W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson,
announces the release of The Bright Side of the Other Side: Notes from a Soul
Restored (October 13th, 2026) by Sara McDaniel, founder of the nationally
recognized lifestyle and hospitality brand Simply Southern Cottage. Known for
her historic preservation projects, television appearances, and passion for
community revitalization, McDaniel invites readers into her remarkable
journey from devastating loss and uncertainty to healing, purpose, and
unexpected joy.
Part memoir, part testimony, and part invitation to hope and dream, The
Bright Side of the Other Side chronicles McDaniel’s path through divorce,
disappointment, career ambition, entrepreneurship, and ultimately
restoration. Through the story of rescuing a neglected 1926 cottage in
Minden, Louisiana, McDaniel discovers that the home she was rebuilding
mirrored the work that was happening within her own heart.
After a painful divorce left her questioning everything she thought she knew
about faith, marriage, and her future, McDaniel felt an unexpected call to return to her Louisiana roots.
There, she became captivated by a dilapidated cottage that many considered beyond saving. As she
pursued the home and embarked on an ambitious restoration project, she began uncovering deeper
truths about grace, identity, resilience, and God’s ability to redeem even the most broken places.
“Sometimes the places we think are beyond repair are the very places where restoration begins,” says
McDaniel. “What started as a renovation project became a journey of healing, teaching me that God
often builds something more beautiful from the pieces we thought were lost forever.”
With warmth, honesty, and Southern charm, McDaniel explores themes that resonate with readers
navigating their own seasons of transition and heartbreak. From the pressures of perfection and the
pain of unmet expectations to the courage required to begin again, she offers an authentic portrait of
what it means to trust God when life unfolds differently than planned.
As founder of Simply Southern Cottage and Minden Stays, McDaniel has become one of the most
recognizable voices in historic preservation and Southern hospitality. What began with the restoration
of a single abandoned cottage evolved into a nationally recognized brand, multiple hospitality ventures,
television appearances on Magnolia Network’s In With the Old and HGTV’s Home Town Kickstart, CNBC’s
Make It and features in publications including Southern Living, Forbes Home, U.S. News & World Report,
Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Lady, Cottages & Bungalows, American Farmhouse Style and more.
Yet behind the thriving business and national acclaim lies the deeply personal story that inspired it all.
The Bright Side of the Other Side: Notes from a Soul Restored releases October 13th, 2026.