Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy

Sheila Franklin has lived three separate lives. Now a conservative pastor's wife in Chicago, she is skilled at hiding secrets--a talent birthed during childhood romps through the music-filled streets of New Orleans. But when the son she bore at the age of eighteen comes back looking for answers and desperate for help, her greatest secret--and greatest regret--is revealed.

Eager to right past wrongs, Sheila's heart floods with memories of lyrical jazz music and a worn-out Bible. But when her husband learns of her shady history, Sheila is suddenly faced with an impossible decision: embrace the dream--and son--she abandoned against her will or give in to the demands of her safe but stifled life. As she struggles to reclaim both her son and her identity, Sheila soon realizes that God's grace spans both seas and secrets and that He is all she really needs.

With dynamic writing that makes the reader feel the heartache of a teenage mother, struggle with the disillusionment of an abandoned boy, and revel in the idea of grace despite flaws, rising star Patti Lacy takes her fans on a journey they won't want to end--and won't soon forget.

My Review:
Sheba becomes Sheila becomes Sylvia. So many changes! Furthermore, written using a frame device, settings move between today and yesterday as Sheila/Sheba/Sylvia relates her story. This could be a bit confusing for some, but I liked the technique. The reader must focus; this is not a book to read through quickly.

When the unwed protagonist finds herself pregnant, her thoughts and actions are accurately painted by the author. What choices were there in the 60s? Has society really changed? Position in society as well as racism play a part in this story, adding to the complexity of the plot.

Thank you to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Kregel Publications for my copy.

If you would like to read an excerpt, click here.

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