This reminded me a lot of THE HOLE WE'RE IN except with more hope. And of course, the religion. But it was a portrait of a family and the cracks within the perfect outside. All the various plots came together well, and there's very real critique of the Mormon church in there as well while also demonstration of why people join and stay--admittedly, I'm not Mormom and thus take zero offense at any of the criticisms, but the author has her background, so I have zero issues with this critique.. I laughed at poor Al putting the money in the microwave! A lovely look at grief and how we process it. ( )

A Song for Issy Bradley by Carys Bray is a beautifully rendered novel of heartbreak and hope, faith and despair, and joy and sorrow. A devastating loss takes an immeasurably toll on the Bradley family and each of them deal with the tragedy in different ways.

The Bradley family is a deeply devout Mormon family whose life appears perfect on the surface. Ian, the patriarch of the family, has an unquestioning and blind faith in the religion he has devoted his life to. A newly ordained Bishop, he routinely puts service to his religious community above his family and with a full time job as a math instructor, he spends a great deal of his time away from home. Wife Claire is responsible for all matters pertaining to the home and their children, and while she is active in the church, she questions many of the precepts of her adopted religion. Oldest daughter Zippy complies with the teachings of the church but she has her doubts about some of the old fashioned values of her faith. Oldest son Al is the most skeptical of the children and he is in the beginning stages of rebellion against the strictures imposed on him by his father and the trappings of their religion. Seven year Jacob is achingly innocent, views the world around him in black and white and his faith is as unshakeable as his father's. Youngest daughter Issy is at the heart of the senseless tragedy that slowly begins to reveal the cracks that lurk below the family's seemingly perfect facade.

In the aftermath of their loss, the family deals with their grief in different ways. Claire eventually checks out completely as she succumbs to a dark depression that leaves her incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her family. She is overwhelmed with guilt and incredibly angry at Ian but it is her lack of faith at the time she feels she needed it most that continues to haunt her. Ian's faith never wavers and in the face of doubt, he always has a scripture to backup his beliefs. He is at a loss at how to deal with Claire and his fears of disappointing the church lead him to fervently deny to himself and everyone around him that anything is wrong. It is very frustrating watching him continue to make religion his top priority while his family continues its downward spiral.

The children have little emotional support from their parents and the older children are tasked with some of the day to day chores that Claire is no longer capable of completing. Ian insists on returning to their regular life immediately and the kids have no time to process their grief or their loss. Zippy continues with the religious training to prepare her for her future role as a wife but without her mother's guidance she is burdened and confused by the actions of the young man she yearns for. Al's disdain for the church worsens and his acts of rebellion take him down a sometimes dangerous path until he finds salvation from an unexpected source. Jacob's faith and conviction lead to unrealistic expectations and he is forced to learn that some miracles are just not meant to be.

A Song for Issy Bradley is a realistic and compelling novel that is heartbreaking, poignant and ultimately, hopeful. The different viewpoints provide a thought-provoking look into the Mormon religion and what is expected from its members at various stages in their life. An overall moving story by Carys Bray that will touch your heart as the Bradley family finds their way back to one another after a heartrending loss. ( )

A book full of characters that you warm to, feel their emotions and dilemmas
I wish the ending had been more conclusive ( )

I found this to be a pretty good book, dealing fairly with that bizarre phenomenon of Mormonism, which could only exist in America . . . and yet is set in England! What the story is all about is the way the Mormon practices and beliefs fail to address the realities of the world, and in particular the reality of grief on the death of a child. Further, the restrictive rules and guilt which is then felt from failure to keep those restrictions can only be destructive to relationships, and this is well demonstrated by Bray. Because the author grew up in a Mormon household, I presume this is an accurate representation of 21st century Mormonism, but in any case, there are surely plenty of people who live not dissimilar lives, oppressed by rules and controls that they willingly attempt to live by. ( )

4 stars on the quality of the writing alone. The story made me sad and feel like I had a big rock in my gut. The character, Alma, was the only voice of reason in this book, and I despised Ian. I won't go into a ton of detail; any of you who are my friends can PM me and I will explain further- so long as you promise to not be offended by my response. The best way I can sum up the gist,tone and mise en scene (if that wasn't a term used for film) of this story, and what these tragic characters have to go through, is a quote from the book: "There's no point in believing something that's not true, even if it makes you feel better". This is a very well done book but it did leave me with a feeling of despair. ( )