New, upcoming book:
Raised in the evangelical purity culture of 1980s California, Sarah learned early to carry a heavy “pack of shoulds” - rules that defined goodness, womanhood, and God, and divided the world into the saved and the lost.
Her story unfolds through the songs that shaped her, tracing a path from innocence to curiosity, from safe certainty to honest, agonizing doubt. What began as a desire to serve God became a journey into the deeper, messier terrain of embodied love.
From the beaches of California to a pilgrimage through the small Italian village where her ancestors once lived, Sarah embarks on a journey she once believed was dangerous: trusting her own inner knowing. She never expected that losing certainty would become the doorway to a deeper belonging - not just to faith, but to all that is.
Living in Plenty was first published under the title A Thrifty Good Life in 2016. This revised version includes herbal recipes, an update on Plenty Heirloom Farms (Sarah’s neighborhood farm community) as well as some short reflections on motherhood and her Italy adventures.
Living in Plenty tells the story of Sarah’s journey of falling in love with a simple, homegrown life. Through short stories and recipes - she offers gardening tips, discoveries, and how a community that was born from these explorations.
“Our family was faced with a challenge. We needed to make big changes for our health on a budget. When I dug up the lawn that first year, I was hoping to grow food. I had no idea I would discover a whole new way to live.
The decision to dig up my front yard led to healing for our bodies and the discovery of my passion. I found myself falling in love with a life my Italian ancestors once lived - a life rooted in the earth and connected to community.”