A heartbreaking emotional story of a young mother’s life as she leaves Chicago for a fresh start in Memphis. It includes many unique characters and a roller coaster of emotions. I’m still processing my thought and feelings about the ending. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy. I was absolutely thrilled
to get this ARC as Saving Ruby King was one of my favorite books of 2020. Adel West is such a gifted writer. She truly develops characters and setting like almost no one else. I felt like I was in Mama Sugar’s boarding house!

I didn’t love this book quite as much as I did Ruby King, but it was still excellent. I think Sara, the main character, was just too unlikable and made too many wild choices towards the end. I did love getting a glimpse at Lebanon’s origins, which made me want to go back and read Ruby King all over again. I love that Adel West went back in time within the same world of characters.

Overall, Catherine Adel West is a must read for me and I highly recommend anyone who read this book to read Saving Ruby King as well.

This tells the story of Ruby King's (previous authors book) grandmother, Sara.. It's the 1960's, she's young and pregnant when she gets on the bus from Chicago to Memphis to live. She is taken care of by Mama Sugar--who is probably my favorite character in the book! She gives so many fantastic, quotable one liners throughout the book.

Being in the South in the 1960's we are presented with the struggles and policy issues that black people faced in the day through the eyes of Sara and those surrounding her.

The book was good...but felt slow and I never really knew where the plot was going or what the point was. I liked it, but didn't love it like I did Ruby King.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for the advance e-copy.

The Two Lives of Sara by Catherine Adel West invites us into this complex world of Sara who finds refuge in a boarding house in Memphis after fleeing Chicago following a sexual assault. While the sexual assault isn't stated outright at the beginning of the story, the author uses a lot of hints early on to indicate this aspect of Sara's life and the relationship she has with Lebanon as well as her situation of other men. The boarding house was amazing and the author had a lot of opportunity to delve a little deeper into the varying lives of its inhabitants. I enjoyed the historical references and culture ingrained throughout the story and felt the author did an amazing job of incorporating some teachable moments into the story at different times. The pacing felt very slow at times, which I wasn't fond of, but overall it was a very good story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Park Row publishing for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

While i normally crave fast paced book, this was a slow burn in all the right ways. Truly emotional and a bit heartbreaking. thank you netgalley & the publisher for the arc!

After adoring SAVING RUBY KING, the debut by Catherine Adel West, THE TWO LIVES OF SARA was high on my fall TBR. Oh, how I wanted to love this book so much more than I did.

The prequel/sister story tells the backstory of Sara King who is the grandmother of Ruby. We get a glimpse into Sara’s life in 1960s Memphis as she gives birth to a son born out of sexual assault. While the writing was quote-worthy and the characters fully-developed, the plot felt slow-moving and lackluster.

My favorite aspect of SAVING RUBY KING was that the church was given a POV and served as an omniscient narrator. While I understand West’s decision to go a different direction, I think using the house in Memphis as a narrator (If only these walls could talk!) would have been a fun addition.

I read this in the midst of my newborn baby fog and was craving something a bit faster-paced. Readers looking for a well-written character study with themes of found family may find this more engaging. Catherine Adel West is truly a delight and I would highly recommend picking up SAVING RUBY KING.

RATING: 3/5
PUB DATE: September 6, 2022

Many thanks to NetGalley and Park Row Books for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date

A touching and fascinating story about a young mom who sets off for Memphis to start a new life. This book has well developed characters, touching moments and great descriptive language. I definitely recommend it!

The Two Lives of Sara is a powerful and beautifully written story of resilience, love and hope.

Set in 1960s Memphis, Tennessee, Sara King arrives in Memphis and finds more than employment with Mama Sugar at the Scarlet Poplar. Sara is a young single mom running from her past in Chicago. Mama Sugar welcomes her into her boarding house as an assistant in the kitchen where Sara learns more than just recipes. The kind hearted matriarch and her boarders create a family and support network for Sara as she learns how to move forward.

A prequel to Saving Ruby King, this title can also be read as a stand alone. I listened to this audio book and highly recommend its excellent moderation. I’m looking forward to reading more by Catherine Adel Howard!
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Park Row for the opportunity to review this title before its release.

