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Sugar Land
A southern fried novel about love, Lead Belly, and liberation that's been called a "ravishing debut" in a starred Kirkus Review and "writing at its finest" by the NY Journal of Books.
It's 1923 in Midland, Texas, and Miss Dara falls in love with her best friend―who also happens to be a girl. Terrified, Miss Dara takes a job at Imperial State Prison Farm for men. Once there, she befriends inmate and soon-to-be legendary blues singer Lead Belly, who sings his way out (true story)―but only after he makes her promise to free herself from her own prison. SUGAR LAND is a triumphant novel that manages to be funny and endearing even as it tangles with race, class, and the fate of misfits.
"A powerful paperback that doesn't pull any emotional punches, Sugar Land is a debut you don't want to miss." - Bustle
"With a lively sense of humor and a great sense of place, tammy lynne stoner’s debut is a Southern novel from a voice that rings true ... with keen insight into race, class, gender identity and social norms, Sugar Land is the story of a woman learning to come home to herself." - BookPage
"Stoner creates a captivating story for the ages—a young, southern girl in the 1920s who becomes a ballsy broad in a double-wide...This heartbreaking and hysterical book inspires us with a brave and unusual life.”
—Jillian Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Some Girls: My Life in a Harem and Everything You Ever Wanted
It's 1923 in Midland, Texas, and Miss Dara falls in love with her best friend―who also happens to be a girl. Terrified, Miss Dara takes a job at Imperial State Prison Farm for men. Once there, she befriends inmate and soon-to-be legendary blues singer Lead Belly, who sings his way out (true story)―but only after he makes her promise to free herself from her own prison. SUGAR LAND is a triumphant novel that manages to be funny and endearing even as it tangles with race, class, and the fate of misfits.
"A powerful paperback that doesn't pull any emotional punches, Sugar Land is a debut you don't want to miss." - Bustle
"With a lively sense of humor and a great sense of place, tammy lynne stoner’s debut is a Southern novel from a voice that rings true ... with keen insight into race, class, gender identity and social norms, Sugar Land is the story of a woman learning to come home to herself." - BookPage
"Stoner creates a captivating story for the ages—a young, southern girl in the 1920s who becomes a ballsy broad in a double-wide...This heartbreaking and hysterical book inspires us with a brave and unusual life.”
—Jillian Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Some Girls: My Life in a Harem and Everything You Ever Wanted
334 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2018
About the author
Tammy Lynne Stoner
2 books50 followerstammy was born in Midland, Texas, where some of her debut novel SUGAR LAND (which the New York Journal of Books calls "writing at its finest") is set.
She's also the Publisher of Gertrude and wrangler of GERTIE, a queer book club.
Stemming from what her grandmother calls her "gypsy blood," tammy has lived in 16 cities in 3 countries, working as a gas station attendant, biscuit maker, medical experimentee, waitress in a Greek diner, house cleaner, and a college instructor – among other odd jobs. She also created “Dottie’s Magic Pockets" for kids.
Though once terrified of bridges, tammy now lives between two bridge cities – Portland, OR and Basel, Switzerland - with her lady-friend, Karena, and their three kids. She can usually be found in the bathtub.
She's also the Publisher of Gertrude and wrangler of GERTIE, a queer book club.
Stemming from what her grandmother calls her "gypsy blood," tammy has lived in 16 cities in 3 countries, working as a gas station attendant, biscuit maker, medical experimentee, waitress in a Greek diner, house cleaner, and a college instructor – among other odd jobs. She also created “Dottie’s Magic Pockets" for kids.
Though once terrified of bridges, tammy now lives between two bridge cities – Portland, OR and Basel, Switzerland - with her lady-friend, Karena, and their three kids. She can usually be found in the bathtub.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
May 1, 2019
Sugar Land has received a starred review from Kirkus, and I can definitely understand why. I instantly fell right into Miss Dara’s story and Stoner’s storytelling. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
In 1920s Texas, Miss Dara has fallen in love with her best friend. This terrifies her, so she seeks a job at the Imperial State Prison for men. There she meets Lead Belly, who later becomes a star blues singer. They form a true friendship, and he makes her promise to live her best, true life. Then, he sings his way out of prison.
