The Bright Years

By Sarah Damoff
** Publication Date 22 April 2025 **
​4.5 stars
This book definitely brought on a few tears. Shocking and touching moments. Sadness and joy. A lot of life and death piled into a handful of chapters. It was good. Really good.


Lillian has lost both her parents. First her mother to cancer. Then her father to a drunk driver. 


Ryan had a father, once. Still does, technically. He’s grown up living alone with his mother Elise. She fled the family home when she’d had one too many nights of her husband’s drunken rages. 


One day Ryan has the courage to approach Lillian at the library. From there it’s lunch at a Greek restaurant. Lunch that rolls into dinner, and eventually into a life together. Together they build a gallery to display Ryan’s work as well as other artists. Together they make a baby and a life together. Everything together, until it isn’t. 


This novel covers an entire lifetime for each of the characters. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. It covers topics from alcoholism and addiction to love and forgiveness. It is probably one of my favorites of the year so far. It touched me deeply. Especially the forgiveness part. 


Worth the read. Along the lines of Hello Beautiful. Hard to believe this is a debut novel.