Sara--pregnant out of wedlock--arrives to work at a boarding house in Memphis owned by her best friend’s relative, Mama Sugar. Something traumatic happened to Sara back home in Chicago which is hinted at and causes Sara to take minimal interest in her baby, Lebanon. She is also bitter and resistant to overtures of friendship. Eventually Mama Sugar and the boarders love on Sara until her guard comes down and she embraces her found family.

But it is the early 1960s and black-owned businesses face challenges from both the white community and the black. Sara is “afraid of dreams because they don’t last. Because good things are more of a mirage … than the bad things.” Will she risk opening herself to love or keep her self-protective aloofness? Can she unite who she was in Chicago with her new Memphis life?

This novel is a prequel of sorts to the author’s earlier book, “Saving Ruby King.” “The Two Lives of Sara” gives us the backstory of Ruby King’s father (Lebanon) and grandmother (Sara). It’s not necessary to have read “Saving Ruby King,” but it does provide additional layers of meaning. I’d love for the author to write the backstories of Violet and Naomi, Sara’s friends.

To be entirely honest this book wasn't my favorite ARC I've read. I thought the characters were a little all over. I was left with the main question What happened in the house!?! I did feel the story dragged at some parts. The ending I didn't like at all. I'm a picky reader so I don't want to stop someone else from reading this and possibly finding their favorite book.

The Two Lives of Sara is a beautifully written emotional story about a young mother who leaves her life in Chicago for a fresh start in Memphis. She lives and works at a boardinghouse run by Mama Sugar who takes Sara and her baby Lebanon under her wing. Within the boardinghouse, Sara belongs to a special community of people and begins to believe it might be possible to love and trust others again. When tradegy strikes, how will they all cope when left to pick up the pieces?

A lot of special characters in this one. And a roller coaster of emotions. I laughed, I cried, I was angry, I was happy. All beautifully written. I look forward to reading more of Catherine Adel West’s books.

Thanks to #Netgalley, Catherine Adel West, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an e- ARC of #TheTwoLivesofSara in exchange for an honest review.

LOVED! This was my first Catherine Adel West but it won't be my last. I understand that it is a companion to Saving Ruby King but I didn't read that one first and it didn't take away from my enjoyment of this book, which I found to be profoundly sad but also really hopeful.. I hated the ending but only because it made so much sense to have it go that direction instead of another and I just wished it had gone the other way, haha! I loved the found family aspects of this book and also--some incredible food writing. Gorgeous prose and characters you really love.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advance readers copy.

I really enjoyed Saving Ruby King by this author, but this didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I love the concept of getting Sara’s backstory and seeing how Lebanon was raised. Maybe having read Ruby first, I already knew some of the things that would have made this story more suspenseful. There were times it seemed to drag. I did really enjoy the cast of characters & was glad to learn more about this time in history.

THE TWO LIVES OF SARA is a companion novel to Catherine Adel West's stunning debut- Saving Ruby King.

It's a story of secrets, motherhood, community, despair, hope and love- so much love. West's writing is absolutely gorgeous. She has a way of infusing tender empathy and devastating honesty at the same time that makes the characters and their story stick with you.

This is beautiful book. It has beautiful writing and characters.
Sara is hiding and trying so hard to find where she belongs. She finds some family along the way and some love.
This is a heartbreaking story but also has lots of hope.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

The Two Lives of Sara
by Catherine Adel West
Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
Park Row
* Historical Fiction
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. With a charismatic cast of characters, The Two Lives of Sara is an emotional and unforgettable story of hope, resilience, and unexpected love.
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to!
4 stars

This was a really good book. When I started reading it, and I was only a few chapters in, I instantly fell in love with the story and the writing. I remember saying: you know when know you’re just going to LOVE a book right from the start? That’s how I was feeling while reading this book. The writing was impressive, the characterization of each come-to-life character was so strong that they literally came off the page and actualized. The story itself was full of depth.

