Customer Reviews

Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far

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I was offered the opportunity to read and review Amy Grant's new biography, Mosaic. Had it been in the bookstore, I might have picked it up, glanced through it and come away with a very different impression than I've developed from reading it cover to cover.

I haven't been a rabid Amy fan. As a matter of fact, I've seen her in concert once and that was because I went to see Mercy Me and Amy opened for them. I purchased her Christmas CD at a garage sale. This information is not a slam in any way. I'm just sharing where I am coming from where Amy is concerned.

Driven to curiosity by the talk before, during and after her divorce from Gary Chapman I purchased Amy's Behind the Eyes CD. The lyrics from several songs haunted me. As a survivor of a rotten marriage gone good, I felt compelled to write to Amy. Crazy as that sounds...who does that? But I did. I don't remember what I wrote, other than to tell her it didn't have to end in divorce. I wondered like much of the rest of the world why she thought God wanted her to be happy at the expense of her children's pain.

I almost turned down Mosaic because of my thoughts and feelings. What if she showed no remorse, no awareness of the sanctity of marriage? What if she lightly dismissed the damage done to her children? How could I recommend this book? Then my daughter reminded me that I don't like to sit in judgment of others and I love people who screw up daily, and that I have to look into the mirror and see behind my own eyes. I needed to give Amy's book a fair reading.

I'm sorry, Amy.

Amy's divorce is as much a symptom of America's brand of diluted Christianity as it is a picture of our pathetic human weaknesses. Why should she, though in the public eye and ministering to thousands through her music, be held to a higher standard of holiness? A standard that a full half of professing Christian married couples can't meet? I, myself, am still married only because God held me in place. Everything in me wanted to be divorced and free of the pain that my husband and I inflicted on each other.

Mosaic starts like a feel-good anecdotal "Chicken Soup" style of book full of sweet stories inspiring song lyrics which end each chapter. A section of names and events details Amy's relationships with celebrities and treasured encounters with them.

Had the book been just this feel good celebrity stuff, I wouldn't recommend it. But as the book progresses Amy begins to dig deep. The promotional quotes from Mosaic have been light and chatty, friendly and homey. What dug under my skin and into my heart was the poetic poignancy with which Amy described the events and people that have shaped her through much pain and loss. Those are the entries that contain the lyrics from some of the songs that haunted me from Behind the Eyes. Amy shares her thoughts on depression, faithquakes and the death of innocence. She left me feeling like I hadn't been reading the words of a spoiled celebrity, but instead, hearing the confessions of a hurting friend.

Fame doesn't save us. A good spouse, wonderful children, great friends, history, and money can't save us. If we could each grasp how much we are loved by the Creator of the universe, maybe we wouldn't be so quick to run away from Him to find our own way. We all grab for worthless bandages. Most of us don't have the burden of the spotlight of fame to complicate our paths.

This wondrous book is a glimpse of a beautiful person.

Humility and authenticity are the hallmark of a truly spiritual person. Amy Grant is the Israelite in whom there is no guile. Her gentle spirit permeates this memoir. Her love for her parents, her sisters, her children, her friends, and her husband is visible, tangible and real. I read this book at one sitting, and by the time I finished, I felt she was a good friend.

The title and subtitle are apt. This is an unusual book, in that it does not attempt a narrative. Instead it is a collection of memories, interspersed with poems and lyrics. We learn a lot about Grant's interactions with her family and friends. We hear interesting moments she shared with people famous and not-so-famous. Occasionally, like a fawn peeking out amidst dark forest brambles, Grant exposes her deep pain over her first marriage, although she never addresses this directly.

If you believe in Jesus Christ, this book will provide you a vivid, welcome example of a person of faith. If you are uncertain about the reality of God, this book is well worth reading, because Grant is thoroughly human, approachable, non-dogmatic, and non-judgmental. She could provide non-believers a hint about how believers can believe, and why.

