This is Sarah Enright with the Sioux City Public Library and you’re listening to Check It Out.
The book I’m recommending today is The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff. It’s a novel that asks us to think about how we define the very best times of our lives. Many of us look back and label certain chapters as “the best years,” but Damoff poses an important question—what if the brightest days aren’t only in the past? What if they’re still waiting for us, in the moments we haven’t yet lived?
In this story, Damoff introduces characters who face the kinds of challenges and choices we all recognize—friendships that change, family struggles, unexpected turns that alter the course of life. What makes the book especially engaging is the way these ordinary experiences are written with honesty and care. The result is a story that feels grounded while still carrying a strong sense of hope.
What stands out most about The Bright Years is its balance. The novel doesn’t gloss over hardship or pretend life is always easy. Instead, it acknowledges pain and difficulty while reminding readers that resilience, joy, and connection can still be found, even in unexpected seasons. It’s a story that encourages us not only to reflect on where we’ve been, but to imagine what might still lie ahead.
For readers who appreciate fiction that feels heartfelt and inspiring, The Bright Years offers a thoughtful reminder that meaning can be found in both the struggles and the triumphs of life.
Check out The Bright Years—and discover other uplifting and thought-provoking stories—at the Sioux City Public Library.
Support for Check It Out on Siouxland Public Media comes from Avery Brothers.