Wow, such a sad story. As someone who loves music and knows it plays a huge role in my life, I think that the premise of this book could be real. All music if laid out on paper that you have heard in your mind can be a part of the pattern of who you are and what makes you tick and the experiences that you have had throughout your life I really do believe in Song reading.

Great story even though it is so sad because the characters are so strong and brave and that is great example to me! ( )

Teen-aged Leeann lives with her older sister Mary Beth in a small Missouri town. Their mother died several years ago and their father left long before that so the sisters have become their own family. Mary Beth works at a local diner but she also works as a 'song reader' wherein she charts the songs that are stuck in her clients' minds to help them solve life's problems. When one of her clients uncovers a sordid family secret that involves a wealthy and influential man in town the consequences are devastating to both Leeann and Mary Beth. As the town turns against Mary Beth, Leeann is forced to become the adult in the family taking care of her sister and her sister's adopted toddler son. This leads to secrets about the sisters' own family that will change their lives forever.

There was a lot going on in this book that was never adequately explained. I realize that mental illness cannot be easily recognized as one type or another but just what is going on in this book? I don't think many of the scenarios are very believable and I especially don't see a 16-year-old girl and her boyfriend quoting Browning sonnets to one another. On the whole - meh. ( )

A friend recommended this book to me, saying how amazing it was, so I picked it up at a used book store when I spotted it. I tried reading it last year and could not get through it. This time, I was able to push through, but I never felt really absorbed into it. The story is about two sisters, Mary Beth and Leeann. Leeann, the younger sister, adores Mary Beth, her beautiful, clever, song reading sister. Song reading is sort of like psychoanalysis through music and without professional schooling. Everything spirals out of control when one of Mary Beth’s suggestions has bad consequences. The sisters both struggle to come to terms with their family drama and romance. ( )

This is a story about secrets, mental illness, love, and healing. Mary Beth is the older sister, a waitress with a side job as a song reader. Her clients tell her what songs continually pop into their heads, and Mary Beth, using charts and her own scientific method, helps them figure out what a certain song is telling them about their life and what they should do about it. Little sister Leeann is in high school and worships her older, beautiful sister. Dad left the family when Leeann was very young, and Mom died in a car accident, so Mary Beth is the caretaker and does an excellent job. She even adopts a 1-year-old little boy, Tommy, who is abandoned by one of her clients. All of this, though, is taking an unseen toll on Mary Beth, and everything comes to a head when a situation with a client takes a tragic turn. That's when the family secrets come out, and Leeann learns the truth about her parents and her sister. Leeann is the narrarator of the book and has lots of teenage moments but is also heartbreakingly honest and sweet and tough when she needs to be tough. Based on the cover, I thought this was going to be a light, chick-lit-type read and didn't have high hopes for it, but I was pleasantly surprised. ( )

Das ist ein schönes Buch, das man in einem Rutsch durchliest. Die Personen gehen einem nahe, die Geschichte ist spannend.
Mary Beth ist Kellnerin in einer Kleinstadt, zieht ihre jüngere Schwester und einen kleinen Adoptivsohn auf. Nebenbei arbeitet sie therapeuthisch, sie analysiert Songs, die ihren Klienten nicht aus dem Kopf gehen.
Das Songdeuten ist eine gute Idee, denn das klingt so naheliegend und doch faszinierend. Mary Beth ist eine tolle Figur, sie ist symphatisch und geht einem nahe, mit all ihren Stärken und Schwächen.
Das Buch ist aus der Sicht von Leeann, der kleinen Schwester geschrieben. Auch ihre Geschichte, ihre eigenen Sorgen und Nöte zogen mich als Leserin in Bann. Sehr schön!! ( )