Mosaic by Amy Grant took me by surprise. The book itself is lovely with color photographs, but it was the text that moved me so many times. Amy takes the lyrics from several of her songs and offers the inspiration behind them as well as other short personal vignettes. The format flows beautifully and gives a deeper view of her life than even a memoir could have. She talks about growing up in her tight-knit family, the love she has for her children, the pain of her divorce, and the miraculous love she shares with husband Vince Gill. She offers herself completely exposed without polish or facade, and it's an amazing sight. Her writing is lyrical and poetic with scenic descriptions and occasionally knock-the-wind-out-of-you emotion. Reading how she struggles to keep her mind on God when praying, a spontaneous dance in the moonlight as prayer to the Lord, her wonder at finding herself in such a lofty place, all of it makes her very real and her faith profound. I found myself putting the book down to reflect on her words or to share sections with my husband. It's just too powerful to take in all in one sitting, and many times it brought me to tears. This would make a great present for a loved one or yourself!

Mosaic is not necessarily the best title. A mosaic is made up of little pieces, but the picture (unless it's a ruined mosaic) is one that's complete. This book feels as if a gaping whole mars its integrity as a record of someone's life. Yes, it's meant to be episodic, but episodic can feel complete. This does not.

That's not to say you can't enjoy it. I did. But then, I've been an Amy fan since the early 80's. We're close in age, and her music meant a lot to me over the years. I was young when she was young and when her music was young, so part of the soundtrack of my life as a Christian American gal is Amy Grant's voice and her songs. I love Amy. You can't help loving someone who is, and rightly so, characterized as winsome and appealing. She is. She's lovely and talented and extremely likable.

You see her talent in her lyrics. You see her heart's warmth and her appeal in how she talks about family and friends. The most beautiful parts of her come through when she talks about her children.

Some have complained about the price. Yeah, I thought it was steep. But I'm an Amy fan, so I paid it. I hope some goes to charity, otherwise it is a bit of excessive pricing. However, the complaints about the lyrics are off-base. Amy is a songwriter/singer. That her songs reflect her experiences makes sense, so when she writes about parts of her life, the inclusion of her lyrics makes sense. The format is easy on the eyes--lots of white space, nice font.

I wish there had been more pictures. A lot more. For the price, I figure, more pics. :) Then one couldn't complain.

As far as the gaping hole: Gary Chapman glossed over.

Look, as an Amy fan, I actually CRIED when that whole divorce thing and Vince Gill tabloid stuff was going on. There was some darkness there that anyone who admired and had followed Amy was gonna feel pain over. The Christian community who made her a star was gouged in parts by what happened. Not laying any blame anywhere, but that was a huge to-do. To basically erase a husband of many years (okay, not completely erase, but dang if he's not loud by his absence) from a biographical book feels like cheating.

Do I understand why Amy left those things out? Sure. It's gotta be her number one sore spot, the scar.

But writing memoirs means you expose those, too. Especially when it's one that by absence is kind of insulting, particularly when there is much discussion of the pregnancies, births, and moments with her lovely children. But the husband and father is sort of like this invisible ghost, hardly ever mentioned.

It's a big, big flaw. And I feel sorry for Gary to have been essentially termed disposable. The children are evident; the father discarded in memory. And that's sad. He should have his place, as he did by her side for so long, musically and maritally.

Vince gets his time, and he should. He's the man she loves and her hubby and the father of her youngest, stepfather of her older kids. But it was cruel (not intentionally, I believe, because I don't see Amy as cruel at all) to leave Gary out.

Bottom line: Amy fans should enjoy it, and you'll hear the songs playing in your head as you read the sections. Amy remains her lovable self, beautiful and gifted and very real.

But the Mosaic has a chunk missing, and it makes this offering less than it could have been.

As a "Grant Head" myself (That's what Amy calls her fans), I of course was going to buy this book. Hearing that there was going to be an audio book too, I had to have this also. I love to her her talk! It took me one day to read the book and I knew that I would read it again! This is a wonderful book for anyone who has been through a divorce, a major disaster in their life, trying to decide about their faith or their walk with God. Though it's not too preachy..it's just enough to get one to think. That there is something alot bigger than us. She did a wonderful job and there will be a few of these under my tree this Christmas as presents.

Folks....if you are looking for the dirt on Amy Grant's life, you will not find it here. She has given you a mosaic, pieces of her life. And she addresses her idea why it is called mosaic. She shares the effect the memories have been - one is to value those people and experiences and two to reinspire mundane and magical moments. It is not a biography, but there is a chronology called "Times of My Life", plus a discography with award merits.

I have not been an Amy Grant fan, so I cannot identify with the lyrics and poetry, only that the words are profound, the message is clear. Since the eighties, I have respected her as a radiant and compassionate person, and, then, as the woman who stole his heart, one of my favorites, Vince Gill. Since he was compassionate, giving, sincere, fun and extremely handsome, it was only fitting that he found a wholesome person as Amy Grant.

