How Sweet The Sound

How Sweet the Sound

By Amy Sorells

A truly Southern novel, How Sweet the Sound is a loose retelling of the story of Tamar, Amnon, and Absalom. The story is set in 1979-1981. It’s an unusual time period for a novel, but since I was close in age to one of the characters at that time, it kept me very interested. The Alabama Pecan Farm was a fascinating setting as well.

The topics of incest, family loyalties, and parenting mistakes are painful to read about, but the two narrators are highly sympathetic as they provide interesting points of view. I enjoyed the 12 year old’s perspective on family tragedy, and the way she perceived her family both before and after she learned each family secret.

The author embeds scripture seamlessly, and gives us an alternate ending to a disturbing Bible story. That’s not to say she tried to rewrite scripture, but she began with an horrific story and took it in a different direction, shedding New Testament light into the lives of Old Testament characters, in a way. The result is a luminous novel drenched in atmosphere, personality, and ultimately, grace. 

There’s a sweetness here, reminiscent of my mom’s pecan pie. What's your favorite way to eat a Pecan? Leave us a comment to be entered to win a copy of Cinderella's Boot by Darlene Franklin. 

Review by Jennifer Fromke, an aspiring novelist who writes from NC where she pines for colder temperatures all year long. Northerners by upbringing, she and her husband of 26 years have raised three Southern-ish children, much to their amazement. Jennifer also reviews books at Shetalksbooks.com. She writes contemporary women’s fiction and email. Lots of email.