Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us

by Trisha Sugarek

1950. In a shack in the Georgia backwoods two siblings, Hannah Mae and Jerry, find themselves suddenly orphaned. The swift and unexpected death of their mother casts a long shadow of foster care, threatening to tear them apart. But fierce and resolute, Hannah Mae vows to keep the system from swallowing them whole.

In a desperate bid for freedom, they hit the dusty roads, aiming for the sultry embrace of Mississippi and an obscure auntie, a phantom relative who exists only as a whisper in their memories and a faded photograph in their father’s old Bible. She is their only hope, their sanctuary against the storm.

Amidst this turmoil, Jerry grows up fast, his soul ignited by the mournful wails of the blues. When he discovers the harmonica, nothing can stop him from mastering the instrument that fills his soul with song. Self-taught and brimming with raw talent, Jerry catches the ear of Jerimiah Johnson, a great ‘bluesman’ who had silenced his music a decade ago after a personal tragedy. Inspired by Jerry’s prodigious gift, Jerimiah takes the young harmonica player under his wing.
From the cotton fields in the Mississippi Delta, where the blues echo the heartbeat of the oppressed to the jazz clubs of New Orleans.

“Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us” is a symphony of hope and heartache, a story of rhythm and resilience. As Jerry’s music and fame rise it becomes a beacon of unity, challenging the status quo and inspiring those who hear it.
Join Jerry “Slide” McAllister on his odyssey through an era of transformation, as he seeks to harmonize a world out of tune, proving that nothing—not even the harshest discord—can separate us from the music that binds us together.

463 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 2, 2024

About the author

Trisha Sugarek has enjoyed a twenty-year career writing stage plays, (after leaving an acting/directing career that spanned decades). She also writes fiction, true crime, and poetry. She expanded her body of work to include five children’s books that started as children’s plays. (Concord Theatricals, Publisher) Fifteen novels, of which eleven are a series of true crime mysteries. She has written a collection of 35+, ten-minute plays for the classroom and is a blogger and book reviewer for major publishing houses. Trisha lives in Savannah, Georgia with Petey, a Yorkie mix, and their two cats, Fiona and Barcode. All were rescued and adopted by Trisha.

www.writeratplay.com



Trisha’s plays and books can be found on her web site at: www.writeratplay.com and at all book stores.

Reviews

[Kathi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a YA coming-of-age story set in 1950s Mississippi. "Nigro" [author's word and spelling] brother and sister (Haddie and Jerry), are faced with the threat of being sent to an orphanage after their mother dies. They flee Georgia, heading for the town of Laurel, Mississippi in search of their father's sister, their only remaining relative. Trouble is, they don't know "auntie's" name.

The road is fraught with dangers for a 12- and 7- year old, but they also meet many good souls who will go out of their way to help. While the "good" and "bad" characters are fairly obvious, a few coincidences are woven throughout.

As he matures, Jerry discovers a love -- and a talent -- for Blues music, while his sister decides to try for college and a teaching career.

The writing is lyrical, poetic. It is obvious that the author is a music lover. There were no surprises in this plot. All the story lines come together sweetly at the end. The reader will learn a little about life in the Jim Crow era, although things like "the green book" and "colored only entrances" are alluded to but not explained.

I read the Kindle version of this work. As a retired typesetter, I was appalled at the amount of formatting errors in this book -- paragraphs ending mid-sentence, random lines breaking early [flush left] inside justified test, Chapter 46 running into the previous chapter... With almost one error per page or every other page, I could not get lost in the story and enjoy myself. Minus one star because of that.

[Shell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a couldn’t put down book for me, not because it was a thriller, but because it was so well written. Hannah Mae is just a young teenager when her momma dies, leaving her to care for her younger brother, Jerry. She's determined to keep them together and they decide to run away and look for their long lost aunt, when they realize the orphanage will separate them. Thus begins their adventures.

Taking place in an earlier, more innocent time, they meet those who are willing to care for and help them, but also those who can be dangerous and nefarious towards them. All of the characters, including the minor ones, are so well written. You become invested in the lives of these children and I didn’t want the story to end. This book would excel as a book club read! #GoodreadsGiveaway

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A window into America's history. It is uplifting and inspiring, with plenty of surprises and some heartbreak.

...."All these facets are why Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us is a thoroughly compelling read that’s highly recommended not just for library collections interested in powerful portraits of young lives under siege, but book clubs. These audiences will find plenty of fodder for discussion in the many ways Hannah Mae and Jerry cement their relationships, values, and life connections..." (excerpt) Midwest Book Review

[Kayla Lister · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of the book was the most exciting as the two siblings ran away from a lady threatening to send them to an orphanage. After that, I kept waiting for a conflict to arise, and when it almost did, their “aunt” ended up not even going through with the plan to steal money from them. The focus of the book seemed to turn to the brother’s love for the harmonica, and not as much focus was spent on the sister’s journey. I would have liked to see her get engaged or a little more of her story.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart wrenching/heartwarming story of young siblings search for family and life altering goals. Taking place in the 50's there are many hurdles to cross over and they do it with courage, hope and determination. the characters are rich in personality and love. Follow their journey, you won't regret it.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

I found the writing to be very unsophisticated. The author’s attempts at writing in an accent were clumsy. For example, she’d use “ah” for”I” but then she’d also use “I”, sometimes using both in the same sentence. I got about 1/4 of the way through before deciding I didn’t care enough about the characters or story to continue.

[Traci Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down! It was well written, with accents and southern dialect, that progressed obviously with the growth of the children and evolution of Hannah's speech in her college years. Hannah Mae is a young teenager when her momma dies, leaving her to care for her younger brother, Jerry. Determined to remain together, they run from the threat of separation at an orphanage, embarking on a quest to find their estranged aunt in Laurel, Mississippi. The road to find the aunt is troubled, and eventually, they find a home and a family with a kind lady who takes them in. Jerry falls in love with Blues music and becomes a success by his own right. The story effectively develops a range of memorable characters, making readers emotionally invested in Hannah Mae and Jerry's lives. Ultimately, they grow into successful adults, with Hannah as a schoolteacher and Jerry as a musician. A sequel to this would be a great addition!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book. I couldn’t put it down. The love and warmth between the siblings at the heart of this book was beautifully written. If you love historical fiction and music, you will definitely want to give this book a read. You will not be disappointed! This was a Goodreads giveaway; thanks to the author/ publisher for gifting it.

[Lisa Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brother and sister are orphaned and to avoid being split up they attempt to find an unknown aunt, their last living relative. They encounter many different people on their journey, some good, some bad, before finding a new home. Perfect for fans of the blues!

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔥MUST READ 🔥❤️‍🔥🔥❤️‍🔥‼️

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing coming of age story that is sure to hold your attention.

[Tanya Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endearing and heartwarming to see siblings so dedicated to each other. I would love to see how the rest of their lives played out.

[Vernita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! I love how the older sister made sure to take care of her younger brother after their parents died.

[Laura Shubert · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t get through it; I got about 100 pages in and had to stop. I might revisit it later but it was so choppy. I kept thinking I missed something and would go back and reread a few pages but I didn’t miss anything; the action just didn’t flow. It felt like I was reading a first draft; the story is there, it just needs some more to fill it out. The formatting of the kindle version was off too. Some pages were only half a page full as if there was supposed to be a picture on the page in the other half.