Additional information
by Jen Lowry (Author)
Sweet Potato Jones has been on the move her entire life-toting her siblings from one abandoned train car to the next, following her father's broken dreams, and trying not to hope for more. But when they land a spot at The Home, a Christian shelter that offers families just twenty weeks before the clock runs out, Sweet Potato dares to believe this might be different.
Still, she's not expecting Soul Food.
Not the kind you eat-though collards and hoecakes come with the deal-but the kind that changes everything. The kind served up in a purpled-up diner, run by a faith-filled woman named Mrs. Sunshine who believes in second chances and sees something in Sweet Potato that even she can't see. It's here that Sweet Potato meets Ray Patterson, a boy with eyes full of truth and a heart that sings the gospel even in silence.
But twenty weeks isn't a lot of time to learn how to stop running-from trauma, from anger, from God Himself. And as old wounds rise and her family's future hangs in the balance, Sweet Potato has to decide: will she risk believing in something as wild as grace?
A raw and redemptive coming-of-age novel about chosen family, first love, and our God who sees us in the hard places.
⚠ Content Rating for Twenty Weeks to Life - Young AdultTwenty Weeks to Life is a contemporary Christian fiction novel for young adult readers (ages 13+) set in a modern Southern context. It explores themes of survival, grief, and spiritual awakening with honesty and hope.
It contains the following elements:
- Parental drug addiction and death - The main character's mother dies of an overdose. The addiction is portrayed through the daughter's emotional lens, without graphic detail.
- Housing insecurity and poverty - The Jones family experiences life in shelters, train cars, and temporary housing. Their dignity and resilience are honored throughout.
- Emotional trauma and grief - The main character struggles with depression, anger, and faith. Healing occurs through gospel singing, community, mentorship, and spiritual renewal.
- Faith-based themes - Christian messages are woven throughout the story, including prayer, Scripture, and gospel-centered mentorship.
- Sweet clean romance - Includes one gentle kiss; no profanity, no sexual content, no suggestive scenes.
- Implied danger - A non-graphic scene implies a predatory threat that is stopped quickly. No violence or harm occurs. Drive by shooting. Gang violence. Attack. Broken up by police.
This book is written with emotional sensitivity, spiritual depth, and redemptive hope. It is ideal for teen readers, faith-based classrooms, youth groups, and Christian school libraries.
Recommended for ages 13 and up.
