A beautifully-written, thoughtful, emotional, and unique novel. The premise is quite heavy, so I was a bit anxious at the start, but the tough topics were handled with great care and gave me a lot to think about in terms or forgiveness and justice. I'm not big on poetry, so I sometimes skimmed over those pieces, but I could see how they add to the story. I'll definitely keep an eye out for more books by Terah Shelton Harris.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon for the ARC.

Trigger: rape

When Sara was younger she was raped by Daniel and she got pregnant with Alana but had fled Savannah and only her family know about Alana. Now Sara’s Dad is not doing well and she has come back to Savannah but is trying to hide Alana from Daniel’s family so they don’t try to take her, but that’s hard to do when she starts to fall for Daniel’s brother Jacob…

This heartbreaking book was such a good read. Get your tissues ready if you pick this up. It deals with lots of heavy topics but there are also some lighthearted moments. Looking forward to the author’s next book.

📚 Book Review 📚

One Summer in Savannah
by Terah Shelton Harris
@terahsharris
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(5/5 stars)

This review was almost impossible for me to write, simply because I’ve been left utterly stunned and speechless. This debut novel may be the most exceptional one I have ever read, and I can barely form the coherent sentences necessary to convey my feelings about it. Nothing I say here will do it justice, so I’ll just say what’s foremost on my mind.
The author is up front in her beginning author’s note about the tough subject matter this book covers. Our main character, Sara, was raped as a teenager and becomes pregnant as a result. Believe me when I say this delicate plot was handled with immense care and sensitivity. The assault occurs off-page and almost a decade prior to the story we read here, which allows the reader to be distanced enough from it for it to be digestable. What unfolds is a story about two families forever connected and damaged by what has happened. There are so many layers but they all intertwine and fall together impeccably. I can’t say much in detail without giving spoilers, but this book is best read not knowing much ahead of time anyway.
Simply put...I loved this story, and I loved these characters. They will stay with me for a very long time. The character Jacob in particular will root into your heart so deeply, he’ll never leave. I beg of you not to be put off by the subject matter- what you will gain by reading this book will make it so worth it. When you reach the final page, you’ll want to go right back to the first to start the book all over again. Every word of this book is absolute perfection.
A HUGE thank you to @netgalley and @bookmarked for allowing me to have this advanced copy. I’m eternally grateful.
*Pub date: 7/4/23

Firstly I want to commend the author on writing about such a controversial subject and I was especially thankful of the authors note in the very beginning, it was thoughtful and genuine. This story is written from dual POVs which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed how most of the characters were layerd and I loved the timeline of the 2 main characters.
I didn't like end. It almost felt like info dumping to me and a little unrealistic. Although I know ones journey with SA is different, I didn't like how the main characters stance changed right at the last minute when throughout the entire book she was very head strung on that particular subject.
Overall I did like the book and found myself wanting to know what was going to happen to all the characters in the end. It didn't deliver in the way I thought it would, but I did like it.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

This is a beautifully written book dealing with complex relationships within and between families. Characters are well developed and quite unique and memorable. The story moves at a good pace and is hard to put down once you get into it. The main theme is forgiveness and all of its complexities.

Definitely one for your TBR list for 2023.

4.5 stars, rounded down because I rarely give 5 stars.

Will definitely be looking for more from this author.

In her debut novel, One Summer in Savannah, Terah Shelton Harris has taken two people distantly connected by the thread of a common story and interwoven their lives in a way that defies what many might expect, but that is human, believable. The book features an interview with the author, where Harris shares that she wrote this as an exploration of the concept of forgiveness, and has done a stunning job developing the characters, and leading the reader through the many layers and complexities of their lives, both independently and interconnectedly. The story features smartly-written characters, the unique style of conversation-via-poetry presented through a smaller character, and heart-rending scenarios that ring true and will keep you engaged.

Two families – one prominent and powerful – are forever changed by an act of violence. Among their number, two are propelled far from home, one spends years of his life incarcerated, and yet another, unable to stand up under the weight of the prior death of one child and the distance of the other two, ends his life.

Through well-developed characters, Harris gives us insights into the impact of one terrible decision, and how it can ripple across multiple lives. One Summer in Savannah asks you to consider how the victim of a crime continues forward with their life, how this effects their own family, and to offer this same consideration for the family of the perpetrator, a rare perspective. Readers are shown how tragedy can intersect with fear and make us reconsider our lives, and how making space to see each person as their own self (not merely a piece of a larger family unit) can help us better understand ourselves.

