Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Having a family is not an uncommon dream. To have your own child in your arms and to grow as a small community with memories, stories and love is something to cherish. It’s not for everyone, so some people choose to not take that road. For some, it’s not a choice. For some, it’s an unfortunate situation of genetics, hormones and other biological factors that stops the dream from becoming a reality. Sing You Home takes us on a journey of pain, desire and unconditional love, with an unborn child stuck in the middle of the concept of a traditional family and a person’s lifelong dream.
 
This story is a rollercoaster. Right from the beginning, our hearts are broken just as Zoe’s, one of the main characters, is when she loses her unborn baby. Then, her marriage breaks down and emotions run high. Max, the ex-husband, goes back to drinking and nearly dies, finding Jesus in his near-death experience. And then there’s Vanessa, a school counsellor with her own interesting story, who provides Zoe with the comfort and love that she needs. You have these three complicated characters, so you better be ready for the emotions you’ll feel reading this book.

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If you haven’t figured it out, Zoe is one of those people who dreams of having children but has it snatched away by her body’s health. Imagine the one dream you have. The one that gets you out of bed and motivates you to live your life. Well, now imagine that being completely stripped away by something you can’t control, such as the configuration of your body. Seems pretty rough, right?
 
This story hits the authentic reality of this situation right on the head. The raw emotion cuts deep and it makes it so hard to put the book down. However, it’s not just Zoe we read about. We also get an insight into Max and Vanessa too, and soon we’re questioning who we like and who’s opinion we agree with. Each character has a different past with their own traumas and issues, all of which are brought to the forefront in a very unfortunate setting: a court room.
 
How do we get to the court room? Without spoiling the story for you, there’s a complicated issue about Zoe and Max’s break up: the frozen embryo’s they own. When Zoe falls for Vanessa and realises Vanessa can have a baby, her dream shines bright again. Did I mention that Max finds Jesus? Well, as you can imagine, this is where things get complicated.
 
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult is a hard-hitting, beautifully written and heartfelt story that will challenge your views on love. Right from the beginning, I was drawn in by the intricate simplicity of the writing and the seamless emotional connection I had with the story. It’s fair to say that I absolutely loved this book, and I think the conflict between traditional family values, religion and sexuality accentuated the core meaning behind the story.
 
There are times where the emotional intensity is not as strong, which can feel like there is a lull in the text. However, I think it is a very well-written and interesting book. I must admit, there were times I wanted to audibly tell characters to not do certain things or to not say something, so you could say I was pretty involved in the story!
 
Ultimately, if you’re a Jodi Picoult fan or are interested in stories that challenge views or strike an emotional chord, then you’ll probably love this story. I think this book works well for the current time we live in. I think seeing the varying perspectives in this book can educate us on how we all think, feel and see differently, even if we don’t agree with the views another person has.
 
Have you read this book? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!
 
That’s it from me. Remember to ignite the story and I’ll see you again soon!

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