His Song ~ by Brittany Hudson- Paladino
Warning! If you are a grammar snob, this book admittedly, has not been edited. If you truly can’t get past this, you may want to leave this one on the electronic shelf until it has been re-worked; I heard this is in the process, so maybe you will not have to wait long. As for me, I am always ready to delve into a story that someone needs to tell before their soul bleeds dry.
This review feels a little different because I had the pleasure of hearing the author speak at a women’s retreat in upstate NY on a beautiful October weekend. If you have ever been to the northeast when the leaves are changing, you can imagine the delight for the eye, at the colors popping off the trees and reflecting from the water of the lake close to where we stayed. My surroundings were captivating and having Britt as the speaker just made the weekend even more memorable. My journal got a workout and is bursting with teachings, book quotes, bible verses, and surprising realizations I will continue to reference in the future to feed my soul.
Since our retreat was intimate, about 45 women, I had the opportunity to have real conversations with Britt and get to know her on a more personal level, not just from her teaching. This was a great surprise for this writer! Not only was she true to what she was teaching, she took the time to listen to my dream and encourage me, even while she was busy staging her amazing God story for all of us to hear. A true woman of character for those who turned out for the weekend with their own individual expectations. I am sure I was not the only one she took time to listen to and this is one of the reasons, when I heard she wrote a book, I immediately downloaded it when I returned home.
I knew the premise of the book going in because she talked about her story to the group and told us she had written a book. We have all been in an unraveling point in our life, but being able to get past it, recover, and tell the story out loud takes a lot of guts! Through heartache, loss, new love, courage and belief, she recounts the events of what her reality was at the time and how God never takes a break, even when we want to check out and sit down on the bench. I admire her truthful nature as she tells of embarrassing situations and difficult parts of her marriage. Giving the reader an open door to display, a crumbling of sorts, a seemingly intact picture- perfect relationship, home, and career. Okay, let me get to the purpose of this post, His Song.
I was probably three chapters in when I realized each chapter in the book is titled with a song quote. How she came up with the perfect choice for each section she talked about is impressive. We are talking, Peter Gabriel, Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand, Ozzy Osborne and my personal favorite Francesca Batistelli, “Even perfect days can end in rain…” No genre seems to be missed and it feels as if they had been written with Britt’s story in mind. The best part about this is how her words, following all of them and unaccompanied by any music, make it feel as if a soft melody is playing along as I swiped to the next page.
From the beginning of the book it is apparent that the music we will hear within this journey will not always be happy. On more than one occasion I found myself reaching for the tissue box as I envisioned myself in her shoes. It is with intense passion we set hopes and dreams; combining our ideas to another’s in a relationship can, at times, take our breath away. I truly was mesmerized at the honesty and unwavering efforts of how she handled the dance, when marriage seemed to have the other dancing to a different beat. Here we see that broken toes of a partners missed steps, can be healed if each is willing to continue to show up for the waltz. However, this book is not about marriage, but about life itself and it reminded me of how I want to handle the broken guitar strings along the way.
While reading I had the sense I was on the set of a television series, in a good way. I felt as if I were coming back to familiar characters watched over weeks and secretly daydreaming at work about the next episode. Because, in the writing, you feel drawn to the people and locations described throughout. I even found myself wondering what happened to the bad guy. You know you have a real story then! It is well thought out and written for the reader to experience the emotions, tastes, and locations situated within a beautiful narrative. The timeline of this journey is impeccable, and I don’t think she could have done a better job with the outline.
There are many turns in this book and it will in no way leave you bored. Amongst the many are; loss, denial, joy, hope, poor decision making (been there), and the greatest one – obedience and giving it all to God. I never would have guessed from the start of this book where it would end up. In the beginning there is an impossible wound we think cannot be healed, leading to a game of hide and seek, and ultimately teaching us how to hand over our gifts, even the most precious ever received, to the chosen person it truly belongs. I was reminded, even in compliance to what God tells us, there can be pain, but Britt shows us how to move forward and use it to bring hope to other people.
I am sure Britt would agree; all stories God writes are beautiful. Even when we find ourselves leaving Him out of our picture, we are never left out of His picture. We miss it, we settle for less, we make mistakes, and tell stories to justify why we are going against His will. If you have ever found yourself on a dance floor, not quite stepping to the right beat, read this book to see how turning on, His Song, will eventually have you on a channel with the music He has picked just for you.
I downloaded this book from Amazon to my Kindle and look forward to a paper copy when it hits the shelves. You can find Britt on Instagram @brittpaladinospeaks. Oh, I didn’t mention her t-shirt ministry to spread the word of Christ, also on Instagram @ichthus_versewear. And, she knows her bible, like really knows her bible!
By Sue Burnett @run40life2jesus and on Pinterest, run40life2jesus
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