Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

‘Sing You Home’ by Jodi Picoult

Book Review submitted by Stephanie Di Sante

I have always loved to read and in the past would find myself devouring page by page the latest book I was reading. I would have to make myself put it down so I would have something good to read before bed (or on the bus ride to and from school in my high school days) the next day! But since having two kids I find it hard to finish reading a book and have so far half-read at least three books (and left them sitting on my bedside table for months) which I NEVER used to do, even if I wasn’t enjoying the book, I always would read it to the end, just to find out how it ended! So I decided I needed to get back into reading again, but didn’t want something too intense or complicated to read just a nice, good, easy read with no twists and turns, maps or historical references! I’d heard books by Jodi Picoult were good, so after downloading a sample of her book ‘Sing You Home’ I was hooked and couldn’t put my tablet down (or rather turn it off???) It was also a little ‘test’ for me the first e-book I had downloaded and going to read off my tablet. I also noticed this book comes with a sound-track, a song for different parts of the book which relates to the main character, Zoe being a music therapist.

Synopsis

Zoe is a music therapist and her husband Max has his own Landscaping business. They want a family and after problems with their fertility and many miscarriages, Zoe finally becomes pregnant through in vitro fertilization. All is going well for Zoe, Max and their growing baby, but tragedy strikes late in her pregnancy and they lose the baby. Both are grief-stricken at this terrible loss, and while both Max and Zoe are dealing with the grief in their own way Max has accepted that they will not keep trying to conceive. Zoe has other ideas. Though she is still grieving, on a visit to her obstetrician with Max, Zoe talks about ‘the next time’ she will be pregnant. Max is in shock and can’t believe Zoe wants to keep trying. They have three embryos left and Zoe doesn’t want to give up. Despite this, Max does not want to go through treatment again and asks Zoe for a divorce.

Zoe eventually returns to her work of helping people through her music therapy, working with the elderly, at high schools with troubled teens and visiting children in hospitals. She begins a new relationship with Vanessa.

Max’s brother Reid and sister-in-law Liddy take Max in since he has no where to stay. They introduce him to their church and Pastor. Max returns to his troubled past of drinking. He has a very bad car accident and is lucky to be alive. He joins the church after his accident and this becomes a large part of his life.

Zoe still longs for a child of her own. She can’t carry a baby anymore, but Vanessa can. They decide to ask Max to use the embryos. Max is swayed by the influence of his church and a legal and public fight over the embryos ensues.

My Verdict:

‘Sing You Home’ is a book that many people will be able to relate to for different reasons. It deals with the joy of pregnancy and impending parenthood to the grief of the loss of a baby, relationships and prejudice. While the story is sad to begin with and deals with intense issues at times, it had a happy ending. I could not put it down and enjoyed reading this book. Will definitely read more books by this author!

8/10