*Have You Heard? * Audiobooks For Your Listening Pleasure* Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
Also by this author: A Spark of Light
Published by Center Point Large Print, Recorded Books on April 1st 2011
Genres: Contemporary Women's Fiction
Pages: 685
Format: Audiobook
ISBN: 161173052X
ASIN: B004Q3G4NE
Goodreads

Zoe Baxter has spent ten years trying to get pregnant; now seven months later, her dream is about to come true. But a terrible turn of events leads to a nightmare -- one that takes away the baby she loves desperately and shatters her marriage to Max. Devastated, Zoe throws herself into her career as a music therapist, and when Vanessa, a guidance counselor, asks her to work with a suicidal teen, the relationship between Zoe and Vanessa goes from business to friendship -- then, to Zoe's surprise -- to love. When Zoe allows herself to think of having a family again, she remembers that she and Max still have frozen embryos. Max had found his peace at the bottom of a bottle until he was "rescued" by charismatic pastor, Clive Lincoln, who has vowed to fight the homosexual agenda that he believes has threatened family values in America.

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While listening to Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult I found myself in a unique position. I didn’t want the book to end, but I wanted to finish it quickly so I could share this very special audiobook with all of you. I’m sure most of you have read books where the authors mention songs throughout the narrative and then list a soundtrack at the end of the book. Sing You Home is unique in that it not only has a soundtrack but, because it is an audiobook, the songs are recorded as part of the story. The lyrics are written by the author to flesh out her characters and the music is written by talented songwriter Ellen Wilber who also sings most of the songs. For me, the music made a special book even more special in a way that the written word alone can’t be. I sometimes cry because I am touched by events in books, but I ugly cried before I was even a third into this book. The author does an amazing job of presenting the very real trauma experienced by couples who desperately want a child only to suffer the heartache of fetal loss and stillbirth. As if that isn’t enough, she courageously jumps into the stormy waters of same-sex couples who want to be parents and explores the rights of the unborn. I know this book will spark controversy. There are Evangelicals who will make you hear the sound of nails on a chalkboard as you witness the very real contrast between those who are trying to make a name for themselves and those who just want to do the right thing. There is no black and white in the story, just that gray area where we all meet and become human beings. Emotions run the gamut as listeners experience grief, anger, disappointment, prejudice, hatred and love through the eyes of the well-written characters.

There has been some criticism of the use of the music in Sing You Home, but as I said, it enhanced the book for me. Did I expect a grammy winner performance from the artist? No. . .I think that would have been a mistake. Instead, I experienced a real person singing with real emotion in the voice of Ellen Wilber. The narration by Thérèse Plummer, Brian Hutchison, Mia Barron, and Michelle O. Medlin is excellent. Thérèse Plummer actually won an award for her portrayal of music therapist, Zoe Baxter, but I particularly liked Brian Hutchison as Max, Zoe’s former husband. I thought he gave Max’s character just the right degree of flakiness to make a good-ole-boy-surfer-dude turned zealot a somewhat sympathetic character, but one you still wanted to slap.

Sing You Home is not going to be a book for everyone.  If you aren’t comfortable with having your fundamentalist Christian faith presented in a less than flattering light, or if you aren’t comfortable with gay and lesbian relationships, then you might want to skip this one. If, however, you are a person who is open-minded and loves reading stories that explore topics close to the heart, then I recommend this book to you.  There are a number of twists and turns and “what were they thinking?” moments, and even though the ending just came out of nowhere, it is the right one. Oh, by the way. . .I did ugly cry again before the book ended, so keep the tissues handy!