Sugar Land reminded me of what’s best about a Fannie Flagg novel. There’s depth, wit, and so much charm. My feelings ran the gamut from laughter to sadness.
Dara is everything you want in your main character. She is authentic, relatable, and fallible with a heart of gold. Dara marries, becomes a widow, and gets a second chance at love. This is her story. And it’s a big one, and it’s chock-full of clever humor.
Tammy Lynne Stoner captures the beauty and the gritty day-to-day of Dara’s life and search for meaning. My favorite aspect of the story other than Dara? The sparse writing.
Overall, Sugar Land is a precisely-told, gritty, redeeming story about second chances filled with hope and inspiration, if you look for it.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
In 1920s Texas, Miss Dara has fallen in love with her best friend. This terrifies her, so she seeks a job at the Imperial State Prison for men. There she meets Lead Belly, who later becomes a star blues singer. They form a true friendship, and he makes her promise to live her best, true life. Then, he sings his way out of prison.
Sugar Land reminded me of what’s best about a Fannie Flagg novel. There’s depth, wit, and so much charm. My feelings ran the gamut from laughter to sadness.
Dara is everything you want in your main character. She is authentic, relatable, and fallible with a heart of gold. Dara marries, becomes a widow, and gets a second chance at love. This is her story. And it’s a big one, and it’s chock-full of clever humor.
Tammy Lynne Stoner captures the beauty and the gritty day-to-day of Dara’s life and search for meaning. My favorite aspect of the story other than Dara? The sparse writing.
Overall, Sugar Land is a precisely-told, gritty, redeeming story about second chances filled with hope and inspiration, if you look for it.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
January 14, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“No life is easy, and no life is hard; it’s just what adjectives you choose to describe it.”
I would have never even heard of this book if it weren’t for my friend SUSAN putting it on my radar. Her 4 Star rating was all I needed in order to request this from the library. And the cover meant I didn’t bother reading the synopsis because trailer parks? Yes please. Those are where my type of people live . . . .
Imagine my surprise when things weren’t all methy and stabby like they usually are when wrapped up in a cover like this, but instead was historical fictiony?????
Despite its lack of meth (there is a little bit of a reformed pedophile eventually to balance things out), Sugar Land still receives nearly all of the Starzzzzzzz from me. The story here is of Miss Dara as you follow her life from Midland, Texas in the 1920s to . . . you guessed it . . . Sugar Land, Texas where she spends the remainder of her days until her death in 1981. From her time working in the kitchen of Imperial State Prison Farm, to marriage, to widowhood, to the trailer park (because yes, eventually there is one), to a second chance at love – Miss Dara’s life story is unlike any other. Call it historical fiction, fictional biography, chick lit, LGBTQ, tragicomedy or whatever other label you want to throw on it, it’s un-put-down-able as Miss Dara learns how to be true to herself while being surrounded by others who already are. 4 Stars because the last third of the book contains a simply wonderful biting humor that the first two-thirds was missing. I wish the entire book would have been in that voice.
“No life is easy, and no life is hard; it’s just what adjectives you choose to describe it.”
I would have never even heard of this book if it weren’t for my friend SUSAN putting it on my radar. Her 4 Star rating was all I needed in order to request this from the library. And the cover meant I didn’t bother reading the synopsis because trailer parks? Yes please. Those are where my type of people live . . . .
Imagine my surprise when things weren’t all methy and stabby like they usually are when wrapped up in a cover like this, but instead was historical fictiony?????
