All For a Song by Allison Pittman

All for a Song

Every now and then publishers send me books for review. After all the buzz I saw on this book, I was excited at this surprise in my mailbox.

Let’s begin with the summary:

Dorothy Lynn Dunbar has everything she ever wanted: her family, her church, her community, and plans to marry the young pastor who took over her late father’s pulpit. Time spent in the woods, lifting her heart and voice in worship accompanied by her brother’s old guitar, makes her life complete . . . and yet she longs for something more.

Spending a few days in St. Louis with her sister’s family, Dorothy Lynn discovers a whole new way of life—movies, music, dancing; daring fashions and fancy cars. And a dynamic charismatic evangelist . . . who just happens to be a woman. When Dorothy Lynn is offered a chance to join Aimee Semple McPherson’s crusade team, she finds herself confronted with temptations she never dreamed of. Can Dorothy Lynn embrace all the Roaring Twenties has to offer without losing herself in the process?

And now, my review:

I love learning more about Aimee Semple McPherson’s life. She was such a pivotal person in church history, especially certain denominations. With Aimee as a key feature in this story, I thought I’d enjoy this read. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into the story. Dorothy Lynn’s adventures eventually take her to her sister’s house, but even through the first several chapters, I kept feeling like I was waiting for the story to actually begin, so tedious was her journey to that point. Her name is too long to see it as often as you see a heroine’s name in a novel. I also had a hard time respecting her. I know part of my response to this novel was expectation. Perhaps moving up the Aimee portion would have helped. Honestly, I didn’t read far enough to know. After over five chapters, I moved on to the next book in my to-be-read pile. 

I enjoy stories set in the Roaring Twenties as I picture my grandparents, so this element interested me. However, the characters’ speech and inner thoughts were presented with simple language. So, the writing (of this particular story) felt stilted. This was my first novel by this author, and I sincerely wish her the best. I’m sure I’ll give her another try. The next book in this series, All for a Story releases in October, 2013.