Author Penning New Jerusalem Memoir

Sarah Tuttle-Singer has published a new memoir titled Fairy Lights in God’s Backyard: A Jerusalem Love Story. The book examines personal experiences in the Old City, including love, loss, and motherhood. It also addresses the specific trauma of losing a home to an explosion in June 2026. Tuttle-Singer, a journalist and media personality, uses the narrative to process grief and document daily life in the city.

The author moved to Israel in 2010 with her then-husband and two children. She remained in the country after their marriage ended. In 2016, she lived in the four quarters of the Old City for one year. She spent approximately three months in the Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Armenian quarters. This period served as the foundation for her 2018 book, Jerusalem, Drawn and Quartered.

A devastating explosion in June 2026 destroyed Tuttle-Singer’s home in the Old City. The blast also killed a neighbor. Rabbi Menachem Creditor suggested she write a book to process the event. The project expanded into a broader look at the city’s residents and history.

Tuttle-Singer describes the book as a love letter to Jerusalem and its people. She notes that the city is where the divine and the ordinary constantly interact. The title refers to small moments of beauty that appear during difficult times. She aims to capture the complexity of living in a place with deep historical significance.

Motherhood plays a central role in the narrative. Tuttle-Singer is the single mother of three children. Her 18-year-old daughter, 16-year-old son, and four-year-old son with special needs feature in the text. She explains that raising her neurodivergent son has changed how she perceives the city. The book details the exhaustion and tenderness of this dynamic.

The author states that she wants to understand Jerusalem beyond political narratives. She is interested in how people connect across different backgrounds. She observes that multiple truths can exist simultaneously in the city. Listening to others does not require giving up one’s own perspective, she notes.

Tuttle-Singer no longer lives inside the Old City walls. She says she carries the place with her in various ways. She defines a home as the people and streets that hold memories. She continues to make aliyah a central part of her identity and daily routine.

The book is available for purchase. Tuttle-Singer also takes people on walks around the Old City. She remains focused on the human elements of the city that often go unreported in headlines.