Despite its lack of meth (there is a little bit of a reformed pedophile eventually to balance things out), Sugar Land still receives nearly all of the Starzzzzzzz from me. The story here is of Miss Dara as you follow her life from Midland, Texas in the 1920s to . . . you guessed it . . . Sugar Land, Texas where she spends the remainder of her days until her death in 1981. From her time working in the kitchen of Imperial State Prison Farm, to marriage, to widowhood, to the trailer park (because yes, eventually there is one), to a second chance at love – Miss Dara’s life story is unlike any other. Call it historical fiction, fictional biography, chick lit, LGBTQ, tragicomedy or whatever other label you want to throw on it, it’s un-put-down-able as Miss Dara learns how to be true to herself while being surrounded by others who already are. 4 Stars because the last third of the book contains a simply wonderful biting humor that the first two-thirds was missing. I wish the entire book would have been in that voice.
October 19, 2019
Early in this novel the teen-aged Dara kisses the first great love of her life, Rhodie, and in a burst of insight and joy she realizes she is a lesbian. The very next day Dara overhears her uncle, the town sheriff, laughing with another officer about how the two of them had cured four women of their ‘perversion’ by raping them the night before, and in second burst of insight Dara realizes she will never be safe in her home town, and runs away.
If this sort of abrupt, let’s-not-waste-any-time storytelling is okay with you, then you will likely enjoy Sugar Land very much. I did. The novel has a level of sweetness that floats above its main story of homophobia and racism, and the sweetness blurs the edges of things, so that the harsh parts of the story never get too difficult to read. In this way it reminded me of Under the Udala Trees, another coming-of-age-while-lesbian story that was thematically true but never so violent that I needed to look away. For some stories I need this level of non-reality, frankly. A gentle, upbeat book with a happy ending sometimes speaks to me more than full-on reality, because I can keep reading. The story that unspools here is beautifully told and I felt safe within these pages.
Another thing I loved about this novel is its depiction of minimum-wage work. Like Dara I have also worked in a cafeteria, and in all-male-except-me settings. I’ll never forget some of the things left on the cafeteria trays coming at me on their way to the conveyor belt to the dishwasher, or the way it feels to hash up slop eight hours a day, or the general awfulness of men in a group when you’re the only woman around, or how your hair smells at the end of the day. This way of life is so well portrayed here that I was almost overcome a few times by bad-gravy memories as I read.
While the people in Sugar Land never feel exactly real, they do feel like fictional people I cared about, and whose welfare I worried about.
If this sort of abrupt, let’s-not-waste-any-time storytelling is okay with you, then you will likely enjoy Sugar Land very much. I did. The novel has a level of sweetness that floats above its main story of homophobia and racism, and the sweetness blurs the edges of things, so that the harsh parts of the story never get too difficult to read. In this way it reminded me of Under the Udala Trees, another coming-of-age-while-lesbian story that was thematically true but never so violent that I needed to look away. For some stories I need this level of non-reality, frankly. A gentle, upbeat book with a happy ending sometimes speaks to me more than full-on reality, because I can keep reading. The story that unspools here is beautifully told and I felt safe within these pages.
Another thing I loved about this novel is its depiction of minimum-wage work. Like Dara I have also worked in a cafeteria, and in all-male-except-me settings. I’ll never forget some of the things left on the cafeteria trays coming at me on their way to the conveyor belt to the dishwasher, or the way it feels to hash up slop eight hours a day, or the general awfulness of men in a group when you’re the only woman around, or how your hair smells at the end of the day. This way of life is so well portrayed here that I was almost overcome a few times by bad-gravy memories as I read.
While the people in Sugar Land never feel exactly real, they do feel like fictional people I cared about, and whose welfare I worried about.
January 21, 2019
I've seen this compared to Fannie Flagg and while the mood is a bit darker, there are similar themes of strong female characters and unspoken secrets against the backdrop of a small southern town that's resistant to change. More than Flagg, this book reminded me of Springsteen's Nebraska album. Acoustic, gritty, bleak and sparse.
At first I thought that the characters needed to be better developed but then realized that I was mistaking their personal loneliness and emptiness for lack of development. These are characters that are filled with so much sadness that they can seem void and hollowed out.
This book can make you ponder all the loves that should have been (as well as all of the people who have been robbed of being able to be their true selves) but were never able to bloom due to unfair circumstances of time and place. This book also really enters the mind of a character who out of personal (and necessary) reasons, has to erect walls around her that result in self-imprisonment.
