Songs of Deliverance

Title: SONGS OF DELIVERANCE
Author: Marilynn Griffith
Publisher: Revell
December 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3279-0
Genre: Inspirational/contemporary

They say time heals all wounds—but sometimes, time just isn’t enough.

Years ago, Zeely Wilkins was in love with Ron Jenkins. She “let her bottom rule her mind” and she ended up pregnant. A Bishop’s daughter, Zeely knew that her pregnancy would break her father’s heart, but she couldn’t abort the baby without telling Ron. But when she went to tell Ron, she discovered that her white boyfriend seriously didn’t consider marrying her, it would destroy his future legal career plans if he were to marry a black woman. Heartbroken, Zeely aborted the baby, and has regretted it ever since.

Grace is full of secrets, complete with an assumed name. Now she’s hoping to get her life back on track. But she discovers her caseworker is a man that she knows, one who loves her. Can she trust him with her future when her present is tied up in knots and her past is so ugly?

Zeely and Ron’s paths are crossing again, and Ron realizes that he’s always loved her. But he has another pregnant girlfriend, and the past between Ron and Zeely stand like a huge brick wall between them. Is there any hope of scaling this wall? Or will their past continue to keep them apart?

SONGS OF DELIVERANCE is the sequel to Rhythms of Grace, but it easily stands alone. I didn’t have the luxury of reading Rhythms of Grace, but I easily figured out what was going on in SONGS OF DELIVERANCE. This story is very very real, blatantly so, almost as if it could be a television drama.

Zeely, Grace, Ron, and another male character, Brian, live lives that are entangled in lies, in past mistakes, mistakes that are so heartbreaking that years later they still shape every move and haunt every thought. The story is extremely well written, Ms. Griffith is a very talent author, but the graphicness was sometimes a bit hard for me to take. If you are reading for escape purposes, maybe you should look for a different story. But if you like books that could (and do) happen in cities across the nation, then SONGS OF DELIVERANCE is for you. $13.99. 322 pages.

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She returns to her hometown with a suitcase full of regrets,
and a heart yearning for so much more…

Songs of Deliverance is the latest novel from popular author
Marilynn Griffith, who is known for her rich and heartfelt storytelling that will stir readers’ emotions.

Four childhood friends have been torn apart by the mistakes and tragedies of their past. Now as adults, they are reunited in their hometown of Testimony, Ohio, where they sort through the messy, real-life struggles of secrets kept hidden, lost loves and unknown futures.

Zeely Wilkins is the one with the beautiful voice that earned her the nickname “Birdie,” when she was younger. Now engaged to marry Jerry, her life seems to be back on track, though she struggles to bury feelings for her high school sweetheart.

Grace Okoye can make you hold your breath when she dances, but ever since that night more than a decade ago, she has pushed that dream—like so many others—aside.
Ron Jenkins, the lone white guy who once used to preach in the black church, has returned to Testimony, now as a lawyer. He questions whether he should be here, and when enough is enough when it comes to matters of the heart.

Brian Mayfield, with his long dreadlocks, had walked away from the church awhile ago. Only recently has he started to turn back to God and find strength for healing and patience. He never knew his biological mother but is determined to make a difference in the lives of the students at Imani Academy, with the help of his assistant, Grace Okoye.

Having grown up together, they now must help and encourage one another as they begin to address the pains, heartaches and tragedies of their past—and get a second chance to make things right. Though never easy, the friends experience a spiritual awakening as they begin to face their secrets and sorrows and offer their struggles over to God. They learn the beauty and strength in friendship, and the inexhaustible depth of God’s healing grace and redemption—no matter how hopeless or doomed things may seem at first.

Marilynn Griffith’s fresh voice and masterful storytelling make this rough yet tender story come alive. It is sure to touch readers’ hearts and keep them turning pages until the very end. Fans of Griffith’s previous novel, Rhythms of Grace, will be delighted to know that Songs of Deliverance picks up with that storyline and can be read as a sequel, though it is intended as a standalone for new fans.

“Griffith’s dialogue is engaging and her characters deeply memorable;
she deserves a wide audience.”
— Publishers Weekly


“With poetic description and compelling storytelling,
Marilynn Griffith delights readers with every sentence.”
— Stephanie Perry Moore, author

Marilynn Griffith is a freelance writer and conference speaker whose online columns and blogs reach thousands of women each year. She is the author of the Shades of Style series and Rhythms of Grace. Marilynn lives in Florida with her husband and their seven children.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life. They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet.

For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.