Customer Reviews

Songs of Deliverance

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I read the last page of Rhythms of Grace, I knew I could not wait for the sequel to be released. Once Songs of Deliverance was released I could hardly wait to get my hands on a copy. The first night I started reading Marilynn Griffith's latest release I breezed through the first 70 pages. I realized I did not want to drink this story up as fast as I did the last, but it was unavoidable. Griffith had once again pulled me into the small town of Testimony and the lives of the people.

Everyone was back looking for closure to the different choices that either they made or was made for them. Grace had returned to Testimony, in Rhythms of Grace, when her old dance teacher had summoned her. Grace did not realize her returning was necessary in order to fill in the pieces of another person's incomplete life. She was accustomed to running from all her troubles. The time had finally come for her to stand her ground. Would she be able to handle the harshness of reality? Or would she once again runaway from it all?

Zeely was willing to settle in life and in love. She had made choices that would surprise some and affect others. Zeely had kept her secret desires to herself for so long that she was coming undone with each passing second. She was used to doing what was expected of her. When her mother was alive, she constantly told her she should marry Jeremiah, however, his heart belonged to another. Would Jeremiah and Zeely both look past their true love and commit to one another finally?

Best friends Brian and Ron are so different but yet they are so much alike. They grew up as close as brothers, but their lives seemed to be a bit more than they could control. Are any of them really in charge of where they were and where they were headed?

Griffith is a skilled novelist. Her stories provide food for thought and entertain. Life in a little town is easier to understand after reading Rhythms of Grace and/or Songs of Deliverance. In order to enjoy these characters you do not need to read Rhythms of Grace first because Griffith recalls the information throughout the story. However, I would encourage reading both books.

I received this book for review purposes from the publisher.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

Songs of Deliverance by Marilynn Griffith is the powerful sequel to Rhythms of Grace. The story picks up in the middle of an attack on dancer Grace Okoye and her rescue by her friends Zeely, Ron, and Brian. Each character has a rich, multi-layered history entwined with the others. Ron and Zeely have loved each other since high school, but each is engaged to another, and Grace and Brian are soulmates who can't seem to get past their history to find each other again. I wish that I had read the previous book, because it is important to untangle all of the lines of connection between the characters as well as the minor characters, although in Griffith's writing there are no minor characters. Every one is brilliantly rendered and completely real. Her writing is thick and rich, trapping readers and pulling them in this story of love, faith, and friendship. I want to know these people. I want to see Grace dance, Zeely sing, Brian play the drums, and Ron preach. Their story broke my heart and then put it back together again. I've been a fan of Griffith's for years, but this is absolutely her best work yet.

Interracial relationships. For some reason it's still a taboo subject in Christian fiction. Are authors still worried about offending readers who are against this? I mean, it's the 21st century and it's not a fad that is going away. As someone who is in an interracial marriage, I find the lack of even just talk about it very discouraging. Therefore books that do include this in their story lines are grabbed by me as must reads. Marilynn Griffith is one of the few authors in Christian fiction that isn't afraid to write about what actually happens in real life.

If you're expecting a light cozy read that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, you've picked up the wrong book. This book shows the ugly side of people and events and eventually how they affect relationships and the way people turn out. The character really gel in this book. There's a lot of interaction between them and you do feel as if you really get to know them. One aspect I found really interesting about the book was the truth behind Ron's family history and how ironic the whole situation with his father ended up being. I don't want to spoil it but let's just say it's amazing how some people just want to ignore the truth and choose to stay blind instead.

While this book could be read as a standalone, I HIGHLY recommend reading the book that came before this, Rhythms of Grace. The characters from Songs are first introduced in Rhythms and their back story is fleshed out. Many references from the first book are made in Songs and the reader will understand it better if they go back and read it first. Even myself, who has read Rhythms, still had trouble remembering who was who while I was reading Songs. The story is mainly about Zeely and Ron but a lot is also focused on Grace and Brian as well.

Overall I enjoyed this book. At first it was a little hard to follow because the POV would continually switch between characters. There wouldn't be a pattern, it was a random, even bringing the POV from secondary characters sometimes. However once you remembered to check the title of each chapter to realize who's POV it was, it was a straightforward read. Marilynn's books always aren't afraid to talk about issues that most people try to avoid. Racial and church issues are brought up heavily in this book that many would dismiss but really needs to be talked about. There needs to be more books in Christian fiction like this.

