While We Were Burning

While We Were Burning is a fast-paced, sharp edged pressure-cooker of a story that shows us the duplicity that lives beneath the veneer of the American dream in one engrossing, twisted ride. Sara Koffi is a fantastic storyteller. – Patricia Marques, author of House of SilenceJust finished While We Were Burning and really enjoyed it. It was utterly captivating! I’ve never been to Memphis, but I felt I could recognise the people, the environment … felt like I was there. – Amen Alonge, author of A Good Day to DieNever has revenge been so eloquently written. This page turner delivers. – Leye Adenle, author Easy Motion TouristFast paced and thrilling, While We Were Burning is also heartbreaking in its portrayal of a grieving mother forced to confront both the person who caused her son’s death and the systemic injustice that led to it. I was riveted the whole way through. – Ana Reyes, author of The House in the PinesOne of Paste’s Most Anticipated Mystery and Thriller Books of 2024 – Natalie Zutter * Paste Magazine *While We Were Burning is the fresh take on the domestic thriller we need right now, a provocative observation of racism and classism embedded within a searing, fast-paced revenge story. By placing a heartbreakingly familiar tragedy at the emotional center of the book, Koffi deftly blurs the lines between hero and villain, not only surprising the reader with every twist but challenging them with complicated moral questions. This is more than a riveting suspense about two women who form a tenuous friendship-it’s a page-turner with serious things to say about who gets to be a victim and what justice looks like. – Ashley Winstead, author of In My Dreams I Hold a KnifeA riveting page-turner…Koffi’s fresh, bold, and sharp prose sweeps you right into the murky gray spaces and wide spectrum of conflicting human emotion filled with messy characters. This is the type of contemporary fiction I crave-raw, original, and unapologetic. Gasp-inducing scenes, sensational twists, and brilliant writing make While We Were Burning one unforgettable and unputdownable debut not to miss. – Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström, author of In Every Mirror She’s BlackA scorching revenge tale set in Memphis. – Paste“Fast paced and thrilling, While We Were Burning is also heartbreaking in its portrayal of a grieving mother forced to confront both the person who caused her son’s death and the systemic injustice that led to it. I was riveted the whole way through.” * Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines *“While We Were Burning is the fresh take on the domestic thriller we need right now, a provocative observation of racism and classism embedded within a searing, fast-paced revenge story. By placing a heartbreakingly familiar tragedy at the emotional center of the book, Koffi deftly blurs the lines between hero and villain, not only surprising the reader with every twist but challenging them with complicated moral questions. This is more than a riveting suspense about two women who form a tenuous friendship-it’s a page-turner with serious things to say about who gets to be a victim and what justice looks like.” * Ashley Winstead, author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife *“A riveting page-turner…Koffi’s fresh, bold, and sharp prose sweeps you right into the murky gray spaces and wide spectrum of conflicting human emotion filled with messy characters. This is the type of contemporary fiction I crave-raw, original, and unapologetic. Gasp-inducing scenes, sensational twists, and brilliant writing make While We Were Burning one unforgettable and unputdownable debut not to miss.” – Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström, author of In Every Mirror She’s Black“A scorching revenge tale set in Memphis.” * Paste *

Sara Koffi is a writer and editor from Memphis, Tennessee, with a B.A. in English from Whittier College. As a writer, she strives to explore the nuances of “unlikable female characters” and humanize Black women by giving them space on the page to breathe. While We Were Burning is her debut novel.

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