All For A Song – A Book Review

Not only am I an author, I am also an avid reader.  It is my hope to offer periodic book reviews to give you a glimpse at my bookshelf, and hopefully encourage you to pick up a good book.  Most of what I read is from a Christian worldview, although I do read some secular books from time to time.

 

All For A Song

By Allison Pittman

Published 2013 by Tyndale

I chose this book for the lady’s book club at my church and actually paid full price for it at a Christian bookstore, buying it in paperback,

I had never read anything by Allison Pittman before but I was very taken with the synopsis on the back of the book (and the cover art).  I am so glad I chose this book.  Allison Pittman is an amazing author!  She is so talented.  I could only hope to have a tenth of her writing ability.

All For a Song is set in the Roaring Twenties.  The story follows young Dorothy Lynn Dunbar from a tiny town in the Ozarks called Heron’s Nest.  A daughter of a preacher, Dorothy Lynn is set to marry the pastor who has taken over her father’s pulpit.  Outwardly, Dorothy Lynn has all a woman could ask for, a home, family and a man who loves her, and yet her heart longs for something more.  Dorothy Lynn spends hours in her private forest glade, writing songs and strumming on her brother’s old guitar.  Often she rebels inwardly at the path that has been so carefully laid out for her, yearning to experience life beyond the confines of her tiny town.  Most of her family and even her fiance don’t take Dorothy Lynn’s music seriously.

In preparation for her wedding, Dorothy Lynn makes a visit to St. Louis to see her sister and have her wedding dress made.  While in the big city, Dorothy Lynn gets a chance to experience things beyond her wildest imagination – indoor plumbing, air conditioning, movie theaters and street cars.  She also stumbles across the charismatic evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson.  Aimee Semple McPherson is a historical figure and I must admit I had never heard of her!  She was quite a woman for her day – the most popular evangelist of the time period and the first woman to hold a broadcast license.  She brought forth a call for repentance and salvation at a time when our nation was roiling with changes after the first world war.  (Learn more about Aimee Semple McPherson by following the link.)

When Dorothy Lynn has a chance to play one of her songs for Aimee’s manager, he is taken by her raw talent and asks her to join the troupe on their trip to Los Angeles.  Using the excuse that she wants to find her wayward brother, Dorothy Lynn agrees to sing as the opening act of Aimee Semple McPherson’s revival meetings.  Suddenly another new world opens to Dorothy Lynn and she is confronted with temptations she never could have dreamed of.  Eventually she must decide between fame and fortune in California or the steadfast and true life she left behind in Heron’s Nest.

Two stories are interwoven throughout the book, Dorothy Lynn’s current life in the Breath of Angels nursing home on the day of her 107th birthday, and that of Dorothy Lynn’s past and her search for the life that would satisfy the ache in her soul.  Ms. Pittman is a master of words, creating dramatic imagery on page after page.  Here is one example of her artistry:

“Perhaps he’d picked up on the thread of envy she’s kept so closely stitched to her heart.  He seemed poised to pull on it, unravel the truth, or worse, wrap it around her yearning to bring her brother home.”

An excellent story written by an excellent author!  I highly recommend All For A Song if you are looking for an engrossing read this summer!