Trigger warnings abound, but just like Springsteen's Nebraska - somewhere amongst the tragedy of it all lies hope, inspiration and redemption. While Springsteen offers redemption via rock and roll - these characters' redemption lies with self-forgiveness.
This book is a wonderful addition to Queer Southern Lit.
At first I thought that the characters needed to be better developed but then realized that I was mistaking their personal loneliness and emptiness for lack of development. These are characters that are filled with so much sadness that they can seem void and hollowed out.
This book can make you ponder all the loves that should have been (as well as all of the people who have been robbed of being able to be their true selves) but were never able to bloom due to unfair circumstances of time and place. This book also really enters the mind of a character who out of personal (and necessary) reasons, has to erect walls around her that result in self-imprisonment.
Trigger warnings abound, but just like Springsteen's Nebraska - somewhere amongst the tragedy of it all lies hope, inspiration and redemption. While Springsteen offers redemption via rock and roll - these characters' redemption lies with self-forgiveness.
This book is a wonderful addition to Queer Southern Lit.
December 26, 2018
In a small town in Texas in the summer of 1923, Miss Dara falls in love with a girl. Terrified of what that means and what her family and community would think, she flees to the safety of the kitchen of the farm prison at Sugarland, which isn't a safe place for a young woman, but she makes a place for herself nonetheless.
Sugar Land follows the life of Miss Dara from a young woman falling in love, to a cook in a difficult environment who makes a few friends; an inmate with immense musical talent, another cook whose quiet decency protects her, and the prison warden, to a wife and step-mother and through to the end of her life.
Despite the bleakness of Miss Dara's surroundings and her situation of always have to conceal who she really is, Tammy Lynne Stoner keeps the tone of the novel upbeat. Miss Dara is simply too pragmatic and too optimistic to allow herself to do anything other than to persevere and to take joy out of what she can, from a stray cat to the trailer she'll eventually call home.
This is a novel about family, and about loving the family and friends that you are given. It's about learning to accept oneself and to accept others as they are and not as you'd wish them to be. Sugar Land is published by the very small Red Hen Press and it reminded me of how small presses are constantly publishing interesting and unusual novels, and how finding and reading books put out by small presses is always rewarding.
Sugar Land follows the life of Miss Dara from a young woman falling in love, to a cook in a difficult environment who makes a few friends; an inmate with immense musical talent, another cook whose quiet decency protects her, and the prison warden, to a wife and step-mother and through to the end of her life.
Despite the bleakness of Miss Dara's surroundings and her situation of always have to conceal who she really is, Tammy Lynne Stoner keeps the tone of the novel upbeat. Miss Dara is simply too pragmatic and too optimistic to allow herself to do anything other than to persevere and to take joy out of what she can, from a stray cat to the trailer she'll eventually call home.
This is a novel about family, and about loving the family and friends that you are given. It's about learning to accept oneself and to accept others as they are and not as you'd wish them to be. Sugar Land is published by the very small Red Hen Press and it reminded me of how small presses are constantly publishing interesting and unusual novels, and how finding and reading books put out by small presses is always rewarding.
December 9, 2018
I really wanted to like this book, but had mixed reactions to it. I enjoyed the first half and would have given that part 4 stars. But somewhere towards the 50-60% point my interest began to wane, and I'd give the rest of the book two and a half to three stars. I've tried to figure out why.
I enjoyed getting to know young Miss Dara. I was touched and drawn into the angst of realizing you are a woman who loves another woman in a time when that was not only completely unacceptable, but dangerous. I cared about Dara and what she was experiencing, and felt her pain when she felt forced to leave the familiar behind, trying through relocation to change her nature (or at least tamp it out of sight). This rang true to the experience of many, even to this day.
I enjoyed the interpersonal dynamics between Dara and her co-workers and Lead Belly, and envisioning this scared, yet tough young woman making a place for herself in an unlikely setting. The challenges, quiet triumphs and reasons to be afraid were all palpable with writing that drew me in.