A moving story: a journey of self-love and acceptance. A young mother, Sara, moves to a boarding house in Memphis in the 1960s. She is running away from her tragic past, but her son is a constant reminder and for that reason, she struggles to care for him. She behaves as a woman in hiding. A wall up around her. She does not speak of her past and she guards herself from anyone trying to love her. But when surrounded by so many supportive and generous souls, how long can she stay guarded? How long can she keep running, hiding, and hurting when there are people around her who want to see and make her happy? The complicated relationship Sara has with her son, with motherhood in general was one of the strongest themes in the book. Also really enjoyed the love story, and the relationship between Sara and Mama Sugar. There was just so much to love about this book.

But I will say a little over the half-way point, I enjoyed it less and less. I know not all stories are happy ones, not all stories end with a nice little bow. I mainly read stories of tragedies and trauma. But there is often some, even the tiniest little smidge of hope or reprieve or lightness to them. And I felt like the events that transpired nearing the end of the novel, and the way it ended left very little room for any of that. In fact, I really did not enjoy the ending. Now I am not sure if this is a part of a series (if there will be a second book about Sara after these events), that may offer more of Sara’s story. I hope that there is another one coming because I would certainly read it. This ending definitely left me wanting more (and maybe that was the point). But as an ending for the book on its own (meaning not a part of a series), it was unsatisfying. And that may be just a personal taste. I don’t know. Someone might read the ending and love it for what it is, for how opened-ended it is. I do not expect a happy ending, rarely is that the case in literary fiction. But this ending was more of a beginning (into another side of Sarah) and that is why I hope for a second one.

Overall, the story was moving, and the writing was poetic. So many great lines of ‘wisdom’. Such as: Trouble always stretches time out much longer than it need be. And: But grief and loss don’t go by a calendar, and they really don’t give a damn about your sanity or your schedule.
West is a truly talented writer and I look forward to more of her work.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A story that was beautiful, heartbreaking and hopeful.
My first novel by Ms. West and I hope to see more in the future.
The characters are well developed and the storyline is intriguing to keep you reading.

The Two Lives of Sara - Catherine Adel West

Some books stay with you for a long time. It could be the characters are relatable, or the reader has a soft spot for a particular country or era. Perhaps the reader is inspired, or left with a sense of hope. Sometimes it’s just the words themselves.Point blank - I owe NetGalley big time for the access to this particular galley. Because this book could be one of the best books I have ever read. Yes, I am aware of the level of high praise.

In the 1960s in Memphis, Tennessee, a young girl arrives at a boarding house. She has a note of introduction, a secret, and most importantly an infant son named Lebanon. She quickly proves herself an indispensable worker. She also has a talent in the kitchen. It is the only place she finds peace. But people notice that she doesn’t really want much to do with her son. She isn’t ever neglectful, but if anyone wants to take care of Lebanon they meet with no objections.

The language in this book is simply superlative. As I read, I usually jot down a sentence that strikes me. For this book, I wrote down paragraphs. The conciseness which West uses to convey Sara’s thoughts and feelings is clear and detached at the same time (The entire novel is in first person.)

The other thing that struck me was that, for a historical fiction novel, the true historical events are told almost as an afterthought. Sara only thinks about race once she meets Jonas, the neighborhood teacher and the love of Sara’s life. Their relationship provides a strong redemption arc, but the fatalistic tone of the book clearly shows this will probably be temporary. The one thing Sara doesn’t have is faith, and her reasons for that are completely valid. It adds to the sense of doom. Peace comes at a high cost.

I cannot recommend it highly enough. After I finished, I realized this isn’t West’s first book. It goes without saying I will be all over its predecessor.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a gem to read and I love finding new authors to add to my TBR pile. West brought to life a story that was beautiful, heartbreaking and hopeful. It felt like I got my hands on a delicious dinner that I wanted to sit and savor. Her descriptions surrounding Memphis and all the side characters really brought to life the book.

The only thing I disliked was that it had it's dry spells which I struggled to press through, even though I was so glad I did. Also, I gathered that the previous book "Saving Ruby King" may have answered some of the questions and gaps I experienced. I wished I read that first so I could fully appreciate this book, however West does an an amazing job to make this one a standalone novel.

Perfect for fans: historical fiction, growth of MC, African American literature, Sue Monk Kidd, Secret Life of Bees