One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris

 

This book begins with a Content warning: Sara, our protagonist, was raped and became pregnant from that incident. She has moved far from her Savannah home—to Maine—to escape the constant scrutiny of the town where the rape occurred, far from the rapist’s family to a jurisdiction where they have no rights to Sara or her child.

Sara has maintained her isolated existence for nearly a decade, keeping in touch with her father via video calls, and putting her life on hold. But when he faces a final, terminal medical diagnosis, Sara regrets being away so long and returns.

There she must revisit all the consequences of putting a pillar of the community’s son behind bars, as well as her father’s mortality. The book is well written and sensitive—often heartbreaking. Set in the outskirts of Savannah, the ocean and islands of the deep south help set a temperature for the novel and its characters. There is southern charm and hospitality, but also undertones of class, racism and pride that make this book so readable.

My only problem with the book results from my legal background. The book posits that no one knew of Sara’s pregnancy, yet we are also told she was a witness, subject to cross examination, at her rapist’s trial. He had top notch lawyers, but he was still sentenced before her pregnancy became evident. I didn’t find that credible. I also had trouble with the lack of overbearing heat in Savannah in the summer but am willing to accept that one acclimates to extremes.

I enjoyed the book and admired the characters and look forward to reading this debut author’s next one. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the early copy.