Once the story moved more to family dynamics, and the characters I had enjoyed virtually disappeared, I felt I was now looking through a window and no longer inside the characters. From that point on it felt as though I was only getting in about a quarter of an inch, when I prefer to be embedded in the story. I had to force myself to finish, and mostly skimmed.
It might be that I enjoy a more compact story, going more deeply into the smaller world, and am less able to sustain interest in a story that covers more time and change. I was unsatisfied with what happened between Dara and Rhodie, although it's probably a fairly accurate portrayal of what often occurs between people. We often don't talk about what is most important, and leave unfinished business when we go. I was also unsatisfied with the last contact between Dara and Lead Belly. A moment that could have been much deeper, it seemed to skim the surface of what had been an important relationship for each of them.
A mixed read for me, with a strong beginning but second half that seemed less robust.
I enjoyed getting to know young Miss Dara. I was touched and drawn into the angst of realizing you are a woman who loves another woman in a time when that was not only completely unacceptable, but dangerous. I cared about Dara and what she was experiencing, and felt her pain when she felt forced to leave the familiar behind, trying through relocation to change her nature (or at least tamp it out of sight). This rang true to the experience of many, even to this day.
I enjoyed the interpersonal dynamics between Dara and her co-workers and Lead Belly, and envisioning this scared, yet tough young woman making a place for herself in an unlikely setting. The challenges, quiet triumphs and reasons to be afraid were all palpable with writing that drew me in.
Once the story moved more to family dynamics, and the characters I had enjoyed virtually disappeared, I felt I was now looking through a window and no longer inside the characters. From that point on it felt as though I was only getting in about a quarter of an inch, when I prefer to be embedded in the story. I had to force myself to finish, and mostly skimmed.
It might be that I enjoy a more compact story, going more deeply into the smaller world, and am less able to sustain interest in a story that covers more time and change. I was unsatisfied with what happened between Dara and Rhodie, although it's probably a fairly accurate portrayal of what often occurs between people. We often don't talk about what is most important, and leave unfinished business when we go. I was also unsatisfied with the last contact between Dara and Lead Belly. A moment that could have been much deeper, it seemed to skim the surface of what had been an important relationship for each of them.
A mixed read for me, with a strong beginning but second half that seemed less robust.
December 10, 2018
Gotta love an author who publishes her first novel at age 50. Stoner takes us deep into Fannie Flagg territory in this novel that follows a young lesbian from the 1920s up through the 1960s. It's hokey at times, but the characters are memorable if a bit broadly drawn, and the humor and sweetness make it an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars rounding up to 4.
December 1, 2023
the fatphobia in this was insane......
also seconding this review
Rep: lesbian mc, Black side character, nonbinary lesbian side character, sapphic side characters
CWs: internalised fatphobia, sexual assault & harassment, racism & racial slurs, homophobia
also seconding this review
Rep: lesbian mc, Black side character, nonbinary lesbian side character, sapphic side characters
CWs: internalised fatphobia, sexual assault & harassment, racism & racial slurs, homophobia
November 15, 2018
Full disclosure - the author is a very dear childhood friend. Being a supporter of friends and all things women entrepreneur, I bought the book and read it to be supportive. And I LOVED it. No, really...I absolutely loved it. If I didn't love it, I would never take the time to write a review. I sit here now with a feeling of contentment having just finished this sweet, beautiful story and a little sad that it's over. Tammy's writing is extraordinary. She creates a vivid and clear picture of each character and scene. Example: "The warden, always a lover of the practical, shushed him. 'Ladies come in all shapes and sizes and deserve our respect, Ken.' When he said that, it made it somehow all right for me to sit with my legs uncrossed. It made it OK that I didn't carry a purse. It made it ok that makeup felt like a colorful lie on my face." And another favorite, highly relatable quote, "I left her room wondering how many people I would hurt because I cared what others thought." There are just too many examples of superb use of language to list here.
