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A review by bellesmoma2021
The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano was a very difficult book for me to read. It made me angry. It made me scared. It made me feel trapped. It made me want to throw it across the room and never, ever pick it up again. It made me feel all these things and I am so grateful it did. The Lost Melody is another exceptional story by Politano — one I highly recommend everyone on this planet read.
This novel is an allegory. It’s a microcosmic illustration of our current world today. I hate our world today. I feel like I have to fight every single second of every single day, and it is utterly exhausting. Every day, it’s meanness, ugliness, sin. It’s illogic and untruth and faithlessness. It’s a world full of me-me-me: only my truth matters, only my thoughts matter, only what I believe matters; others are nothing. It’s a world where it’s 100% OK to bash others, to hurt others, to make others suffer just because they don’t think or act or believe like the majority. It’s been absolutely painful to be on this earth the last few years, and it is only going to get worse. I struggled to read The Lost Melody because I have felt like Vivienne for the last three years — trapped in an asylum run by seriously damaged, evil people. I wanted so badly for justice and mercy to rise up and free Vivienne from her jail. Just when things seemed its worst for Vivienne, something even more awful would rear its ugly head and snap, and I would fight this book even more. Vivienne fights, too, throughout this novel, until she realizes that God puts us where He wants us so we can do the things He has planned for us. And just like that calm fell upon my soul. DUH! When we fight where God puts us, we aren’t fighting a corrupt, evil system, but rather we are fighting God. God knows where we are at all times. He never loses us, even when we are in a very scary place surrounded by very scary people. The Lost Melody was a difficult read for me because it was a mirror held up to me and I didn’t like what I saw. I probably won’t ever get it perfectly, but this book was a great reminder to me that I need to be content no matter where God places me. Like Paul says in Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
The Lost Melody is not an easy story to read. It’s not your typical Historical Romance. It is another example of just how amazing Politano’s storytelling skills are. Her attention to historical detail is outstanding. Her characters are expertly crafted. And her storyline is highly engaging — so much so, the reader can’t help but feel like a participant. But her story is more. It’s a timely reminder for how we who claim to believe in Jesus must behave no matter what path He puts us on. We must trust God because it is by Him we will be strengthened. It is through Him we can overcome anything. I am so, so glad I wrestled with this book and was reminded of these facts.
I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on October 3, 2022, in order to review. I also received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Revell, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This novel is an allegory. It’s a microcosmic illustration of our current world today. I hate our world today. I feel like I have to fight every single second of every single day, and it is utterly exhausting. Every day, it’s meanness, ugliness, sin. It’s illogic and untruth and faithlessness. It’s a world full of me-me-me: only my truth matters, only my thoughts matter, only what I believe matters; others are nothing. It’s a world where it’s 100% OK to bash others, to hurt others, to make others suffer just because they don’t think or act or believe like the majority. It’s been absolutely painful to be on this earth the last few years, and it is only going to get worse. I struggled to read The Lost Melody because I have felt like Vivienne for the last three years — trapped in an asylum run by seriously damaged, evil people. I wanted so badly for justice and mercy to rise up and free Vivienne from her jail. Just when things seemed its worst for Vivienne, something even more awful would rear its ugly head and snap, and I would fight this book even more. Vivienne fights, too, throughout this novel, until she realizes that God puts us where He wants us so we can do the things He has planned for us. And just like that calm fell upon my soul. DUH! When we fight where God puts us, we aren’t fighting a corrupt, evil system, but rather we are fighting God. God knows where we are at all times. He never loses us, even when we are in a very scary place surrounded by very scary people. The Lost Melody was a difficult read for me because it was a mirror held up to me and I didn’t like what I saw. I probably won’t ever get it perfectly, but this book was a great reminder to me that I need to be content no matter where God places me. Like Paul says in Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
The Lost Melody is not an easy story to read. It’s not your typical Historical Romance. It is another example of just how amazing Politano’s storytelling skills are. Her attention to historical detail is outstanding. Her characters are expertly crafted. And her storyline is highly engaging — so much so, the reader can’t help but feel like a participant. But her story is more. It’s a timely reminder for how we who claim to believe in Jesus must behave no matter what path He puts us on. We must trust God because it is by Him we will be strengthened. It is through Him we can overcome anything. I am so, so glad I wrestled with this book and was reminded of these facts.
I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on October 3, 2022, in order to review. I also received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Revell, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.