Oh this is exactly the kind of story I love reading about. Broken people (and aren't all people broken, really) who find each other, find happiness, find a way to wreck it, cause trauma on their kids who grow up to cause other trauma. People who try hard and find moments to redeem themselves and then make mistakes again and then work hard again. Rinse and repeat.

Great sadness, big joys, unexpected surprises, finding our way back to each other, forgiving some too often and other not enough. Trying and trying and trying again. This book is so beautiful that you will love the moments you spend with it.

with gratitude to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

All the freaking stars!

How is this a debut? To say that Damoff nailed this multi-generation family story is putting it mildly. This is such an exquisite book. It tackles extremely tough topics such as grief and alcoholism but in such a way that the reader is left with hope. I often have to take breaks from books with heavy topics but I could not step away from the Bright family’s journey. Please read this one … this book deserves to be everywhere right now. ❤️

I really enjoyed the format of this book as we follow the a family. It begins as a love story between Ryan and Lillian in such a beautiful way. It then progresses for much of their lives showing the struggles and trials that this human existence is. I think it's best to go in blind on this book and know very little about it. I feel like the synopsis gives too much away that I actually found for myself as I read the book without the synopsis.

This book is full of heart, love, hurt, anger, frustration, commitment, and more. I loved watching this little family navigate life. By the end I was full of appreciation for how the story was handled.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the gifted e-arc.

As readers, we all long for a well written story with a redemption arc; a book that tackles some of society's most heart-wrenching issues - addiction, adoption; a book that shares a viewpoint but does not hammer the reader over the head with dogma or ideology. The Bright Years is that book. While the content is challenging and at times, so sad as to be almost - but not quite - overwhelming - the prose flows, the inner lives of the 3 narrators are effortlessly conveyed; and the pace of the story makes it hard to put down. Highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Shuster for the DRC

Well, this book well and truly wrecked me. This family saga follows four generations, and we get to know these characters deeply. We see them experience love, pain, loss, grief, happiness, fear, hope, addiction, death, life... It's beautifully written and though I wish each character had a more distinct voice (we get 3 POVs), I was so enthralled by this, I didn't really mind that in the end.

It's the kind of story that makes you reflect on your own family, and the way you're going through life, and appreciate things a little bit more. It was very moving and engaging, and there are so many things to relate to. I really came to love these fictional people and I'm glad I spent time with them. What a debut novel!

What an absorbing debut. A hard but redemptive story about, love, family, addiction, forgiveness...basically being human. Loved the structure and character development- you truly felt you knew them. Bravo!

Wowza. This is a debut? How is that possible?

This book was so good on so many different levels. Not only was it well (and interestingly) written but you liked and related to the characters, you felt all the feels and even if you don't have personal experience with the struggles that these characters carry, you are still there with them in a way that is meaningful.

I really liked the fact that we get three different POVs that unfold this story beautifully over the course of over 50 years. This is a true family story with just the right about of believable tension and heartache.

I wasn't expecting to like this nearly has much as I did but I will absolutely be keeping Damoff on my radar for future reads. Still can't believe this was a debut!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy! Can't wait to purchase for myself.

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
.
The Bright Years is a generational drama that follows four generations of a family. Early in the story we meet Ryan and Lillian who are in love when they get married, yet they are each keeping a secret from the other. Later we meet their daughter Georgette and how her parents and their marriage, influences her choices in life.
.
Ok first of all I LOVE this book. It is a drama, it is a serious book with themes of grief and addiction. But people: this book is such a beautiful story.

We have characters who are not perfect and make mistakes. But you can see by their words and actions that they truly love their people and are just trying their absolute best even when they know it isn’t enough.

It broke my heart and it healed me. I cried so much reading this story, and I fell in love with this family.

There were so many profound quotes in this book and I was too wrapped up in the story to highlight or write any of them down. So that means that I will have to reread this book! (Already looking forward to that)

I’m not even sure who my favorite character is. At first it was Lillian. Then it was Elise. Then it was the Kendi. And then at the end it was Ryan. (So in short, it was all of them)

I am legit crying again just thinking about how good this book was.
.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If I could give this a million stars, I would. I HIGHLY recommend The Bright Years, be ready for me to talk about this book endlessly. I think this is my first book that I know will be in my top ten reads for this year. Sarah Damoff, this book is brilliant, and I cannot wait to read it again and any other book you write next.

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff is an unforgettable, multi-generational family saga that completely captivated me from start to finish.

Told through three distinct POVs, this novel masterfully weaves together the lives of Ryan, Lillian, and Georgette, revealing the heartaches, secrets, and enduring love that bind them. The storytelling is beautiful, with deeply developed characters you can’t help but root for, even as they make painful choices.

This book is literary fiction at its finest—a moving, poignant exploration of addiction, family, and redemption. The drama feels raw and real, but at its core, this is a story about the power of love and second chances. If you love novels by Ann Patchett and Claire Lombardo, this is an absolute must-read debut!

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff is a debut novel. Nicely done! Kudos! I’d definitely read another book by this author.

One family and their dysfunctionality. Kind of reminded me of Ann Napolitano in Hello Beautiful or We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange.

Many books bounce back and forth between Point Of View (POV). The Bright Years has 3 POV’s, but it stays with each until the handoff to the next POV. And the POV’s were a bit unexpected, but very refreshing. All the POV’s were really extraordinarily well done.

Many thanks to NetGalley … for introducing me to a new author and to Simon & Schuster for approving my request to read the advance read copy of Bright Years in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is Apr 22, 2025. Approx 288 pages.

Ryan and Lillian are so in love. They are newlyweds, and have a beautiful baby girl. When Ryan’s drinking starts to get a bit out of control though, their marriages feels rocky. When Lillian shares her secret, it pretty much blows up. Now Georgette is growing up and wants to pull back from her parents and their issues.

