When a good church girl starts singing in a jazz club and falls for the music—as well as a handsome African American man—she struggles to reconcile her childhood faith with her newfound passions. Raised in the Danish Baptist Church, Rose Sorensen knows it’s wrong to sing worldly songs. But Rose still yearns for those she hears on the radio—“Cheek to Cheek,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”—and sings them when no one is around. One day, Rose’s cousin takes her to Calliope’s, a jazz club, where she discovers an exciting world she never knew existed. Here, blacks and whites mingle, brought together by their shared love of music. And though Rose worries it’s wrong—her parents already have a stable husband in mind for her—she can’t stop thinking about the African American pianist of the Chess Men, Theo Chastain. When Rose returns to the jazz club, she is offered the role of singer for the Chess Men. The job would provide money to care for her sister, Sophy, who has cerebral palsy—but at what cost? As Rose gets to know Theo, their fledgling relationship faces prejudices she never imagined. And as she struggles to balance the dream world of Calliope’s with her cold, hard reality, she also wrestles with God’s call for her life. Can she be a jazz singer? Or will her faith suffer because of her worldly ways? Set in Depression-era Chicago and rich in historical detail, Sing for Me is a beautiful, evocative story about finding real, unflinching love and embracing—at all costs—your calling.
AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: http://www.karenschreck.com/
MY REVIEW:
I confess that I am drawn to books by the cover art...horrible, I know. While book shopping at Mardel, my eye was drawn to a low shelf and there packed amidst several possible reads was a beautiful art deco font showing the title of "Sing for Me". As a long time fan of Ella Fitzgerald and Rosemary Clooney, it is no wonder my eyes spotted this cover. I've had this dream of being a modern-day lounge singer since probably about my sophomore year in high-school. (That was about the time I discovered Harry Connick, Jr, my second musician crush...sorry Rick Springfield). As I have gotten older and lost most of my singing ability, I am okay with letting Jane Monheit and Diana Krall carry that honor.
Maybe it was the excitement of starting the book or the stress I am currently going through in my job, but I had a hard time getting into the story of the book. It is well-written and seems to be true to the time period, so I am sure I was to blame for my slow beginning. I enjoyed the characters and appreciated the different dilemmas each were going through, but I was anxious to get to the music and romance. When that began to develop and became forefront, my interest fortissimo-ed and I finished the last half of the book in about a day. I loved how the author included lyrics from hymns and standards throughout the story. I found myself singing them all as I read and that makes a great read for me!
There are two evils addressed in the book - prejudice and stubbornness - and both of these give a painful ache to my heart. Judgement has to be the most hurtful behavior in the world as it leads to much worse. The judgement given to me since early childhood has not been the color of my skin or the religion I practice, but any judgement is hurtful and leaves permanent scars on the soul. If I could have one wish granted, it would be that people would think first to accept differences rather than to punish them. Let us live a life lead by love! After all, we as Christians, are called to be examples of Christ who was Himself the truest form of love.
As I was finishing this book, the tragedy in Charleston occurred and I found myself crying for the families of the victims and the community. I was saddened that in 2015 the cruelty of skin-color prejudice is still prevalent in our country. It breaks my heart and I can only imagine the sadness it brings Christ who loved each one of us enough to sacrifice Himself for our freedom. Oh, how I pray, that somewhere over the rainbow we can finally overcome this obstacle.
Your review of this book brought tears to my eyes. The timeliness of the subject matter is at the forefront, especially only days after the Charleston massacre. My heart breaks because of prejudice, hatred, and greed that has plagued out nation. So, I am interested in reading this book to discover how the main character removes these issues in her life. Thank you for sharing so honestly about your feelings towards prejudice and judgement. These are very hurtful and devastating to individuals, families, and to our country. Good book review and very thought-provoking.
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