I often fight books and plots, trying to figure out the ending. This one was in no way predictable, gratuitous, or forced. She builds scenarios and relationships that are believable but often surprising. If you are in the mood to curl up with a book that will leave you feeling like you just met a bunch of new friends, this is the one. Not only is it a great read but it would make a terrific book club selection.
I often fight books and plots, trying to figure out the ending. This one was in no way predictable, gratuitous, or forced. She builds scenarios and relationships that are believable but often surprising. If you are in the mood to curl up with a book that will leave you feeling like you just met a bunch of new friends, this is the one. Not only is it a great read but it would make a terrific book club selection.
September 16, 2018
Stoner's debut story of a young woman trying to find her way in the world is both light and profound. Dara falls in love with her best friend, and the bliss she feels is like nothing ever before. Events occur which derail her future plans, so Dara regroups and tiptoes her way into a different kind of life. Sweet and serious, Sugar Land is a great coming-of-age story that looks at both the euphoria and the despair of first and all-consuming love. Fans of Fannie Flagg will be thrilled with Sugar Land.
December 9, 2018
Loved this book. Would recommend.
Read
December 5, 2018DNF at page 32. The story synopsis sounded great, maybe if I had given it more time and reached the part where Dara evolved into (as one positive blurb put it) "a ballsy broad in a double-wide" I would have liked it as much as some of my GoodReads friends. But I was not in the mood for the cornpone of the first 32 pages, and even the promise of Leadbelly couldn't keep me going. I should beware comparisons to Fannie Flagg.
January 20, 2020
Sugar Land published in 2018, is set in the 1920s starting in Midland and ending in Sugar Land. Having grown up in the Houston/Galveston area, as a small child we often drove through Sugar Land and by the prison there. Convicts were often out on roadcrews and the area was beautiful. The prison is gone now, the land sold off to developers, and Sugarland was for a while, one of the fastest-growing areas in the state.
This novel is a historical fiction about the Texas Prison System, or not really ABOUT the prison, but the prison used as the backdrop to a historical coming out story.. by the way beautifully told.
I read the book almost in one evening.. sadly I fell asleep after 5 hours and just couldn't finish it, but did in the morning.
The review says, "Sugar Land is a triumphant, beautiful novel about the heart's refusal to be denied what the heart wants." AND I have to agree... it was a sweet family story, maybe not the same kind of family you want, but sometimes the family that you get.
Happy Reading!
This novel is a historical fiction about the Texas Prison System, or not really ABOUT the prison, but the prison used as the backdrop to a historical coming out story.. by the way beautifully told.
I read the book almost in one evening.. sadly I fell asleep after 5 hours and just couldn't finish it, but did in the morning.
The review says, "Sugar Land is a triumphant, beautiful novel about the heart's refusal to be denied what the heart wants." AND I have to agree... it was a sweet family story, maybe not the same kind of family you want, but sometimes the family that you get.
Happy Reading!
Read
November 5, 2019I liked a lot of things about this book. I thought that the voice was done quite well, and just in general I think I’ve had a pull toward period stories lately. It’s a story about self-acceptance and sexuality, following the main character from her young adulthood in the 1920’s in South Texas through late middle age in the 1960’s, as she learns to be both independent and to come to understand and accept herself as a lesbian. I think one of the valuable things about taking on sexuality and things like nonbinary gender in a period story like this is that it reaffirms that LGBTQ+ people have always been around.
There were some parts that I found a bit jarring, particularly with respect to the main character’s relationship to her weight—I wasn’t quite sure if it came off as fatphobic or not, though since the book is told from a pretty close first-person perspective, it’s just as likely that this is more coming from the character than from the book, if that makes sense.
In any case, I liked the book quite well, and I’m glad I read it.
There were some parts that I found a bit jarring, particularly with respect to the main character’s relationship to her weight—I wasn’t quite sure if it came off as fatphobic or not, though since the book is told from a pretty close first-person perspective, it’s just as likely that this is more coming from the character than from the book, if that makes sense.
In any case, I liked the book quite well, and I’m glad I read it.