I started reading Songs of Deliverance with a major disadvantage. Though I'd been under the impression that this was a standalone novel, the events that fill the pages of Songs are closely tied to Griffith's preceding book, Rhythms of Grace. That said, having stuck with this book, once I caught on to the rhythm of the story I couldn't stop turning the pages. This story covers so much more territory than the back cover copy would lead you to believe. Songs is the story of Zeely and Ron, childhood sweethearts torn apart by choices and a past history marked with breathtaking pain and suffering, defined by regrets. Brought back to the school where their story began, by a dying teacher who'd loved them and believed in them in spite of the road of heartache their lives had taken, there's a chance for a new beginning. But before that is possible, ugly truths must be confronted, and light must illuminate the dark scars that have given voice to the lie that one's mistakes are irredeemable. Songs is also the story of Grace and Brian, also called back to face their pasts by the same teacher. As a teenager, Grace's life changed forever the night she was raped, and now, years later, she's hungry to know the child she gave up for adoption. Brian also has mysteries in his past that need uncovering, But as secrets come to light and truths are revealed, this each of these individuals must choose whether or not God's grace can make beauty from the ashes of their pasts.

This book opens with a bang, literally - an attack on Grace, a shooting, and then the aftershocks settle in as the trauma of that night shakes the lives of Zeely, Ron, Grace, and Brian to the core. It's a shocking moment that works as a trigger, bringing each person to a fork in the road where they have to start choosing life or death, and choosing life is a hard choice that comes with its own perils, because in order to fully embrace life and redemption, scars have to be ripped open from decades-old wounds. As I mentioned earlier, not having read the preceding book I started Songs at a disadvantage. This wasn't helped by the story's point of view changing constantly. Chapters are devoted to each of the four principle characters, and even a few secondary players get their own spotlight chapter. The constant back-and-forth, with no regular order to the changes, is enough to give a person whiplash. But the story here is so compelling that sticking with it for the payoff is worthwhile.

I can't think of the last time I read a novel where the brokenness of the characters, the heartache they experience, their journey towards wholeness left me broken open as well. There's a raw, aching, refreshing authenticity to the faith found within the pages of this book. I could see where the spiritual thread of this story could be too heavy for some readers, but there's no other way in my view for Griffith to resolve the issues facing her characters without honest, desperate faith she gives voice to in these pages. This isn't a comfortable read - Griffith tackles the results of rape, abuse, and abortion, to name a few, and the result of lies made and kept for years, and secrets buried for generations to preserve an image or hold on to a prejudice. A valid argument could be made, I suppose, that the storyline teeters on the edge of soap-opera. But while that may have kept me engrossed in the novel, what I'll take away from this book is the inspiring, raw and honest authenticity of each character's faith. Songs of Deliverance is a beautifully-rendered story of the beauty that can come from brokenness, and of God's never-failing redemptive power.

Songs of Deliverance contains beautiful prose and insightful moments that make the reader think. I feel like I did myself a disservice by not reading the first book first, though. It seems like several foundations were laid in the prior book that I didn't have full access to since I began with the second in the series. I don't recommend that because it took away from my overall experience. That said, this story also contained more than a few "no way" moments for me. I felt like I was watching a talk show similar to Maury Povich where skeleton after skeleton came out of the closet. There were several situations that were unbelievably coincidental. But I have to say that made for great drama like you'd see in a soap opera. People were discovering all kinds of things they never expected, and parents that were not who they thought they'd be, etc. And tortured characters? This author has mastered that technique. The romantic elements were fabulously yummy and the message about true love and marrying for the right reasons and not to rescue someone were believable themes that were very well done. The faith element was strong and the book wrapped up the loose ends. I read this book quickly, and while a bit confused at first (due to starting with the second book) I was able to pick up on things and move on. I recommend it.

In my adventures in the blogosphere and book reviewing, I am being exposed to a lot of wonderful authors. The latest is Marilynn Griffith
([...]). She is a freelance writer and author, speaker, and a wife and mother to seven children who lives in Florida. She is also the compiler of stories on a site called SistahFaith ([...]) , which features true stories of hope and healing.

Her latest book, `Songs of Deliverance,' is an emotional and intense tale about characters who live in Testimony, Ohio - Zeely, Ron, Grace, Brian, Jeremiah, Sean, Quinn and many more. These characters were first brought to life by Mrs. Griffith in `Rhythms of Grace' which took place prior to the events of `Songs of Deliverance.'

