DOWN HERE WE COME UP IBD

Sinopsis

Winner of the 2022 Big Moose PrizeThis debut is a literary mic drop. From its propulsive start to its satisfying close,áDown Here We Come Upácaptures the convergence of three women who must weigh whatâÇÖs unpalatable against whatâÇÖs best for their children. Maternal sacrifice beats at the heart of this book, but its blood courses through the evolving landscape of race and class in the American south, the expanding drug trade, and the exploitation and abuse of migrant workers. ItâÇÖs an origin story and an examination of belonging composed in vibrant detail, with tone and themes reminiscent ofáWhere the Crawdads Singáand NetflixâÇÖsáOzark.áDown Here We Come Up, like the hospitality attributed to its setting, will draw you in and wonâÇÖt easily let you go.-Alena Dillon, author ofáMercy HouseáandáEyes Turned SkywardGripping! A fiery young woman returns home, compelled to undo a heart-twisting mistake. Layers of trouble meet her in a sultry North Carolina summer. Sara Johnson Allen delivers a pulsing, gorgeous debut novel full of schemes of survival, schemes of love.-Mary-Beth Hughes, author ofáThe Ocean HouseIn exquisite prose, Sara Johnson Allen explores motherhood in the face of wrenching economic and racial realities of the American south yet weaves moments of joy and exhilaration throughout.áDown Here We Come Upáis written with such empathy and grace that I felt I knew these women and will carry them with me for a long time.-Ana Reyes, author ofáThe House in the PinesDown Here We Come Upástings, and it stings good. A motherâÇÖs love can be as real as it is transactional. A daughterâÇÖs roots can endure even as they destroy. Sara Johnson AllenâÇÖs North Carolina and larger American landscape are startlingly alive on the page. In the space between its scorched grass and freezer burned peas, the book sizzles and aches. A tenacious and moving work.-Simon Han, author ofáNights When Nothing HappenedKate thought sheâÇÖd escaped the poverty and shame of her childhood, but when the mistakes and betrayals of her past come calling, sheâÇÖs faced with the debts she owes to history, to blood, and must decide how much she is willing to risk to settle them. Tender, honest, and thought-provoking,áDown Here We Come Upáis an illuminating journey to the dark heart of forgiveness and self discovery. A daring debut from a writer to watch.-Meagan Lucas, author ofáSongbirds and Stray DogsáandáHere in the DarkWitháDown Here We Come Up, Sara Johnson Allen reminds us that home can be an emotionally messy place--and our mothers even messier. Allen masterfully captures these complexities with propulsive, wholehearted storytelling. This is a remarkable and beautifully written debut!-Deesha Philyaw, author ofáThe Secret Lives of Church Ladies