I anticipated the reader would explore forgiveness from a first-person perspective, and instead, Harris also shows us through the eyes of others, the shape it can take with different people, the varied timing that each of us requires, and how considering broader context for those we struggle to forgive can help us reach this point. This requires (and is developed through) empathy, trust, vulnerability, and the understanding that one can arrive at forgiveness without any evidence of change or contrition from the offending party. Ultimately, forgiveness is for the harmed, not for the one who caused the harm. It is not an approval or excusing of the wrongdoing; it is freeing oneself from the tethers of anger and condemnation.

Some may find the outcome of the story unrealistic or unbelievable, and that is reasonable; we each bring a unique history to everything we read, and that history informs how we are impacted by the story laid before us. Not everyone could reach the place where Sara and Jacob find themselves, but were they real people, they would likely agree that neither would have ever predicted that their lives would intersect, much less overlap, or how they would come to understand and offer forgiveness. What one could never do, others could; that’s true of most anything we encounter in life. Because of how Harris writes her characters, the humanity she imbues them with, the faults and frailties, in addition to strengths and successes, the outcome of these characters we come to know so well is wholly believable for me. I can’t say if I would find myself reaching the same outcome, but how Harris directs the storyline and where she leaves us as the story closes, does not stretch reason, and could instead force us, the readers, to consider how we see, approach, and offer forgiveness in our own lives.

Thank you so very much for an advance copy!

This book was written so interestingly. Unfortunately for me, I felt like the dad speaking in poetry really threw me for a loop and kept taking me out of the story. And the "falling for the R's brother" was pretty uncomfortable for me.

“Love is never complicated. The circumstances are but never the love.”

This is a stunning debut novel from Terah Shelton Harris coming on July 11th 2023.
Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers for this digital arc.

It's been eight years since Sara Lancaster left her home in Savannah, Georgia. Eight years since her daughter, Alana, came into this world, following a terrifying sexual assault that left deep emotional wounds Sara would do anything to forget. But when Sara's father falls ill, she's forced to return home and face the ghosts of her past.

What I enjoyed most about this novel was the theme of forgiveness, and of loving those you cannot forgive.

It’s always a refreshing and welcome feeling when a book I’m reading ends up having a theme that I wasn’t expecting enclosed in the plot. In addition to the all encompassing theme of forgiveness that this novel brings to light there were storylines and themes that really kept my interest and tugged at my heart. Poetry and Hosea and (super) math and Alana.

I feel in love with Sara’s family. It almost felt as though I had spent one summer in Savannah with them, making home made pizza and closing up the bookstore every evening ☺️

This is a love story. A really good one. This is more than a romance novel for sure but it’s also my new favorite romance.

Jacob is a swoon-worthy and extremely admirable love interest for our brave heroine.

I thought every character, all the members of Sara and Jacob’s families, were so brightly brought to life by the author. I would LOVE to see this book get made into a movie. I’m picturing Kerry Washington as the leading lady for sure.

5 stars for me. Highly recommend.

I was completely drawn into the storyline of this book. While I'm sure there are other novels about this particular trauma, I thought the storyline was very unique. I thought Jacob was a more well developed character than Sara. I had a hard time picturing her or connecting with her. There were few things that I didn't enjoy. For me, having Naomi as a ghost felt a little far fetched (despite that it wasn't a large part of the storyline). I also had a hard time reading the parts that were interrupted with Hosea's poetry and found myself just skimming over those. Lastly, I don't know about the believability in the ending for a few different reasons. Did they really need to be identical twins? That seemed like too much. Overall, I found it unique and hard to put down and would recommend it to friends (up until the ending).

This novel follows the summer that Sara returns to Savannah after escaping the aftermath of a rape nearly nine years earlier. Although there were some aspects of this novel that were not quite believable (the seeming quick change in Sara's need to protect her daughter Alana from everything, the readiness to open her heart to her rapist's twin brother, Hosea's bizarre style of speaking), the overall sense of the story was a sweet one. To see two tortured souls being willing to forgive those that hurt them and find a way to love was a touching story. Terah Shelton Harris did a beautiful job weaving poetry into the story line (although it was an odd way to communicate) and addressing astrophysics and mathematic equations in a way that seemed to normalize them for a layperson.

