Some stories capture you from the beginning, and won’t let you go until you walk it out to the end. The Song by Chris Fabry did just that. At first I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to dive in and fall love the characters in this book, with an almost certainty that heartbreak would meet me if I did. So it sat unread for about two weeks before I decided to crack the cover. I had seen the trailer for the movie, after all, before I even knew there was book! I knew that Jed and Rose would capture my heart, and I didn’t want to ache for them and watch them walk through hard times. But I did, and I stayed the course, and in the end it was worth it all.
About The Song-
Jed King’s life has been shaped by the songs and mistakes of his famous father. He wants to sing his own song, but the words and melody are elusive. Haunted by the scars inflicted by his broken family, Jed’s dreams of a successful music career seem out of reach, until he meets Rose.
As romance quickly blooms, Jed pens a new song and suddenly finds himself catapulted into stardom. But with this life of fame comes temptation, the same temptation that lured his father so many years ago.
Set in the fertile mid-South, this quest for success leads Jed and Rose on a journey that will force them to deal with the pain of loss, failure, and the desire to be who God created them to be.
Lyrical and deeply honest, The Song asks the hard questions of love and forgiveness. When even the wisest of men are fools in love, can true love persevere?
My Thoughts-
It’s obvious (and I love the fact) that The Song is based loosely on the Biblical story of King Soloman. There are easy parallels to be seen- Jed’s father was named David King. Rose could be inspired from the Rose of Sharon, Jed specifically asks the Lord for wisdom, among other little details.
Success and failure, love and redemption. Those are strongly thematic throughout the story.
I’m not sure if I’ve read a story with a character that I both loved and despised at the same time (yes, I’m talking about YOU Jed). Seeing Rose and Jed fall in love was beautiful. The song he wrote for her on their honeymoon made tears come to my eyes. But, it was a little like watching a car accident in slow motion, you saw the downward spiral and there was nothing you could do about it.
The hard, hard subjects were written from an extremely truthful point of view. There was no sugar coating how far of a fall the characters take. I wasn’t sure they could even pull out of it, and without the everlasting love of God and supernatural forgiveness, I’m not sure anyone could, or honestly would even want to.
Was the writing the best I’ve ever read? No. But it doesn’t matter. The heart is deep in The Song. Your emotions are pulled, but ultimately, you’re forced to face your own thoughts on faith and forgiveness. You can’t read this and not think of what you would do in that situation. Do the characters make the same choices you would, or maybe even have (or have not) at some point in your life? It’s worth a read to find out.
My Rating-
Five stars!
Find The Song on Facebook, where you can find six video episodes from The Song Small Group Study. Look for a new episode every Tuesday at 4pm EST for the next 6 weeks, leading up to the DVD release on February 10, 2015.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but as always my opinions stated are 100% my own, and I’m not required to write a positive review. My Amazon affiliate link is used in this post.
