In One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton
Harris, Sara Lancaster returns to Savannah, Georgia, after eight years living
in Maine where only her family knew she delivered a baby girl, the result
of rape. This Fourth of July offering
tells the tale of family, redemption, and unconditional love as Sara faces her
fear of Savannah to be with her dying father, a man who speaks only in poems.
Hoping to dodge her child Alana’s paternal family,
Sara hides her as best she can as she cares for her father and helps out in his
bookstore. Her rapist Daniel Wyler went to trial and is near the end of serving
his 10-year sentence. He has a twin named Jacob who has been helping Sara’s
father by suggesting updates to the bookstore. In return, Jacob has been
receiving poetry lessons from Sara’s father Hosea.
When Jacob enters the bookstore, he recognizes that
Alana is part of his family: she looks and acts exactly like his late sister.
At first unsure of Jacob’s motives, Sara agrees to let him work with Alana, a
mathematical wizard, as long as he does not reveal to his brother and his
mother that a child resulted from the assault.
How will Jacob keep his promise to make Alana a secret
from his brother whose life is now complicated by cancer and from his mother
who worked tirelessly to shame Sara as a whore during the trial? How can Sara
make a life for herself in a town that created so much gossip about her when
she left Savannah? What will it take for her to protect herself from the rich
and influential Wylers who might seek custody of Alana?
This is the first novel by Terah Shelton Harris, a
librarian and freelance writer. Her work has appeared in magazines including Catapult,
Women’s Health, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Backpacker, and Minority
Nurse. Originally from Illinois, she lives in Alabama.
My review will be posted on Goodreads starting June
20, 2023.
I would like to thank Sourcebooks Landmark, an imprint of Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.
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