Songs of Deliverance [Kindle Edition]

When I read the last page of Rhythms of Grace, I knew I could not wait for the sequel to be released. Once Songs of Deliverance was released I could hardly wait to get my hands on a copy. The first night I started reading Marilynn Griffith's latest release I breezed through the first 70 pages. I realized I did not want to drink this story up as fast as I did the last, but it was unavoidable. Griffith had once again pulled me into the small town of Testimony and the lives of the people.

Everyone was back looking for closure to the different choices that either they made or was made for them. Grace had returned to Testimony, in Rhythms of Grace, when her old dance teacher had summoned her. Grace did not realize her returning was necessary in order to fill in the pieces of another person's incomplete life. She was accustomed to running from all her troubles. The time had finally come for her to stand her ground. Would she be able to handle the harshness of reality? Or would she once again runaway from it all?

Zeely was willing to settle in life and in love. She had made choices that would surprise some and affect others. Zeely had kept her secret desires to herself for so long that she was coming undone with each passing second. She was used to doing what was expected of her. When her mother was alive, she constantly told her she should marry Jeremiah, however, his heart belonged to another. Would Jeremiah and Zeely both look past their true love and commit to one another finally?

Best friends Brian and Ron are so different but yet they are so much alike. They grew up as close as brothers, but their lives seemed to be a bit more than they could control. Are any of them really in charge of where they were and where they were headed?

Griffith is a skilled novelist. Her stories provide food for thought and entertain. Life in a little town is easier to understand after reading Rhythms of Grace and/or Songs of Deliverance. In order to enjoy these characters you do not need to read Rhythms of Grace first because Griffith recalls the information throughout the story. However, I would encourage reading both books.

I received this book for review purposes from the publisher.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

Songs of Deliverance by Marilynn Griffith is the powerful sequel to Rhythms of Grace. The story picks up in the middle of an attack on dancer Grace Okoye and her rescue by her friends Zeely, Ron, and Brian. Each character has a rich, multi-layered history entwined with the others. Ron and Zeely have loved each other since high school, but each is engaged to another, and Grace and Brian are soulmates who can't seem to get past their history to find each other again. I wish that I had read the previous book, because it is important to untangle all of the lines of connection between the characters as well as the minor characters, although in Griffith's writing there are no minor characters. Every one is brilliantly rendered and completely real. Her writing is thick and rich, trapping readers and pulling them in this story of love, faith, and friendship. I want to know these people. I want to see Grace dance, Zeely sing, Brian play the drums, and Ron preach. Their story broke my heart and then put it back together again. I've been a fan of Griffith's for years, but this is absolutely her best work yet.

Interracial relationships. For some reason it's still a taboo subject in Christian fiction. Are authors still worried about offending readers who are against this? I mean, it's the 21st century and it's not a fad that is going away. As someone who is in an interracial marriage, I find the lack of even just talk about it very discouraging. Therefore books that do include this in their story lines are grabbed by me as must reads. Marilynn Griffith is one of the few authors in Christian fiction that isn't afraid to write about what actually happens in real life.

If you're expecting a light cozy read that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, you've picked up the wrong book. This book shows the ugly side of people and events and eventually how they affect relationships and the way people turn out. The character really gel in this book. There's a lot of interaction between them and you do feel as if you really get to know them. One aspect I found really interesting about the book was the truth behind Ron's family history and how ironic the whole situation with his father ended up being. I don't want to spoil it but let's just say it's amazing how some people just want to ignore the truth and choose to stay blind instead.

While this book could be read as a standalone, I HIGHLY recommend reading the book that came before this, Rhythms of Grace. The characters from Songs are first introduced in Rhythms and their back story is fleshed out. Many references from the first book are made in Songs and the reader will understand it better if they go back and read it first. Even myself, who has read Rhythms, still had trouble remembering who was who while I was reading Songs. The story is mainly about Zeely and Ron but a lot is also focused on Grace and Brian as well.

Overall I enjoyed this book. At first it was a little hard to follow because the POV would continually switch between characters. There wouldn't be a pattern, it was a random, even bringing the POV from secondary characters sometimes. However once you remembered to check the title of each chapter to realize who's POV it was, it was a straightforward read. Marilynn's books always aren't afraid to talk about issues that most people try to avoid. Racial and church issues are brought up heavily in this book that many would dismiss but really needs to be talked about. There needs to be more books in Christian fiction like this.