Grant will share with you the stories about simplicity of life alongside places and people encountered because of fame and music. You will hear about a friend with cancer not knowing how much time she had to live, but that everyday became a gift. Grant shares a story of herself and Vince paying a home visit to an 89 year old fan of his. She reveals such pleasure in the experience of taking nieces to see the ocean for the first time. Simple things like her sister's story, wanting to miss a phone call from her son when he was off to college. She reveals how her song "Hats" came about due to the craziness in your life.

Fame and music led to many paths, opportunities, and sharing moments with the famous, Reverend Billy Graham, time at the elder President Bush compound, singing with Tony Bennett, time at Kevin Costner's ranch and her favorite movie, Dances with Wolves. Pictures include golfing with Michael Jordan, meeting President Bill Clinton, the Andretti family, and more. There also simple loving pictures of friends and family.

There is a lot of emotion in these stories, and you as the reader will learn, react and connect to this gifted inspirational woman and mother. It's clear why Vince married her. ....Rizzo

I have followed Amy Grant since the early 80's. There are so many of her songs that have ministered to me throughout the years. So, I was excited to be able to read her biography, especially since I haven't known much about her private life. I was also wanting to hear more about her divorce and marriage to Vince Gill. I never felt like I really understood why she made the decisions that she did. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed with the book overall. Amy talks about many people she has treasured, and her memories of them. On the other hand, she does not reveal a lot about herself that I haven't heard before. She seems to skim the surface of her life, without going deep.

In the end, I would recommend this book to those who haven't followed Amy's career for very long. For those who have, I would wait, and hope Amy writes a more indepth biography sometime in the near future.

Amy Grant's "Mosaic" is a very warm and enjoyable look at some of her life experiences. A few choice selections are: the story behind Amy Grant's wonderful Christmas song, "Breath of Heaven;" the recounting of the day she and husband Vince Gill got baptized together, and her first overtures into developing a relationship with her step-daughter, Jenny Gill.

To those who say that Amy Grant tries to blot out Gary Chapman in this book: that is not true. For the sake of comparison, if you have read any of Sandi Patty's books, Amy mentions her ex's name a lot more than Sandi mentions hers. But if you are looking for gossip about why Grant and Chapman divorced, you won't find it in "Mosaic."

If you enjoy sincere and heart-felt reads, you'll like this book.

Even if you're not a fan of Amy Grant's gospel music, and even if you don't know of her midlife, second marriage to country singer Vince Gill, as a book browser you'd be tempted to pick up this book. The jacket pictures a smiling --- probably laughing --- and barefoot Amy, sporting a bohemian-style skirt and lacy shawl. The pose suggests that she's slightly vulnerable and inviting you into her life.

The title and subtitle don't promise full disclosure or a running narrative. And the text truly is a mosaic --- thematic and episodic chapters and journal reflections that skip around in time, revealing "pieces" of a life. The back-jacket well describes the prose as being "varied in texture."

Some chapters focus on her extended family: parents, sisters, nieces, aunts --- nearly all live nearby, clustered around Nashville. A tribute to an uncle killed before she was born feels like a eulogy written to and for Amy's family. This "Uncle Larry" chapter starts: "I love family. I love being identified in the context of my family."

Other chapters stay in the professional realm. A chapter titled "How Did I Wind Up Here?" is targeted toward her ardent fans. It recounts Amy's career path, naming singers who influenced her and people with whom she has performed or schmoozed.

The best material describes specific days and encounters: an impromptu visit to the Nashville home of an octogenarian fan; a day with her children at the Tennessee state fair; a personal encounter with a wild deer. A few of these narrative accounts give the back story of a particular song, such as "Hats" and "Missing You."

It's obvious that motherhood and music are focal points of Amy's life. And her Christian faith, which has at times waned, is renewed. She talks of this poignantly in a chapter about motherhood, "On Children and Faith." She explains, "My most consistent prayer for my children has been, God, find them the way you found me. Give them faith to believe you." Here she describes a journey of grace and forgiveness in the midst of personal turmoil.

Between chapters, Amy has interspersed the lyrics of more than 30 songs, including several that are new and unrecorded. The book includes 16 pages of color photographs, and small family photos enhance the opening page of each chapter.

