How Sweet the Sound by Amy K. Sorrells

Abuse is not an easy thing to deal with at all.  There's never any sense in it and it's something hard to explain, difficult to hear, and probably harder to read.  My heart couldn't help but break for Annie.  I so desperately wanted her to be free from the bondage.  I wanted someone to value her and to treat her in the way she should have always been treated.... the way God intended us all to be treated. 

This book tell the story of Tamar, while using different characters.  I have always enjoyed the sort of Tamar.  I couldn't relate to her, but I loved her heart. She was not loved and that always broke my heart.  The part that I loved the most is how she wanted to be a part of God's family and God sees to it to mention her forever by her name and chooses to identify Himself with her.  So beautiful. The redemption and restoration in this story is beautiful.

Annie has seen things in her 13 years that she never should have seen or endured.  Even though the character is so young, it's not written with such a young audience in mind.  I didn't find it to read like a young adult book at all.  It wasn't hard to step back into 13, although I thought it might be.  Amy Sorrells does a great job at making sure the book grips the heart of the adults. In my opinion, she picked a wonderful story in the Bible to parallel a fiction book with.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

An Indianapolis native and graduate of DePauw University, Amy lives with her husband, three boys and a gaggle of golden retrievers in central Indiana. After writing and editing for her college newspaper, she combined a nursing degree with journalism and creative writing, which led to publishing and editing a wide array of medical and nursing writing and multimedia projects over the past 21 years, a position as director of communications of her church’s children’s ministry, as well as a weekly column for a local newspaper which ran from 2009-2012. She has been a two-time semi-finalist for the ACFW Genesis awards, and was the winner of the 2011 Women of Faith writing contest.

When she’s not reading or writing, Amy loves spending time with her three sons; spicy lunches and art gallery walks with her husband; digging in her garden sans gloves; walking her dogs; up-cycling old furniture and junk; photography; and friends.



ABOUT THE BOOK

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.

If you would like to read the first chapter of How Sweet the Sound, go HERE.
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I received this book free from CFBA and David C. Cook Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.