This book was so hard to write a synopsis for. In think I agree with the comparison to Clair eLombardo, it’s a bit more character driven, but it still kept me totally entranced. It covers a lot of heavy topics, so I certainly recommend you go in with that in mind, but it was so beautifully written. I did this one on audio and really enjoyed the narration. This book covers so many things, love, regret, grief, addiction, hurt, and so much more. It id a heavy book was so alluring at the same time!

Thank you to @Simonbooks for my gifted copy of this book!

I’’m not even sure I can articulate why I loved The Bright Years so much. This family story addressed very weighty subjects and yet the book zipped along as I fell in love with all the characters, for better or worse. A very honest and illuminating portrait of addiction.

The set up:
Four generations of a Texas family with secrets. Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and parents to a baby girl, Georgette [Jet]. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about and Ryan has hidden his alcoholism.. Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall. But there's so much more,

Told in three different voices, Lillian {Ryan's mother], my favorite character, Ryan, and Jet [Ryan's daughter].

A debut novel, which needed a better editor, IMHO. Butter chicken is not curried chicken. No spoiler but--purging--dropped into narrative--without a real context, backstory, or even continuation--then not in narrative for a long time--then reintroduced as an aside and dropped again. Ryan's gallery--successful against all odds; there should have been more information. Narrative shifts back and forth with some parts needing more fleshing out.

In the distinct minority; this book didn't do anything for me, There were warning signs I wasnt going to like it as much as I had hoped/expected, The premise had promise--but didn't deliver. And I saw at least one of the trajectories miles away.

In some cases, the language derailed for me--lots of "oy" moments [I do not like mush or pap]:
"He's a hot knife and I'm butter."
"brushes my forearm with his fingertips, my skin sparking" [ugh]

What I did like:
Lillian
SOME glimmers of hope
Davis' storyline
Shauna

2.5, rounding up, but...

What a beautiful and heartbreaking book. as someone who grew up with an alcoholic father, i relate to jet in so many ways. you go through life in the point of view of lillian (mom), ryan (dad), and jett (daughter), seeing how ryans addiction affects all of them. you watch them go through grief of loss, happiness, and new life. such a beautiful story

Secrets abound in this messy family-centered debut told through the lens of multiple characters over four generations.

Ryan and Lillian Bright are newly married and madly in love when they welcome baby Georgette into their lives. One would think they had a storybook life, but Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t shared with Lillian. Georgette, lovingly called Jet, comes of age in this raw, real look at the devastation of what an addiction can do to a family.

I had mixed feelings about the book. The premise sounded fantastic, and I went hard on the first 40 percent of the book. But, when it switched to the next part of the novel told from a different perspective, it felt like an abrupt shift happened and it took me a while to get back into the story. While it got better over time, I still found that I struggled to keep interest in the characters. The last part of the novel was wonderful and emotionally charged, bringing the story to a tender conclusion.

Overall, I would recommend this book and look forward to reading more from the author.

Thank you to Sarah Damoff, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for a gifted digital copy of the book for an honest review.

This is a wonderful family drama that spans decades and generations. A lot of difficult topics are covered and we see the characters go through many challenges. Well done.

THE BRIGHT YEARS by @sarahdamoff
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pub date: April 22, 2025
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This generational family drama is fast-paced as you follow the family’s story through the years. With almost every chapter representing the next year, making time feel like it flies by, just like in life.

The family story is told through three parts, each representing a different point of view.

If you are a sensitive reader, please check for trigger warnings, as this story contains several gut-punching twists.

The writing is beautiful. The story contained a few letters written by characters, and after reading them, I thought that regular people would not be able to express their feelings as beautifully.😆

I shed a few tears throughout the story, especially at the end.

Thank you so much @simonbooks for the gifted copy! #simonbuddy #simonbuddyreads #thebrightyears

Beautiful writing but I found the book to be very slow and not incredibly compelling. It’s more a character study of a marriage over a few decades as opposed to anything driven by a real plot. A bleak portrayal of alcoholism that rang true but isn’t something I personally wanted to read about for an entire book. 3.5 rounded down to 3.

A beautifully crafted multigenerational family saga that will linger with the reader. The characters are deeply human and relatable. The story delves into themes of love, addiction, forgiveness, and the enduring bonds of family. It is ultimately a story of hope and resilience.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I hadn't heard much buzz around this book when everyone started making their "most anticipated reads of the year" posts, BUT I SHOULD HAVE. I am here to hype this book up because it deserves it and I hope it sells so many copies when it publishes in April. I I initially requested this on Netgalley because, duh, the cover is gorgeous. And then the author herself was kind enough to send me a copy for my shelf. After reading the first sentence to test the waters, I actually decided then and there I was diving in. And I'm so glad I did.

THE BRIGHT YEARS is a beautifully emotional, yet hopeful story centered around The Bright Family. Through past and present, the reader experiences love, hope, loss, regret, grief and all the emotions in between. At the heart of the book is Ryan and Lillian's love story, but each hide secrets that years later their daughter, Georgette, discovers. Although the pacing is swift, Sarah Damoff still captures the essence of life's fleeting moments with poignancy and precision. I found a lot of these small moments hit me like a gut punch, especially because I am a new(er) parent. Her writing is so strong that it feels like all the characters are real. They are nuanced. And flawed. And complex.

**It's definitely worth noting that this book touches on the subject of addiction. Its such a difficult story to tell, but it was in the right hands with Sarah. I love that she decided to keep this storyline in the forefront. When messaging with her about this decision, she said that "every time I tried to write him away, it felt like I was making him a stereotype." The struggle with addiction was raw and realistic, showcasing the difficulty of living with (and loving) someone fighting a silent battle.**