Sarah Elizabeth’s memoir, When the White Picket Fence Is No Longer Enough, recounts the author’s post-divorce journey to a life of healing and authenticity.

The author refers to herself simply as Sarah Elizabeth, shunning her married and maiden names to better reflect her identity beyond societal roles and expectations. Her book opens describing an idyllic Maine childhood growing up in a rambling farmhouse, secure and close to her two older sisters. “Ours was the home friends gravitated to,” she writes—a place for prom photos, birthday skating parties, lobster bakes, and more. However, at age 15, that life shattered after her parents divorced and she started bouncing between two homes.

Thus, when she met her husband later, she tried to create a perfect, “white picket fence of a life.” However, her own marriage couldn’t withstand the stress of raising an autistic son and gifted daughter, and eventually, the author faced life as a single mother.

In time, by listening to her inner voice and spirituality, she built a new sense of home. And despite their struggles, she and her ex-husband always put their children first. “That may be the greatest legacy he and I leave behind,” she writes.

Sarah Elizabeth is a solid writer, strongest with descriptive prose, as when recounting one Mother’s Day morning: “My children run around barefoot, hopped up on early-morning sugar while I sip my hot coffee from my blanket looking out at the vast, gorgeous ocean and my beautiful babies.” Sometimes, though, she lapses into clichés and her prose weakens as when she writes, “Our children are not ours. They are merely souls we are blessed to know and support — on borrowed time.”

Additionally, the book is confusing at times because it details events out of sequence. Subheadings with dates would make for a smoother read.

Still, this memoir offers a solid look at a major life change and should appeal to readers seeking support for their own life transitions.

Also available in hardcover and ebook.