September 19, 2018
Sugar Land is difficult to pin down as it spans years and follows a characters as she discovers the many iterations of herself. From fleeing forbidden love to finding friendship in prison to ultimately discovering that being true to yourself is what sets us all free, Nana Dara is a one of a kind character.
She is at times forceful and at other time hesitant, confident and insecure, reflecting the dualities in all our personalities. It's true she is a lesbian, but she is no token character, she's a fully realized human being with all her qualities and flaws on show for us.
The writing in Sugar Land is impeccable. Stoner has a touch both deft and light that conveys layers of meaning in simple descriptions.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Don't listen to my blathering... go get yourself a copy. This is one debut you do not want to miss.
She is at times forceful and at other time hesitant, confident and insecure, reflecting the dualities in all our personalities. It's true she is a lesbian, but she is no token character, she's a fully realized human being with all her qualities and flaws on show for us.
The writing in Sugar Land is impeccable. Stoner has a touch both deft and light that conveys layers of meaning in simple descriptions.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Don't listen to my blathering... go get yourself a copy. This is one debut you do not want to miss.
January 3, 2019
I was unsure whether I was going to continue reading this book at first, given some of the heavy subject matter (take this as a trigger warning for sexual assault), but I'm so glad I kept reading! This book follows the life Dara, as she wrestles with her sexuality while living and working in Midland, Texas. The book explores what it might have been like to grow up queer in a conservative part of the world during a conservative moment in time (sadly the prejudices portrayed in this story are still held by many). I loved this book and found it hard to put down after the first 90 pages. Stoner is wonderful story teller and I am looking forward to reading her next book.
July 26, 2020
if i were a white author publishing a book in the year 2018 i would simply not publish a book which has so much violent racist language. rip to tammy lynne stoner but i'm different
(seriously, i'm exhausted of white gay people writing fiction about white gay people. i feel like i almost would have liked this book better if she didn't even try to engage with the topic of race with her ridiculous caricature of huddie and the virulent racism in the prison, which she then dropped entirely and barely referenced again after dara was Saved by marrying the warden or whatever.)
(seriously, i'm exhausted of white gay people writing fiction about white gay people. i feel like i almost would have liked this book better if she didn't even try to engage with the topic of race with her ridiculous caricature of huddie and the virulent racism in the prison, which she then dropped entirely and barely referenced again after dara was Saved by marrying the warden or whatever.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2018
Beautifully written. Sugar Land is the story of a Texas woman who attempts to sequester herself away from the world by going to work in a prison for men. It’s a heartbreaking start to a rich life of love and joy. There are so many great characters in this novel, and the setting is rich with historical detail and gritty Southern charm.
December 1, 2018
Stoner is a brilliant writer. Her life of a Southern woman from the 20s through the 1970s is painful, moving, and, above all, funny. Netflix, Hulu and/or Amazon would be fools not to option the film rights to this warm, big-hearted, tender and humane story, whose language is gorgeous on the page and whose characters and drama cry out for the screen. Women with an affinity for lady friends will find this work an especially satisfying read.
July 7, 2019
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book all that much at first. The main character, Miss Dara, came across as incredibly simple and impossible to really fathom, even though the narration is first person from her view point. But as the story continued and grew deeper, I was completely entranced. There were parts that left me absolutely breathless with emotions. This was a very powerful read, especially for a debut novel. My biggest complaint is it wasn't very closely edited, which I generally find distracting and takes me out of the story.
