I Remember Everything, Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves
This doleful, nostalgic song is the back-and-forth between a man and woman who are pulled apart by the man’s ghosts, but who can’t forget the better moments they’ve shared. It would be hard to find a song more fitting for Ryan and Lillian Bright.
A Case of You, Joni Mitchell
Not only does this song feature Joni’s raw, emotionally evocative vocals, but it also features a “lonely painter” about whom the narrator sings: You’re in my blood like holy wine / You taste so bitter and so sweet / Oh, I could drink a case of you, darling / Still I’d be on my feet / I would still be on my feet. Over the course of time in The Bright Years, we see Ryan Bright turn to painting, to alcohol, and to Lillian—who navigates their secrets and storied pasts with fortitude.
Telepath, Manchester Orchestra
As Georgette Bright comes of age bearing witness to the struggles of her parents, she finds needed solace in her enduring friendship with Kendi Darnell. There’s a unique bond between them as adults because of all they experienced together as kids. They know each other’s histories and families, and as soon as this song opens, I see them. In my mind, you are an old empty apartment / Sitting on your mother's table, next to you is her.
Here, There And Everywhere, The Beatles
This song plays an important role in the book, as father and daughter have an ongoing debate about which Beatles album is the best. As Ryan grows older and more reflective, he knows how he’s failed Georgette, and this song is indicative of the flawed yet real love he still has for her. Each one believing that love never dies / Watching her eyes and hoping I'm always there.
Fields of Gold, Eva Cassidy version
Will you stay with me? Will you be my love among the fields of barley?
This song gets at the heart of THE BRIGHT YEARS, which is a multi-generational exploration of how love changes over time—in romance, in friendship, and in parent-child relationships. And it’s an inquiry into how the choices and secrets of one generation might impact another. What will matter most, in the end?
See the children run as the sun goes down / Among the fields of gold.
Bonus: Take Me Out To A Dancehall, Pat Green
A portion of THE BRIGHT YEARSis set in Fort Worth, Texas in the 1990s, and Pat Green was a sort of musical poster child for Fort Worth in the late 90s. There’s even a scene in the book where they go dancing at a famous country music honky tonk.
Here’s a curated playlist for THE BRIGHT YEARS, which features all of these songs and more!
One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo.
Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall.
When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide whether she can open up to love for them—or herself—while there’s still time.
Told from three intimate points of view, The Bright Years is a tender, true-to-life novel that explores the impact of each generation in a family torn apart by tragedy but, over time, restored by the power of grace and love.
Women's Fiction Family Life | Saga [Simon & Schuster, On Sale: April 1, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book , ISBN: 9781668061442 / eISBN: 9781668061466]
Sarah Damoff lives with her husband and children in Texas, where she has been a social worker. Her writing has appeared in Porter House Review, Ruminate Magazine, and Open Global Rights, among other publications. The Bright Years is her debut novel.
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