The last dozen pages of the book, "The Times of My Life," give a chronological life summary, which provides "a framework" for her mosaic pieces. She explains: "My intent is to show how quickly I was set upon a path I did not anticipate and how that shaped my life. If I do not have a unique stage persona that differs from the me who shows up at the grocery store, it's because I've never felt any demarcation between life and art, faith and day-to-day living." It's that persona that shows in the jacket photograph --- she looks like the artsy sister next door.

--- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence

If you are an Amy Grant fan, as I admit unabashedly to being, you will love this book because it so quintessentially Amy. Her personality comes through on every page, whether song lyrics, prose or poetry. This is a loosely woven look at Amy's life and what has been, and is, important to her as Amy Grant Gill, daughter, sister, wife, mother, co-worker and friend. If you are not already a fan, you'll find that this book offers intimate insights into the life of a major recording star and public figure turned memoirist.

At age 48, Grant is defined more by her relationships than she is by her music or her career. Indeed, those are but a reflection of the person she has become. She says of this stage of her life: "The beauty of being in the middle of my life is the vantage point it provides. From my forties I can look ahead to my parents navigating old age at full tilt and take mental notes about what lies ahead. Even from here I can see that growing old is not for the cowardly. At the same time I can look back to childhood and the young-adult years with more understanding and compassion for myself in retrospect, for my children and for all the young people I know who are swept up in the swirl of the early decades of life." (p. 117)

The book is full of vignettes about important people in her life, from Uncle Larry, whom she never knew, to a friend ill with cancer, to her greatly valued crew of managers and musicians. Inserted throughout are song lyrics and poems which serve to highlight her musings and recollections. She shares uplifting accounts of her journey, beginning as an awkward 16-year-old singer and becoming an accomplished mega-star in both Christian and contemporary music. Grant has certainly won her share of awards. She has dined with, entertained for, and been a personal guest of presidents. Still, she seems at times in awe of all she has achieved.

Grant never denies that there have been rough times in her life, including a divorce from first husband Gary Chapman, father of her three older children. She never asks for the reader's sympathy nor does she offer excuses. She doesn't mention the very public outcry when it was learned that a Christian artist was divorcing. She easily could have slipped into self-pity when she was maligned by those who were more interested in her supposed sin than in her singing. She mentions the divorce only in terms of how she struggled with her own failure and rebuilding her broken family. Her marriage a year later to Vince Gill became more fodder for the gossip-mongers, since these Christian stars, both divorced, were now marrying. They could have retreated from the public eye but both chose to stand with their heads high and proclaim publicly how blessed they were to have found one another. Now, years and their daughter Corrina later, their relationship is quietly serene.

Amy's attitude toward hard and trying times is reflected in something her dear friend Sarah Cannon (aka Minnie Pearl) told her. "Black is most important color for an artist. You see, without black there is no depth. Without black everything appears flat." (p. xvii) Having endured bleak times,Amy found this to be true in her own life . These, she says, "add depth to every other experience...Seasons of darkness have made the landscape of my life richer, but I am grateful to say that my days are overwhelmingly filled with light." (p. xvii) These black "lines" have served to pull together the mosaic that is Amy's life so far.

For those of us to whom writing is important, what she had to say about writing and writers seems at first whimsical and then very perceptive. "I've always believed that real writers are formed from the ground up. They know from the beginning that they want to write, they dream of writing, they keep their noses to the grindstone for years, they suffer rejection after rejection from publishers, and finally one day, miraculously, they get a breakthrough. Real writers emerge from some magical, solitary existence, having lived an otherworldly life." (p.xv) Still, she decided to write although she was unsure how to start. She discovered, as oftentimes happens to those who dare to put their pen to paper, several unexpected blessings.

"Compiling this collection of memories has had two profound effects on me.," she writes. "The first and most obvious would be that I have spent a lot of time reminiscing, and that has made me grateful for all the people and experiences in my life." Then she says: "Thanks to writing and remembering, I'm reinspired to value both the mundane and magical moments. Some days are crowded with details and others with sweet hours of peace and beauty, but whatever they hold, I don't want to miss a thing. In trying to capture a few memories as best I can, I give myself the gift of treasuring what has been so far a very full and meaningful life." Not bad for someone who didn't think she was a writer.

by Susan Ideus

for Story Circle Book Reviews

reviewing books by, for, and about women