"Leeann's older sister Mary Beth has a gift. When the two sisters are left alone after the death of their mother and the disappearance of their father, Mary Beth becomes the hero of both her younger sister and their entire town. She is a "song reader." She doesn’t read palms or tarot cards; she reads people’s secrets and desires from the songs they can’t get out of their minds. And her customers idolize her. As Leeann tells us, "They took her advice—to marry, to break it off. . .They swore she could see right into their hearts." But as Leeann soon learns, every gift has its price. The sisters' bond will be tested when Mary Beth's advice leads to a tragedy that divides their small Missouri town. As Mary Beth retreats into her own world, Leeann must face the truth about their parents and their past, and the flawed humanity of the sister she adores. Lyrical, haunting, with a deeply compelling story, The Song Reader is an exploration of what makes a family, what breaks it apart, and how the bonds of love and blood can be both a burden and a blessing."

Picked up today from the post office. Thank you krin511 for mailing this to me so fast! It looks really great:)

27 April 06: this page was a real page-turner! The plot was articulate and the character were well developed. My favorite was Leeann and I was glad that in the end she understood that she also has the 'power' to help people.
The scenes in which her dad was the main character were sad, but I could also understand Leeann's anger.
I've already made some plans for this book: it is going to SM.

27 May 06: mailed today! Enjoy:)

Wow, Blaise, this looks right up my alley. Thanks!!! :D

This was an "I can't believe I read the whole thing" book. I had so many issues with it that it turned into a hate read by the end. The issues of autism and/or OCD, and bipolar were shown, but... c'mon. I know the book was set in the 80s when we did pretend that these were simply normal things and the people dealing with it were just a little weird, but at the same time, you've got to remember that you're dealing with a modern audience.

I did not like a single character in this book. I had problems with each and every one of them. How did Ben know when to intervene? Why was Juanita willing to be helpful only once the family moved in with her? What was WRONG with that shrink?

It was a long review I left over at Goodreads. I'm still miffed at myself that I read the whole book.