This book was a hard read for me. As I victim of rape I just didn't find this story very believable! Forgiveness is one thing but falling in love with his twin... Its been over 30yrs since my assault and I have forgiven him but if I saw him again, his face, there is no way I could look at the same face and see love. I understand the redemption story and it was well written book, but just didn't work for me. Will definitely check out more of her books in the future!

WOW.

Powerful. Haunting. Enchanting. Nuanced. Thought-provoking. Heart-wrenching. So many words to describe this gem of a book.

The biggest, overarching theme in this book is forgiveness, and I think it was done beautifully. I think she described beautifully how nuanced and complex it is, and that it is a long, arduous and ongoing process and journey.

I loved that despite the premise, and themes of hurt, loss and trauma, there were some incredibly soft and tender moments that showed love and affection (in all forms) between the characters.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an amazing story told with gorgeous prose with an almost mystical quality that I absolutely adored. To say this book is about forgiveness is an oversimplification. It's about the work of forgiveness and how it's more about healing the person who gives it than absolving someone of their wrongs. It's also about finding love and choosing love when it's hard or comes from an unexpected place. A phenomenal debut.

I moved this up my TBR very quickly and devoured in two sittings. This is not a black and white story- it is full of shades of grey. I did not agree with all the characters' choices- but that's realistic. It underscores the theme that family is not always easy, not always straightforward, and that loyalty in the face of adversity can be unclear and devastating. It is hard to even condense the details of this book into a summary, but I'll do my best:

Sara was sexually assaulted as a teenager, and unbeknownst to anyone but her family, had a child as a result. She fled her hometown of Savannah to escape the powerful, rich family of the man who assaulted her in fear that they would fight for custody of her daughter, Alana. Fast forward 8 years, and Alana is an actual genius of a child- taking after her biological father's family. Sara is told her father is dying of a brain aneurysm and rushes home to be with him, not expecting to stay for months on end making up for lost time with him. In this time, she meets Jacob, who happens to be the twin brother of Daniel, the man who assaulted Sara in her teens. Sara allows him into the bubble of her family and Alana's world, and in the process Jacob and Sara fall hard and deep for each other- which of course presents a myriad of obstacles to say the least. To add another layer of complexity, Daniel is dying of cancer, and Jacob's loyalties are tested as he tries to stay true to Sara and grapples with losing a brother who set his entire family's lives on a spiraling path 8 years ago.

Phew- and that doesn't even cover all the main points that make this book a heart wrenching tale of family, forgiveness, betrayal, and loss- I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who has the capacity to read about the rippling effects of sexual assault not only on the victim, but the bystanders. A beautiful and devastating read.

One Summer in Savannah is a story of family, love, healing and forgiveness. When Sara is sexually assaulted by Daniel Wyler, the son of the most prominent and powerful family in town, she is devastated, not only by the act, but by the very public trial that follows. When she learns she is pregnant she flees Savannah to protect her child. Eight years later her father is sick and Sara must return with her daughter, Alana.. She is determined to keep Alana a secret from the Wyler family. She is worried they will use their power and influence to gain custody of the girl. When Alana accidently meets Daniel's twin brother Jacob, an immediate bond is formed. Sara realizes that she can not keep Alana and Jacob apart, and that the relationship benefits both Jacob and Alana. Both Sara's family and Daniel's family learn that they must face the past in order to move on. Each in their own way they learn to trust and forgive each other and themselves. This is a story of family, and how we all do our best to protect the ones we love, but sometimes to truly hold on to what we have we need to open ourselves up and be vulnerable.

Terah Shelton Harris treats a very sensitive subject with respect and care. Her prose is beautiful and her character development in superb. I can not wait to read more from her.

3.75 stars

I enjoyed several things about this novel, including its questions around forgiveness, addressing trauma,, family loyalty, truth and acceptance. The story was well-written and the two main characters very well-developed and likeable. I enjoyed the story being told in their perspectives in alternating chapters.

However, I found the use of poetry as the only way in which a secondary character speaks to be a bit disjointed and interrupted the flow of the novel for me. I also found that the theme of foregiveness, while though-provoking and key to moving ahead from trauma, should have been balanced with the accountability and acknowledgment of the impact of the behavior of one of the characters. I would have liked to have seen the behavior in question be head on addressed and explored.

Overall, an interesting read.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Wasn’t as good as I was expecting could have been better executed but still worth a read, just wasn’t my cup of tea. Will try another book by the author to see if that is any better.

