Pages

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Book Review: How Sweet The Sound by Amy K. Sorrells

How Sweet the Sound
By Amy K. Sorrells
Publisher: David C. Cook
Published: March 1, 2014
ASIN: B00GNOCISY

Amazon Synopsis:

From a distance, the Harlans appear to be the perfect Southern family. Wealth and local fame mask the drama and dysfunction swirling through their family line. But as the summer heats up, a flood tide of long hidden secrets surface.

Devastation from a rape followed by the murder of two family members brings three generations of the Harlans together on their pecan plantation in Bay Spring, Alabama. Chief among them is Anniston, who by the time she turned thirteen thought she’d seen it all. But as her heart awakens to the possibility of love, she begins to deal with her loneliness and grief.

This tender coming-of-age tale, inspired by the story of Tamar in 2 Samuel 13, shows how true 
healing and hope comes only from God. Though our earthly family can wound and disappoint, our heavenly Father brings freedom to those long held captive through His mercy and grace.

Book Links

My Thoughts:

When I first started reading How Sweet The Sound I had a difficult time connecting the title to what I was reading. There were so many awful things happening in the lives of the Harlan family. But as I continued to read I saw that it was a story of redemption and healing, and indeed, there was a sweet sound, and the sweet sound was the sweet sound of God’s quiet voice, as he speaks to his children.

I did not like the grandmother Princella in this story. She was selfish; she favoured her firstborn son Cole over her other two children Rey and Comfort and did not treat her husband with the respect he deserved. It was her secret that led the family into the legacy of tragedy that befell the family. Her secret was the reason for the bitterness and anger in her life. How Sweet The Sound shows us how important it is to confess those secrets and release ourselves from their captivity. It is those secrets that keep us alone and miserable. We need to let God in to heal us.

Once the secrets started to come out and the individuals started to let God in and bring healing to each one and their relationships, then the sweet sounds could be heard again.

How Sweet The Sound was a very touching story. At times it was very sad and painful. I wanted to cry for the terrible things some of these women were made to suffer through. It brought to mind that many of the women who suffer rape and incest suffer in silence, in secret, and we never know who they are. How awful this must be for them. But there is hope, and there is healing. And that is the sweet sound.

I liked that Ms. Sorrells also reminds us that it is not only women who suffer abuse. There are also boys and young men who are abused as well and it is just as important that they receive help too. God is there for them as well, but our social services needs to be there for them as well.

This is a beautiful story of hope. I think it will bring encouragement to many. I gave it 5 stars out of 5.


Thank you to the publishers through NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

About the Author:

Amy K. Sorrells writes words of hope for a hurting world. Winner of the 2012 Women of Faith Writing Contest, and two-time ACFW Genesis Award Semi-Finalist, Amy got her start in journalism writing for medical publications, and enjoyed a three year stint as a weekly op-ed columnist for her town newspaper. Her passion for healing is also reflected in her role as a registered nurse for a large hospital. When she's not writing or reading, she can be found bare-handed in garden dirt, or covered in paint while refurbishing antiques. A graduate of DePauw University, Amy lives with her husband, three sons, and a gaggle of golden retrievers in central Indiana.

Author Links
Website  *  Twitter  *  Facebook

No comments:

Post a Comment