The Two Lives of Sara

For fans of Tayari Jones and Jacqueline Woodson, THE TWO LIVES OF SARA tells the story of hope, resilience and unexpected love as one Black young mother finds refuge and friendship at a boarding house in Memphis, Tennessee, during the racially divided 1960s.

A young, unwed mother named Sara comes to Memphis, Tennessee hoping for a fresh start from her haunting past in Chicago. She and her new baby are welcomed with open arms by Mama Sugar, a kindly matriarch and owner of The Scarlet Poplar, the popular boarding house. Sara begins working with Mama Sugar, feeding the boarders and finds solace in the older woman’s kindness. Like many cities in the Jim Crow South, Memphis is racially segregated, but the feeling of change is in the air. Freedom Riders are challenging to status quo and across the country Martin Luther King Jr. is leading the fight for equal rights. Sara finds herself having conversations about politics and a brighter future with Jonas, the local schoolteacher. As romance blooms for Jonas and Sara, she starts believing for the first time ever, that she might be worthy of love, despite what happened in Chicago. But their happiness doesn’t last long – secrets from Mama Sugar’s past catch up to her, and Sara and Jonas are caught in the crosshairs, forcing Sara to make a decision that will reshape the rest of her life. With a charismatic cast of characters, THE TWO LIVES OF SARA is an emotional story of a tightknit Southern Black community, who support each other as they face prejudice and life’s uncertainties.

About the Author

Catherine Adel West is a writer/editor living on the South Side of Chicago. Her experience as a black woman shapes every aspect of her writing and she is sure to be a voice for many women. Her work has been published in Gay Magazine, Black Fox Literary Magazine, Five2One, Better than Starbucks, Doors Ajar, 805 Lit + Art, The Helix Magazine, Lunch Ticket, and most recently Kaaterskill Basin Literary Journal. THE TWO LIVES OF SARA is her second novel.