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.

As Waters Gone By

Cynthia Ruchti has written a gem in As Waters Gone By. The first thing I love is the characters-oh where do I start? Of course, Boozie is my favorite. She’s beyond eclectic, and grounded deeply in her faith. She’s fun, creative, supportive, and in your face. She’s almost the most mature person in the room, and also the youngest. And she’s not even the main character! 

Emmalyn Ross is our girl and finds herself in a sticky situation, getting stickier as the weeks go by. Her husband is due to get out of prison in less than a year, and she hasn’t spoken to him in three years. And there’s so much more to it! He loves me, he loves me not…plus, she’s given up on their earlier dreams, and needs to find out if there’s anything worth hoping for in the future. And will he even be there in her future?

I love that Ruchti writes about married couples. There is so much that can happen in and to a marriage, and Ruchti excavates that landscape beautifully. The side characters are a hoot – and truly, I wish they could be my friends. I love the northern Wisconsin setting. I love the twists and turns. I love the ending. What’s not to love? Reading the last two words: The End.

It feels like a cozy little story, but As Waters Gone By is a captivating read!! I hope you’ll give it a try. You can find it for sale here.

Would you consider moving to an isolated island when life gets tough? Emmalyn does just that in this story. Tell us where you’d go or if you wouldn’t go at all, and we’ll enter you to win our DAILY prize: Leveraging Lincoln: The Liberator Series, Book 1 -- Audiobook---by Stephenia H McGee. (Don’t you just love birthday celebrations?)