In Westerville, Ohio, 1855, " "Kate Winter's dreams are almost within reach. As the first woman to graduate from Otterbein College, she'll be guaranteed her deepest wish: escape from the dark secret haunting her family. But with her mother determined to marry her off to a wealthy man, Kate must face reality. She has to run. Now. And she has the perfect plan. Join the upcoming musical performance--and use it to mask her flight.
Ben Hanby, Otterbein College's musical genius, sees Kate Winter as an enigmatic creature, notable for her beauty, yet painfully shy. Then he hears her sing-and the glory of her voice moves him as never before. He determines to cast her in his musical and uncover the mystery that is Kate. Still, he must keep his own secret to himself. Not even this intriguing woman can know that his passionate faith is driving him to aid fugitives on the Underground Railroad.
A terrifying accident brings Kate and Ben together, but threatens to shatter both their secrets and their dreams. Kate can no longer deny the need to find her courage-and her voice-if she is to sing a new song for their future.
"Sweeter than Birdsong" is a stirring novel of hope and faith inspired by real historical people and events.
Goodreads Summary
Kate is not a woman who gives in to her family's demands for marriage. She has recently graduated from college and is very proud of her hard work and degree. In order to achieve her dreams, she must decide whether she should run from her family and try her own luck or stay and marry at a young age. The reader will be rooting for Kate throughout the book.
Kate's character was likable and easy to connect to. The reader will enjoy her passion for learning and success, she isn't cut from the same cloth as many women of that time period. The love interest, Ben, will capture the readers' heart as well as Kate's. He is intelligent, quiet, and very musical. He notices Kate very early on in the novel and their relationship will proceed on a sweet note. The other characters can be fun to get to know, but many will leave the reader with a myriad of different reactions.
The plot is fast-paced; the author has a very fluid and clean way of writing that contains no awkward transitions or bad sentence structure. The reader will find the plot and events easy to understand and follow, there should be no confusion. This book is recommended to adult readers.
4 Stars
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Your review makes me want to go out and buy this novel immediately. Thanks for a great blog and review.