A Song of Home by Susie Finkbeiner

About:

Pearl Spence has finally settled into a routine in Bliss, Michigan, far from her home in Red River, Oklahoma. Like all the other kids, she goes to school each day, plays in the woods, and does her chores. But there’s one big difference: Mama is still gone, and doesn’t seem to have a thought for the family she’s left behind.

Escaping from her worries is another part of Pearl’s new routine, whether that’s running to Aunt Carrie’s farm, listening to the radio with Ray, or losing herself in a book. In fact, a chair in the stacks, surrounded by books, might be her favorite place on earth–until she discovers swing dancing. The music transports Pearl to a whole other world.

When Mama unexpectedly returns, it isn’t the happy occasion Pearl had imagined. Mama is distant and Pearl can’t figure out how to please her. And the horrible way she treats Daddy is more than Pearl can bear. Seems life would be better if Mama would just stay away.

Finkbeiner’s portrayal of both tragedy and everyday life in times of great change is charged with a raw beauty that will haunt readers. Fans of the two prior Pearl Spence novels won’t be disappointed!

My thoughts:

Yeah. I really liked this one.

Susie has a very unique voice and I love it. The way she takes everyday things and turns them into something beautiful is truly artistic.

I did not read the first book in this series, but I did read the second and now this one. I loved picking back up with Pearl and the changes she was going through, her struggles with loving Mama, yet not liking what she did or even who she was at time. There is a surprise in there that I didn’t see coming either. Things I could relate to in repairing a marriage that has been torn apart.

I did find out the setting of this book is based on the town in which I live and grew up. I couldn’t help trying to picture my little town so many years ago. Thinking Pearl lived here when my grandparents where young adults. Obviously, this story is fiction but it was nice to imagine.

This book is truly a piece of art and the words paint a beautiful, heartbreaking picture.

Visit Susie here.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to my by the publisher. All opinions are my own.