ABSTRACT	
	"Kissing Sarah Smart" follows Devon, a graduated high school senior, and her summer experiences before attending a New York University in the fall.   Devon and her mother move in with her grandmother in “the backwoods of Maryland” following her father’s military deployment.  The author skillfully uses this deployment to address familial tensions as well as taboo topics of divorce and mental health. 
            As a racially mixed child of a black father and white mother, Devon struggles staying with her white grandmother in her “confederate- flag” riddin town.  While navigating life as the only black girl in town, Devon also tackles internal conflicts regarding her sexuality.  Devon confides in Sarah Smart, an ally and open homosexual.  The two find safety in each other, engaging in a new relationship that addresses heteronormative narratives within literature and society. 
            The two girls must go separate ways when the school year begins. In two different colleges, Devon is thankful for the time she and Sarah had together.  Devon is introduced to her new identity and realizes that “anything is possible”

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