Sault Ste. Marie writer’s debut novel is a love letter to the U.P.

When Sara Maurer was 8, her calf died. She wrote a poem about it.

“That was the first time I turned to writing to express myself, and I have done so ever since,” said Maurer, who published her debut novel, “A Good Animal” (St. Martin’s Press, $29), earlier this year.

A lifelong resident of Sault Ste. Marie, where she lives with her husband, Ryan (with whom she has two young adult children), Maurer is an alumna of Sault Area High School. She earned an undergraduate degree in English and French from Albion College, as well as a master’s degree in written communications from Eastern Michigan University. In 2022, she completed Stanford University’s continuing studies novel writing certificate program. Her short stories and poems have appeared in various publications.

Set in rural Michigan, “A Good Animal” is a coming-of-age story about Everett Lindt, 17, who loves his family’s sheep farm and wants to stay. This puts him at odds with Mary, a new girl who dreams of leaving for art school in California. The novel explores their intense first love, the conflict between staying and leaving, and the difficult choices that shape their futures, blending the realities of farm life with raw, emotional teenage angst.

“The image of a young couple in a truck at the Sugar Island Ferry dock (in Sault Ste. Marie) came to me in 2019,” Maurer recalled. “A few months later, another scene came to me. This was of two young men watching a horse show. These characters and scenes rolled around in my head for about a year, making connections and eventually forming the story of ‘A Good Animal.’”

She spoke about the process of creating Everett and Mary, the lead characters. 

 

“Everett came to my mind pretty whole,” she said. “I felt I knew him immediately and that I was writing his story. I wanted to create a character who loved his family’s land and his life and had no desire to leave it.”

However, Mary “took a little more teasing out,” she said.

“My editor helped me bring her more solidly to the page by asking very specific questions about what she was wearing or doing in each scene, what her voice sounded like, what her facial expressions were. All these attributes came quite naturally to the other female characters in the book, such as Katie and Kylie, who seemed so inhabited from the start. Mary, however, has never had time to learn who she is, and so because of that, she was more challenging to render.”

Animals have always been an important part of the author’s life. She was grateful to be able to write about farming life and share it with readers.

“I hope the book encourages readers to visit their county or state fairs and talk to the youngsters who have put so much time and money into their animals and exhibits,” she said.

It took Maurer two years to write the book.

“When I completed the online writing certificate program in spring 2022, my manuscript was just about complete, and I began querying agents. Then, in the fall, I noticed that one of the agents I had been following was going to be at a writing conference in Michigan, so I drove down to Auburn Hills to pitch her. She was intrigued by the story and the main character’s voice and asked me for 25 pages. A few weeks later, she asked for the full manuscript. I signed with her early in 2023,” the author said.

“A Good Animal” is Maurer’s love letter to the U.P.

“I’ve lived here almost all my life, but even so, I had to learn about the geography, the soil, the plants and trees I see every day. Writing the book forced me to slow down and look around,” she said. “The best part has been my own personal growth. I’ve learned so many things since starting this journey, and I’ve met so many talented people. I’m doing things I never imagined I’d get the chance to do.”