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THE BRIGHT YEARS
Sarah Damoff
Simon and Schuster
April 22, 2025
288 pages
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This is a beautifully written debut book. It is the family saga of Lillian (Mom), Ryan (Dad) and daughter (Georgette/“Jet”) with each of them telling their part. The family is far from perfect. There are secrets, abuse, alcoholism, death. But, with all their imperfections, I couldn’t stop hoping for the best for them.
The main characters are realistic with doubts, anger and insecurities. The secondary characters provide a genuine support system for the main characters.
The writing style is simple yet it has depth…..sounds contradictory but the author makes excellent use of words without getting flowery. One particular sentence really struck me: “How alcohol decides what to destroy and what to leave alone.” Simple sentence but anyone who has experienced alcohol addiction in their family will probably understand.
Minor detail but I loved the fact that ice cream was a major player….for celebrations, for comfort and just because.
I was surprised by the ending. It was not expected. But, it ended with hope.
“So much can be lost and still so much remains.”
Excerpt From: The Bright Years
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