Take 5 with Terah Harris: One Summer in Savannah (Debut Novel!)

We are so excited to introduce you to WU contributor, librarian, and professional freelance writer Terah Harris‘s debut novel, One Summer in Savannah–a novel that New York Times bestselling author Mateo Askaripour (Black Buck) calls “Nothing short of astonishing. To write a novel that has the capacity to uplift you while it tears your heart to shreds is a balancing act few can achieve, but Harris does with ease and endless empathy. We are brought face-to-face with the most difficult questions―of family, forgiveness, and how to make a way forward―but if we can muster the courage of characters like Sara and Jacob, we will find answers that sustain us for years to come. The best writers are brave writers, and Harris has proven herself among those ranks.”

And here’s some late-breaking news on Terah’s debut: It has been named Target’s July Book Club Pick! Congratulations, Terah!

I'm BEYOND thrilled to finally announce that ONE SUMMER IN SAVANNAH is Target's July Book Club Pick! I cannot believe that this book, the book that took somewhat of an unconventional route to publication, will be featured in @Target across the country! pic.twitter.com/HpNgSJyiDe

— Terah Harris (@terahsharris) July 2, 2023

Q: What’s the premise of your new book?

Terah Harris: A young poet, Sara Lancaster, returns home after eight years away to run her father’s bookstore and finds she must protect her gifted daughter—and herself—from the powerful family of the man who raped her, something made even more difficult when she falls in love with the last person she expects: His twin brother, Jacob.

Q: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

TH: While it is a work of fiction, parts of the story are not. There’s a real person who lives Sara’s story and practices the act of forgiveness every day. I also want readers to understand that this book was written to challenge them on the definition of forgiveness. They may or may not agree with the choices Sara makes and that’s okay. The road to forgiveness is often not paved smoothly. It’s rough. It’s hard and lined with unexpected obstacles. I wanted Sara’s (and the reader’s) journey to reflect that. Forgiveness is more about healing the person who gives it than absolving someone of their wrongs. Understanding forgiveness is about defining it for yourself and not conforming to someone else’s definition. It takes a strong heart and a willing mind to accept that.

Q: What unique challenges did this book pose for you, if any?

TH: ONE SUMMER IN SAVANNAH shines a light on an even darker side of sexual assault that no one ever talks about. Thousands of brave people are faced with rape-related pregnancies every year. And yet, conception following a sexual assault is rarely covered in fiction. By exploring such a topic, it is my hope, at the very least, to raise awareness of the plights of Saras around the world and the role forgiveness could play in such situations. But I struggled on how to do that. I took some time to discover what to include and what not to include. What to focus on and what to skim over. From the beginning, I knew that I did not want to include Sara’s assault on the page. While it is briefly discussed in dialogue and introspection, it is not detailed at all. I never felt it was necessary for the reader to live that in order to connect with Sara. Instead, I focused on Sara’s love and protection for her daughter, Alana. Every decision Sara makes is in the best interest of Alana. Despite her trauma, Sara placed Alana’s needs ahead of her own and that’s a testament to the real Sara and all the Saras of the world.

Q: What challenges did you set before your protagonist, Sara? Were those especially challenging for you to write?

TH: The decision to make Daniel (Sara’s attacker) and Jacob identical twins was challenging. I toyed with this idea and ultimately decided to go for it. Making them identical twins allowed me to stretch and explore an unexpected and unique nuance. It might have been easy for me, for Sara, for the reader, to accept Jacob if he were a fraternal twin. Sara has been running from her past for eight years and when she finally accepts her plight and begins her walk toward forgiveness, I wanted Sara to face, quite literally, her past. While Daniel and Jacob are identical twins, certain circumstances (no spoilers) have altered their appearance, but making them fraternal twins would have been taking the easy way out, and forgiveness is anything but easy.

Q: What has been the most rewarding aspect of having written this book?

TH: How much it has challenged readers to read something different, explore new topics and ideals, and discover how a shared trauma connects two people. I also love how much this book has helped readers redefined their own definition of forgiveness and have important conversations about forgiveness, grief, and sexual assault.

Congratulations on your debut, Terah, and thank you for sharing your journey with us today!

WU Community, you can learn more about Terah’s novel on her website, and by following the buy-links below. Read on! 

Writer Unboxed

Writer Unboxed began as a collaboration between Kathleen Bolton and Therese Walsh in 2006. Since then, the site has grown to include ~50 regular contributors and a variety of guests on rotation throughout a given year.

In 2016, the Writer Unboxed team published a book with Writer’s Digest / Random House. AUTHOR IN PROGRESS: A No-Holds-Barred Guide to What It Really Takes to Get Published is a comprehensive guide focused on helping writers over/around/through hurdles faced at every stage of the novel-writing process. It’s received some ***** reviews; we hope you’ll check it out.

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