The Color of Sacrifice

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Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Release Date: January 26, 2027
Pages: 368
ISBN13: 978-0063213463

 
Synopsis

A gripping historical novel about two mothers, still reeling from the loss of a beloved soldier, whose opposing views on an impending Gold Star pilgrimage ignite personal journeys of their own.

Bound by grief, two women must choose how much they will sacrifice for one last goodbye.

It's 1933, and thousands of American mothers have already crossed the ocean to France to visit the graves of their sons lost during the Great War. Yet for Black Gold Star Mothers and Widows, this government-sponsored pilgrimage is an insult. As the final group of mourners prepare to sail cross the Atlantic—with white women aboard luxury liners and Black women relegated to cargo ships—many must decide if the long, segregated journey is worth the unfair treatment.

One widow wants to remember...

Thelma Hayes just wants to see her husband again—or at the very least, his final resting place. Widowed only a year after marrying the love of her life, she longs to give her fourteen-year-old son something he’s never had: a connection to the father he never knew. When an unexpected opportunity places France within reach, Thelma is willing to sacrifice almost anything to make the journey.

One mother refuses to forget...

Charlotte Hayes has already lost too much. After surviving the murder of her husband, the destruction of her home, and the death of her only son, she refuses to surrender one more piece of herself. Standing firm against the segregated pilgrimage to France, Charlotte vows not to accept anything less than equal acknowledgment of her son’s sacrifice.

Bound together by the man they both lost—and divided by how to best honor his memory—these two grieving women must decide what matters more: demanding dignity—or getting to say goodbye one last time.

Inspired by the true story of the segregated Gold Star Mothers Pilgrimage, THE COLOR OF SACRIFICE is a gripping historical novel about love, loss, reconciliation, and the painful cost of war.

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Praise

"Shara Moon's sophomore novel is an absolute heart-ripper, delving deep into questions of grief, war, motherhood, racism, and the merciless intersection of mourning and justice... THE COLOR OF SACRIFICE is the book of the year."
—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of THE ASTRAL LIBRARY

"In THE COLOR OF SACRIFICE, author Shara Moon paints a vivid world of grief, guilt and longing, set to the backdrop of an interwar America where racial divides still yawn like fissures in the earth... a compelling read that confronts the cost of freedom, the burden of loss, and the impossible decisions that shaped the lives of Black Americans whose loved ones died in the First World War for a country that didn't yet consider them equal."
—Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author 

"With tenderness, grace, and a fierce understanding of the many forms grief can take, Shara Moon brings an overlooked chapter of American history vividly to life. The Color of Sacrifice is a powerful testament to love, pride, and motherhood. Moon draws readers intimately into the lives of women who refused to let prejudice diminish the worth of the man they loved—or allow the magnitude of their ultimate sacrifice to be forgotten. "
—Vanessa Riley, Bestselling Author of Fire Sword and Sea and Island Queen

"A powerful tribute to the Black soldiers and families who made the ultimate sacrifice for a country that refused to see them as equal. Shara Moon’s evocative writing immerses readers in the lives of two strong women struggling to balance their need for closure with their fight for the dignity they deserve. THE COLOR OF SACRIFICE is an important book about an overlooked piece of history but also a compelling story about grief, duty, and the different types of love that bind a family together."
—Erin Litteken, Internationally Bestselling Author of The Memory Keeper of Kyiv