THE BRIGHT YEARS, by Sarah Damoff, is a stunning debut novel about a family torn apart by alcoholism and tragedy and redeemed by love. It’s an unforgettable narrative and an unputdownable read.

THE BRIGHT YEARS
by Sarah Damoff
Simon & Schuster, April 2025
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

Ryan and Lillian Bright are madly in love, starting a business in Texas, and parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching her parents’ marriage fracture.

Kendi, a boy from their apartment complex, is one of the only people Georgette can count on, but when tragedy strikes, Georgette distances herself from both Ryan and Kendi as she tries to come to terms with her family’s past. When Lillian’s son surfaces looking for the mother that gave him away, Georgette begins unearthing her parents’ secrets and learning to find grace and love for herself.

Sarah Damoff lives with her husband and children in Dallas, where she is a social worker. She has a degree in Family Studies and a Child Protection Certification from Harvard University. A member of the Writers’ League of Texas, her work centers around family stories.