The Song Reader
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- €6.99
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- €6.99
Publisher Description
Mary Beth and her younger sister Leeann are trying to support themselves in their small Southern hometown. So, to make ends meet, alongside her job at the diner Mary Beth works by practicing her own unique talent: 'song reading'. By making sense of the song lyrics people have stuck in their heads, Mary Beth can help them make sense of their lives. In no time, Mary Beth's readings have the entire town singing her praises, including scientist Ben, who falls hard for Mary Beth and her unearthly intuition.
But Mary Beth's gift leads her to a secret truth about a prominent neighbour and, as a consequence, the fragile structure of the girls' orphaned life comes tumbling down around them. Each secret seems to domino another until the sisters' whole complex emotional history is laid bare. And without Mary Beth's music the town's silence is louder than ever. Could it be that the lyrics to all those foolish love songs really aren't so foolish after all?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Tucker's assured debut novel is an achingly tender narrative about grief, love, madness and crippling family secrets. Preteen Leeann Norris introduces readers to her world: recently orphaned when her mother was killed in a car accident, she lives with her older sister, Mary Beth, who supports them by waiting tables and performing "song readings" for locals in their small Missouri town. Rather than reading palms to tell people's future, Mary Beth analyzes the songs stuck in their heads, explaining what the song fragments reveal about her clients' psyches. The plot device is fascinating, but what cleaves the reader to the page is the relationship between the two sisters one determined to track down their long-missing father, the other equally resistant to looking at the past. When Mary Beth's song reading uncovers a local scandal, the community turns against her, and her resolve to help those around her crumbles. Leeann must become the stronger sister, and her quest to find their father finally succeeds, though not in the way she'd hoped. Tucker's dexterous portraits of the fragile family dynamics expose quirky and compelling characters. Her expertly sprung revelations will surprise readers. This intoxicating debut may remind them of Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle and Pat Conroy's Prince of Tides, but it's not lost in their shadows. FYI:Tucker will tape an interview forTheCBS Early Show while in New York during her 10-city tour in May. First serialization in the May issue ofSeventeen magazine.