December 4, 2018
A southern coming of age story about learning to come to terms with life and what makes your heart ring true. Set in the twenties, a young woman named Dara escapes from Midland, Texas only to run straight into a prison. Dara works in the kitchen and tries to put her past and her great romance to bed. She fell hard for her best friend but is too concerned with what the consequences could be if anyone ever discovered her attraction to girls. Safely ensconced in a prison filled with men, Dara soon befriends Leadbelly, a blues singer destined for stardom, and learns that love is what you make it. Sugar Land follows Dara's journey over the decades as she learns to do more than accept the lot life has given her. Brilliantly executed by the talented Donna Postel who throws just the right amount of southern charm into this novel of acceptance and love. Courageous, captivating, and charming, filled with characters that readers won't be able to stop thinking about. For fans of LGBTQ+ romance, historical fiction, and southern charm. - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN
August 25, 2020
Four stars for “Sugar Land” being an entertaining read. It’s set in 1920’s Texas during a time where gender roles are strict and racism rampant. Dara’s acceptance of herself comes with the passing of so much time— literally, it is only until she’s in her 60’s where she accepts herself as a lesbian. Also, another reason behind the four stars. You won’t see many novels today where the author waits until that age for the character to reach an epiphany. You will however see many novels try to call it quits with hurried attempts and gaping plot holes. This is not one of them.
We go through Dara’s years as a cook in a prison kitchen, as a devoted wife to the Warden, as a friend to Fiddler at the Osprey, to finally her as a girlfriend to Tanya to realize that change doesn’t happen overnight.
While I think Stoner could have worked on showing the theme rather than telling in a number of passages (the ending just one example), I found this novel well paced, the characters unique, and the plot line unpredictable. For that, four stars.
We go through Dara’s years as a cook in a prison kitchen, as a devoted wife to the Warden, as a friend to Fiddler at the Osprey, to finally her as a girlfriend to Tanya to realize that change doesn’t happen overnight.
While I think Stoner could have worked on showing the theme rather than telling in a number of passages (the ending just one example), I found this novel well paced, the characters unique, and the plot line unpredictable. For that, four stars.
December 10, 2018
“I came to understand that life isn’t moments of going from black to white; It’s letting the dawn come up as slowly as it needs, until you realize it’s a new day.”
*
Sugar Land tells the story of Dara, a Southern girl in the 1920s who has a brief love affair with her girlfriend Rhodie — then decides to hide her lesbianism by exiling herself as a cook in a men’s prison. The beginning’s pretty grim but overall the novel tells a funny and exuberant tale of a woman’s long coming of age story.
*
Sugar Land tells the story of Dara, a Southern girl in the 1920s who has a brief love affair with her girlfriend Rhodie — then decides to hide her lesbianism by exiling herself as a cook in a men’s prison. The beginning’s pretty grim but overall the novel tells a funny and exuberant tale of a woman’s long coming of age story.
May 31, 2019
CW for racist violence, sexual violence, homophobia, transphobia, disordered eating, fat phobia. This is a very long story, spanning 45 years, and has some dark and important parts, but really uses a talented black singer in prison as a lesson for various white people, and then ends with someone fat being gifted weight loss surgery from a lez partner, to be had before they have sex for the first time. Some good stuff but a lot of really weird stuff too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2019
A truly great read that gave an interesting insight (albeit fictional) into how far we've come.
I really enjoyed Dara's voice throughout the novel and being able to grow with her.
I really enjoyed Dara's voice throughout the novel and being able to grow with her.
August 1, 2019
I absolutely adored this book!!! It follows a lesbian’s life from the 1920s to 1981. It was phenomenal! Warning though, there are several sexual assault scenes that could be triggering.
January 20, 2019
A coming of age story about gender identity and social norms in the 1920’s. Endearing, humorous and at times heartbreaking, this books follows the brave and unusual life of Miss Dara as she learns to accept herself. Realizing she is a lesbian at a time when that is dangerous, she accepts a job as a cook in a men’s prison to keep herself away from temptation. Well written and filled with a good cast of supporting characters. Might not be a book for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
November 18, 2018
I loved this book... very thought provoking...
December 22, 2018
2018 All most historical fiction..1920 jumps to present day. Midland Texas 1923 Dora(19 yr old large girl falls in love with a girl. She runs away and works in a state men's prison, many years. Makes friends with a black prisoner who happens years later to be a famous singer, befriended by the progressive Warden. Yet forever dreams of her first love. A story that happened to fit with something that was happening with a grandchild present day. At least in 2018 she won't be arrested for her feelings..
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