Melissa's Reviews> Long Way Gone

Charles Martin’s writing is truly something special.
It feels different somehow. Like the few others of his I’ve read, this story touched my soul on a deeper level. His words, throughout the entire story, had such substance and profound meaning. Things that made me sit back and think.

This one combined two of my favorite things - a great love story and music.Music colors my world.I couldn’t imagine how gray and bland life would be without it. I personally have no musical ability, but for me there is nothing more exciting than being in a crowd of people, sharing the sound and feeling of an artists words; singing along and living in the moment. Can you tell I’m a concert junkie? It was drawing on my own memories that made it easy to live in the experience that Cooper and his dad were creating. To feel the sparks Peg and Daley had on stage.

“I’m giving you all that I have. All I’m ever gonna have. I’m giving you my song. Will you sing it back to me?"

I love the thought of growing up with music so ingrained in your being, it’s like breathing. The passion Cooper’s father exuded was infectious. He pushed his son to realize his own gift and to let it out in a way that wasn’t boastful or being used for someone else to profit. While I could understand Cooper’s rebellion, I think at one time or another we’ve all thought our parents had no clue what they were talking about, it doesn’t mean I agreed with how he went about it. It broke my heart, actually. For some reason, it hit me pretty hard that he stole Jimmy. Somehow, in my mind, it felt like the ultimate betrayal. Worse than a punch to the face.

Cooper lands in Nashville and it’s a tough road. I probably would have given up and crawled back home, but he let the fear of his father’s hatred and rejection stop him. He had to make something of himself first. In hindsight, he might not have met Daley if he could take it all back, but still. Why couldn’t he just be honest? His intentions were in the right place, but it cost him too much.

“What if I loved you enough not to tell you?”

I’m not sure what to say about the ending.I kind of wish things had played out a little differently. The last 3/4 of the book and the resurrection aspect was sort of lost on me. I’m not typically a Christian fiction reader, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I will say, this one definitely had more of a religious undertone than the others I’ve read from Mr. Martin, but I guess I should have expected that after seeing it described as the story of the prodigal son. Even if Christian fiction isn’t your thing, I still highly recommend giving this author’s writing a chance.It’s almost ridiculous how much of this book I highlighted, but I couldn’t help it.I loved the beauty of his words.

*Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.