Songbird (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Mama waited tables down at the Texas Inn, right where Route 29 dipped back up from its sojourn across the bridge that spanned the James..." (more)
Key Phrases: thousand lilies, pansy eyes, Myrtle Charmaine, Mount Oak, Diet Coke (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In Lisa Samson's latest Christian fiction, the wife of a popular televangelist discovers a family secret that threatens to destroy her marriage--and her husband's ministry. Gospel singer Charmaine Hopewell has been searching for her mother since she was 11 years old, abandoned, and thrown into the foster care system. Now she is married to Harlan Hopewell, a beloved televangelist who has risen to popularity due to his disdain for psychology and psychiatry. Charmaine, despite their loving relationship, hides her own depression and search for meaning. Upon finding her mother in a mental institution, Charmaine realizes she must force Harlan into a decision: publicly support his wife and her needs or hide their new-found cross to ensure his rising popularity. Either way, Charmaine fears his ministry, and her own--both born through hardship and sacrifice--will be destroyed.

About the Author

Lisa Samson lives in Bel Air, Maryland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446679313
• ISBN-13: 978-0446679312
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #870,731 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lisa Samson writes from the heart, August 7, 2003

By	lor369 (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews

Lisa Samson has written some great books, but this is by far her best. In this books, she touches on several themes. One, Charmaine, the main character, is struggling with her mother's abandonment and her desire to find a home. Second, this book deals with mental illness, such as depression and schizophrenia.

Lisa Samson is a Christian writer. Yet, through her book, she expresses that it is OK to get help for mental illness, and that depression, etc. is not because you are weak or have a sin problem. The church has a misunderstanding on what mental illness is about, but she disposes of the myths in her book.

This book is one of the best I've read on the subject of depression (also, read Karen Kingsbury's "When Joy Came to Stay".)

Lisa has a way of creating well-developed characters with depth and who are multidimensional. Some Christian writers create "goody-goody" characters, but Lisa creates characters that are easy to relate to and who aren't perfect. You couldn't help but love Mrs. Evans, Grandma Min, Grandma Sara, Ruth, and some of Charmaine's other friends. And you can't help but hate people like Richard, Grace, and her parents. And of course, you end up feeling sorry for Charmaine's mother.

Lisa writes with such depth, and is so easygoing in her books that I feel like I hearing my best friend talk to me. She also sprinkles humor throughout the book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My lands..., November 2, 2004

By	Marilynn Griffith (Florida United States) - See all my reviews

this is a wonderful book. Myrtle Charmaine Whitehead Hopewell is a lady every woman should know. She's someone you could put on your houseshoes with and eat food with your hands. Her life has been hard, jagged even. Yet Charmaine still manages to love, despite being abandoned by her pretty waitress mother at age eleven or a string of other tragedies that follow every time she tries to care, to stay. Her love is preserved in part by a special gift, tied up with a bow and placed in her throat by God himself, the voice of a songbird.

Lisa Samson never ceases to amaze me with the quiet strength her characters possess as they erase the lines between secular and sacred bringing the reader to a better understanding of humanity as a whole. So many times in this book, I saw something of myself or people I know. No wonder this won a Christy Award. It's magical.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insight Into A Common Problem, December 7, 2004

By	Edie O "Edie O" (mid atlantic) - See all my reviews

Once again Lisa Samson was unafraid to tackle a murky subject, this time depression. To medicate or not to medicate, that is the faith question. She writes so honestly and right where we live, yet does it with a lot of style.