I am grateful to have received the arc of this debut from Terah Shelton Harris. The novel is told by two main characters from alternating perspectives/chapters. Both main characters felt fully formed and I enjoyed reading from both of their viewpoints. I look forward to this coming out in July and recommend it to all my book reading friends!

I absolutely loved this story. My heart is almost bursting with joy and my brain is exploding with all the questions, thoughts, ideas, dilemmas, situations, and real-life issues which arose as I read, and which will continue to arise in my mind over and over again as I contemplate and discuss this book with others. This is not fiction, this and these situations arise daily in lives all around the world - this is real life - in your family, in my family, in the next door neighbour's family, in the world.. (I am Canadian, and that is how we spell neighbour - so it stays. LOL)

I loved the ending - I completely agree with authors who don't feel that books need to be tied up nicely with pretty little bows at the end; however, I do read from cover to cover, and for those readers who feel the need to 'tie it all up', make sure you read all the author's comments and acknowledgements at the end of the book. I, like the author, grew up in a little known spot, however, my spot was in Canada in a community called Greenmount. I attended a Grade 1-12 classroom with one teacher, and I read every single book that I could get my hands and eyes on. A library to me, at that point, was a 6 x 10 foot room, so you can imagine my delight when I entered a full city library.. Now, with internet, the world is our library.

Thank you to the author, Terah Shelton Harris, and to Net Galley and the publisher, Sourcebooks, for giving me the opportunity of reading this delightful and thought-provoking story. ..It is wonderful, indeed!

GENERAL INFO

Year Pub/Re Pub: 7/11/23

Book's cover: love it with H/h facing away from each other.

Format: Kindle

Source: Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Page Count: 416

Book's Price: $7.99

Price I'd Value: same

Setting: Savannah, GA

Genre: Multicultural interests, women's fiction

Tropes: single mother, STEM, mentally abled

Standalone/Cliffhanger/Part of a Series: standalone

HEA/HFN ending: HEA

Epilogue Included: No

Character(s)POV Spoken: Dual POV's of H/h

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Synopsis/Plot Summary: Sara and her daughter spend time in Savannah with her sick father, but ghosts of the past threaten to destroy her. David "Jacob" Wyler is from a privileged family, fallen from grace. Jacob wants to pick up the pieces and re-connect with his twin brother in prison, and his mother who he hasn't seen in 8 years.

M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F

Contains Cheating: no

Contains Children: yes, Alana. Sara's 8 yr. old daughter, a genius. Has Lost Time (LT) notebook, obsessed with time and watches. Hates school and socially uninterested.

Flashbacks: yes, Sara and Jacob's family, how they dealt with the rape and trial

Jealy/Possy/OTT H/h : Jacob is OTT protective of Sara and Alana from the moment he meets them.

Amount of Sex In The Book: not much

Overall Smex Rating: 1

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

Hero: David "Jacob" Wyler

Hero Description: biracial, PhD in astrophysics, worked in Alaska for NASA. His twin brother in prison, he hasn't seen his mother in 8 yrs. Wants to mend relationships.

Hero Likability Rating: 5

Hero loves books/writing: yes, wants to be a professor.

Heroine: Sara Lancaster

Heroine Description: 26, teacher and poet. Living in ME, goes to Savannah to care for dying father, helps run his bookstore and confront past after 8 years.

Heroine Likability Rating: 5

Heroine loves books/writing: yes, a poet like her father.

Secondary characters: Hosea-Sara's father who speaks with poetry, Sylvia-Hosea's companion& mother figure to Sara. Daniel-Jacob's twin brother, Birdie-Jacob's mother, Tom-the Wyler patriarch(deceased), Naomi-Jacob's little sister(deceased)

H /h RELATIONSHIP INFO

OW/OM/Exes: Sara talks about the 2 men she has been with after the rape.

Cheating Before/During/Outside H/h Relationship: no

CONTENT WARNINGS/TRIGGERS: Rape (off page), suicide (mentioned only) and cancer.

AUTHOR OVERVIEW: Terah Shelton Harris-a new author for me

PERSONAL OVERVIEW

Overall Rating: 5

Do You Recommend This Book: yes

Will You Re-read This Book: yes

Would You Read More Books by this Author: yes

Favorite line: "There are questions we may never solve, no matter how much we want to."
-Jacob quoting his father's lines.