The Yellow House is a tour de force.

Sarah M. Broom’s rightly celebrated first book is a heartbreaking, gripping memoir about the humble house that her mother proudly purchased in 1961, and the generations of family members who moved in and out over the years, finding their home in a neglected community in New Orleans before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina (“the waters”). It is about upward and downward mobility, shame, elegance, destruction, change, displacement, resurrection — and it is nothing short of a true Homeric epic.

The Yellow House feels like many books in one: a vast landscape that is also intimate, a cultural and urban history disguised as the tale of one family. About as well-written as a book can be, it’s no wonder that this remarkable debut is beloved by critics and readers alike. What I particularly love about Sarah’s style is that it is equal parts poetry and deep reporting: her voice is like no other. I was honored that Sarah joined me for a wide-ranging conversation about her family, her memoir, and a few topics in between. I cannot wait to see what’s next for her.

Find a reading group guide for The Yellow House here.