what happens when good things happened to people who aren’t used to it.
It’s a story set in a very specific time and place, and speaks to the unique circumstances of Black life in the segregated south, yet has a universality to it that transcends its setting/time period. Like Ruby King, The Two Lives of Sara is beautifully crafted and poignant.
Honestly? I hated the ending. It stabbed me right in the heart. And yet, I sensed that it was coming, even as much as I dreaded it. Not all stories end happily, though I’ll admit that I wanted it so badly for Sara, for Lebanon.
If a bittersweet ending doesn’t put you off, you will absolutely enjoy this book. But if you want things to end on a happier note? This might not be the book for you.
Thank you to Park Row and NetGalley for generously providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.