As children, Kit and Kiki Smithers performed and the Sugar Babes, but those glory days are long gone. All that remains are the blues the sisters sing as they cope with withering marriages, cheating spouses, lost opportunities, and the demands of motherhood. Sugar Land is a verdant novel about the healing power of forgiveness, the seemingly impossible task of loving, the resilience of family ties, and what happens when a tornado meets a double-wide trailer.
PMA Benjamin Franklin Award finalist (1999)
“Every character in this novel resonates with life. This talented author knows how to bring pen-and-ink people to flesh and blood fulfillment…poignantly authentic.” Southern Living
“Alternately wrenching and humorous…Rodgers’ strength is her knack for realistic characters…and a womanly wise, laugh-through-tears appreciation of life.” Publisher’s Weekly
“Richly appealing…” Library Journal
“Bittersweet…priceless…” Chicago Tribune
“Pure charm…compelling…full of humor and compassion. Sugar Land is a delight to read, and Rodgers is a terrific discovery.” Tampa Tribune-Times
I'm thrilled that the ebook revolution has made it possible for me to bring Sugarland out of the vault years after it went out of print--and the publisher went out of business. Sugarland, my second novel, is a contemporary retelling of the Psyche/Eros myth, a story that fascinated me from the time I was a little girl. It was written while I was undergoing treatment for an aggressive blood cancer. I had yet to sell my first novel, which had received about 70 rejections, but in the crucible of chemo, not knowing if I would ever be published or even live to see the last page of this book, I came to the life-changing--and ultimately life saving--realization that I write because I am a writer. That purpose, in many ways, gave me the will to go on. My first novel, Crazy For Trying, was published shortly after I finished chemo. Sugarland followed soon after, receiving fantastic reviews, which helped me get my first literary agent. So I owe a lot to this book. It kept me sane, then ramped my career to the next level. It's not at all autobiographical (read my memoir Bald in the Land of Big Hair if you want to know what really happened) but it is filled with all the heartache, joy and struggle I was coping with at that moment in my life. I hope you enjoy it.