Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

One miscarriage too many spelled the end of Max and Zoe Baxter’s marriage. Though the former couple went quite separate ways, their fates remained entangled: After veering into alcoholism, Max is saved in multiple senses by his fundamentalist conversion; Zoe, for her part, finds healing relief in music therapy and the friendship, then romantic love with Vanessa, her counselor. After Zoe and Vanessa, now married, decide to have a baby, they realize that they must join battle with Max, who objects on both religious and financial grounds.

As usual, Picoult shares an exquisitely compelling story by taking a controversial topic and creating layers of complication that grips the heart and questions moral and ethical issues. Several current social issues combined into one with Sing You Home: divorce, gay rights and relationships, Christianity, definitions of “family,” and gender roles. Picoult is with the times, and writes through the perspectives of Zoe, Vanessa, and Max for a polished work. And, as is her style, the court case is gripping, with several twists and turns that had me question my own opinions in the strenuous mess.

In an effort to stay distant from politics and without pointing fingers in this review, I believe this book excellently outlines the viewpoints of each side of the gay rights issue. Because of that, I would highly recommend Sing You Home to anyone who wants to understand homosexual relationships, who wants to understand why some Christian extremists lobby against such relationships, and to any allies of the gay community.

It is a terrific read, with several humorous lines, well-developed and lovable (love to love and love to hate) characters, and several fantastic insights to various social communities.

Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ of 5
GoodReads: 3.72 of 5