`Songs of Deliverance' opening scene features Zeely during her college years, fifteen years prior to the current events. She is forced to make a difficult decision which will impact her life forever (don't want to give away this plot point!).

Each of the chapters is written in the first person point of view of the different characters. It is a wonderful technique which makes each character come alive. In fact, I could easily see this book come to life in the form of a movie. Many movie stars came to mind as I read the book.

I loved the fact that many of the characters were constantly in prayer and constantly aware that they needed the Lord's help in order to become better people - and more like Him. Sin abounded, but God's grace abounded all the more. It was a very powerful portrait of faith and grace.

I found this book to be beautifully written. A couple of my favorite lines are: `the love he wanted was still packed in boxes on the floor of my heart' (p. 122) and `even though my life had come undone, God was still tending to the stitching. I was just seeing the underside' (p. 159).

This book is full of twists and turns and real life episodes. I was constantly surprised by the latest revelations. Each new twist made the world smaller and brought the characters closer together. Most of the characters in this book are Christians, but they also, as do we all, live in the world. They have made mistakes and lived full lives, and each is coming to the Lord for deliverance and redemption in his/her own way and on his/her own terms. In the end, the Lord delivers and redeems many of them (not all of the storylines were resolved in this book, so I am patient!). Although I did not read `Rhythms of Grace' (which might have made this one easier to follow), I do want to follow the people of Testimony, Ohio, to see how lives turns out for all of them, and therefore hope there is
another book on the way.

This book was provided to me for review purposes by Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Reviewed by Andrea Schultz - Ponderings by Andrea - [...]

This book made me really uncomfortable, but not necessarily in a bad way.
First of all, I was in culture shock through most of it. Having grown up in a conservative Baptist home, I still struggle with culture shock walking into some "Community" churches, let alone the culture shock I got from the more "Pentecostal" church setting of this book.

Secondly, the book dealt with the "ugly side of life". The side we all know exists, but most of us try to cover up and hide within our Christian circles. Marilynn Griffith did anything but hide from these issues with her characters. She forced me, as the reader, to face these issues head-on, along with the grace that comes when the issues are brought to the feet of our Savior.

This book started off "running" and didn't stop until I put it down. The flow was actually fairly easy to follow, even though the story is being told from multiple first person POVs and in different times (flashback and current day). The story sweeps up the reader and immersed me fully in the characters and their lives.

Though the writing, story, etc. were done well, I'm not sure if I'd read another book from this author, just due to my lack of comfort with the content and culture.

Oh my goodness! This book was so good. This is the sequel to Rhythms of Grace and it unleashed the skeletons that weren't mentioned in the first one. I dropped my jaw so many times. I laughed and smiled while reading this book. I also couldn't wait to read this book every time when I stopped reading it for the day. I was so glad that every one of the characters gained closure with the battles that they faced in their everyday lives. This book was full of suspense and surprises that were like wow. I wish that this one as well as the one before this one would somehow become a movie and I hope that's in the works or thought of at least. I am just so glad to have a book that's so enjoyable. I enjoyed this book so much that it took me a week to read it and it usually takes longer than that for me to read books. But, this book caught my eye and my interest. This book had me on edge that I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next. I can't wait until these characters are brought out again in another book. Marilynn Griffith really put passion into the book.

This is a good follow up to the first book Rhythms of Grace. It is full of suprises that makes you not want to put the book down. The last few chapters are the best!!!! Good job Mrs. Griffith! I love a good love story and with God involved it's even better!!!!!

When teenager Ron Jenkins first laid eyes on beautiful Zeely Wilkins, he fell in love with her instantly. A romance blooms and the two are inseparable. Even when they leave to attend colleges in different cities, they maintain their close bond. An incident happens that leaves Zeely making decisions that will haunt them for years to come. Both move on and live separate lives, always wondering and questioning what could have been. Fifteen years later, both Zeely and Ron are back in their hometown and struggling to forgive one another and to forget the past. With God's guidance, love and patience Zeely and Ron are able to forgive each other and work to mend their broken hearts.

SONGS OF DELIVERANCE by Marilyn Griffith captured my attention from the first page. A drama filled with betrayals, secrets and lies that seemed to intertwine all characters. The balance of religious attributes that she incorporates helped the storyline flow smoothly. I appreciated the twists and turns she portrayed; however, there were times when the drama was a bit intense.

Reviewed by Jaime L. Lincoln
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers