Marilyn Griffith's Song of Deliverance ~ Reviewed

SONG OF DELIVERANCE
By Marilynn Griffith
Published by Revell
ISBN# 9780800732790
368 Pages

Back Cover:

Fifteen years ago, Zeely Wilkins and Ron Jenkins were ignored by their school---and went separate ways. Called back by the past---and the one teacher who believed in them---Zeely and Ron now have to decide what love really means! Can they hear the music that brought them together---or will secrets keep them apart?


Review:

Marilynn Griffith writes with such sensitivity, passion and distinctiveness, all of my senses were at attention. This author had me witness, hear, feel and experience the believability of the characters, and the intimate details of their lives woven together by the intensity of their individual situations. These characters and their stories touched me deeply; I carried Song of Deliverance with me everywhere I went until I read the last page. It was that gripping.

Marilynn’s passion and love for the Lord drips off the pages and into your heart. This author has a way of putting you into the action in a very real way. I haven’t experienced anything like it before. She has a unique style of writing that I soon adapted to. I was swept up into the story and fascinated by her rich array of characters. Marilyn writes whole chapters in different characters points of view. In the beginning of each chapter there is the name of the character so you know who is doing the talking. I quickly got into the rhythm and was hooked.

After I finished Songs of Deliverance, the sequel to Rhythm of Grace, I knew I had been part of something special, amazing and eye opening. Just as Marilynn’s characters felt, I, too, felt I’d been kissed by good and deemed lovable. No matter what happens in this life, our heavenly daddy is there with open arms to love us thru this journey called life. He will give us songs of deliverance if we are brave enough to sing the song He has specifically for us.

I wanted to give you a sneak peek into Marilynn’s style of writing. “The bubbles tickled my shoulders but brought no humor to them. I’d thought that a good, hot bath might numb the pain, but some things couldn’t be soaked or scrubbed away. Some things stained deep into the soul.”

Dr. Joyce Rogers – gathers her best students to teach at a school she runs for troubled kids. These kids have been wounded by life. Dr. Rogers’s mission is to love the unlovable kids, the throw a ways, and the abandoned and to give them a second and third chance no one else will give them.

Marilynn Griffith pens a story that will stay in your heart and make you contemplate all that God does in the characters lives. Nothing is tied up in a pretty bow at the end. Life is not like that, but God does promise us healing, grace and a love ever lasting. Thanks to Revell for the review copy.

Reviewed by: Nora St. Laurent ACFW Book Club Coordinator



Bonus Review:

Warning: this book is not your typical Christian Romance novel! 'Songs of Deliverance' is a book laced with brokeness on some of the most painful and unbelievable levels. It deals with tough topics such as adultery, abortion, rape, and inner city violence...and demonstrates God's gift of forgiveness which covers ALL of it, if only we'll accept it. Inevitably, these issues greatly complicate the would be romantic relationships of the multiple characters. While I truly did enjoy this book and it certainly kept me on the edge of my seat, it was at times difficult to follow the numerous plot twists and time jumps from the present to 20+ years in the past. Overall, a good read, but it requires a good deal of concentration to truly get the most out of this book.

Reviewed by: Rachael Schnitker