All for a Song

All For #1

by Allison Pittman

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?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Romance, Christian Historical Fiction

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

Allison Pittman is the author of For Time and Eternity, Stealing Home, the Crossroads of Grace series, and her nonfiction debut, Saturdays With Stella. A high-school English teacher, she serves as director of the theater arts group at her church. She is also the co-president of a dynamic Christian writers group in the San Antonio, Texas area, where she makes her home with her husband and their three boys.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wasn't sure how to rate this book so I decided three stars would be fair. Pittman has so much talent as a writer and did a great job tackling a difficult time in history. However, this whole book had an odd feeling to me that I could never quite put up finger on. The ending wasn't satisfying either. The whole thing just left me feeling odd.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

All for a song was a great story. In short, it was about a young woman who had never left her home town before, and prior to getting married (and stuck there forever) she wanted to see what she was missing. She got a whole lot more than she'd bargained for, but it taught her some important lessons about what truly mattered. Life is full of disappointments and sometimes we make the stupidest decisions. We have to live with the consequences, and there is no getting around them.

This novel explored the historical movement that started the Four Square church and you see snippets of the first real female evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson, and her crusade team. That was pretty interesting and I had mixed feelings about what she represented, especially since she lived in luxury as did her staff, all as the result of donations. But that's an aside. She also didn't like anyone stealing the limelight, so in many ways it seemed like a realistic portrayal.

I thought Dorothy Lynne's struggle with pride when she was coaxed to go on stage to lead worship was pretty powerful stuff. Roland was a very charismatic man, who in some ways made me think of the devil. Not because he was bad per se, but because of the things he said to her to entice her into becoming famous. This story had a little bit of edge to it, but not enough to upset conservative readers. It showed some of the consequences of her choices, but none of them were hair-raising or scandalous. They were dealing more with pride and vanity.

I liked how the author included alternating snippets from the modern day as Lynn celebrated her 107th birthday in the "rest home" for senior adults. She had a lot to reflect on and it was interesting because you didn't know until near the end who she ended up with. I liked how that scenario slowly unfolded, providing a satisfying ending to the book. I enjoyed reading this one.

[Emilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an AMAZING story! It's a wonderful, historical read that leaves you pondering it long after you read the last chapter. It's fresh and different from the usual historical fiction books that I read!

[Ranee · Rating 2 out of 5]

*spoilers alert* I wanted to like this book more than I did - I understood the main character's desire to spread her wings some but the people she chose to go with were basically con artists, mixing Christianity with self-serving purposes that ultimately hooked her along. You could see the writing on the wall that she got drunk and behaved immorally - the guy was too smooth & her protests minimal. That they both treated the immoral event so lightly (yes, she was sorry & played her guitar all day but he showed no remorse really, he who supposedly is such a devout follower of Jesus that he had to leave his family behind to promote the big lady). The fiance is amazing & I'm so glad she went back home. The brother's choices were sad - glad he eventually had a nice family but I'd hoped he would've reached out to his sisters as he life settled down. The long lost relative's presence was heart warming. I've definitely read worse stories but I expected more from a "Christian novel".

[Lyndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was in the Tyndale house summer reading program. I like others, really wanted to like this book. But I couldn't. If I wasn't trying to read so many books off this list, I would not have even bothered finishing.
I didnt like Dorothy at all, except as her 107 year old self. Roland was a womanizer who I felt was all into Dorothy just because he felt he could get rich off of discovering her. I felt really sorry for Brent, the fiancé that Dorothy left behind to find herself. Which I think she was a cry baby that lost more of herself in the process of finding herself. And I was surprised by authors notes that Sister Aimee was a real person. She didn't seem like a real pastor or anyone that anyone would want to follow around the country.
I don't like rating books bad, but this was. It was boring beyond belief. Don't waste your time, there are so much better books out there to read.

[Lydia Howe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book for the musical factor for research I'm doing. For that, it was good. The style was engaging and the writing skillful.

I probably agreed with about 3% of the theology in the book though, and the way God and the Bible were handled left me thinking "What???" about 90% of the time. I could not figure out if the author was endorsing the way the people lived and believed or not, and when the book came to an end without addressing the particular parts that were unclear to me, I can only imagine that she did endorse it, which almost took the book down to a one star. (Mainly about "Sister Aimee" and her whole deal and everyone who worked with her. I looked her up very briefly and didn't like what I saw.)

I won't go into everything I didn't agree with, I'll just say that I don't recommend the book and I read it with a very careful attitude, taking nothing at face value.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all let me just say that I absolutely loved this book, Ms. Pittman has never failed to draw me into her books and the characters within.


Dorothy Lynn Dunbar is a small-town young woman, engaged to the man who took over her father's pulpit, as preacher. Yet a small part of her longs for more, to see a bit more of the world and to be able to freely write the songs that come to her mind.

On a visit to her sister's, Dorothy get's a once in a lifetime opportunity to sing her songs on a stage, the feeling is unlike any she has ever felt before. Will Dorothy find the place where her heart truly belongs?


I absolutely loved the character development in this story, Ms. Pittman did and stunningly wonderful job of bringing Dorothy to life, Dorothy was innnocent, yet she had her head on straight. A she truly learned from her experiences, and they made her wiser.


I suppose I should probably mention that this isn't exactly a romance, as Brent and Dorothy already know each other from the beginning, and then get engaged very early in the story, but I would say that this book is a love story about the testing of their love and finding where the hear belongs.


I loved how with this book I never quite knew exactly what would happen next, or what Dorothy would do. This book was so hard to put down! I finished it at 2 AM in the morning :)


Overall, a well written read about a young woman's journey, and the lessons she learned. I don't want to give too much away, but this book was amazing!


I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Shari Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorothy Lynn Dunbar seems to have it all; her family, her life in a small town, and she's engaged to the young pastor who took over her late father's pulpit. Time spent in the woods, singing and playing her brother's old guitar, make her life complete. But a trip to St. Louis to visit her sister exposes her to a way of life completely different than what she has known all her life. She sees her first movie, starring Rudy Valentino, tries Chinese food for the first time, and encounters a charismatic female evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson.

When she has a chance to play her guitar and sing gospel music in Aimee's crusades, she begins to wonder if small town life will be enough for her. As she gets caught up in the excitement and adventure of the Roaring Twenties, she begins to feel lost, and struggles trying to figure out which world she belongs in.

I really enjoyed this story; even though it has a religious theme, it is not preachy. It's more of a "coming of age" story. The story moves between Dorothy in the present day, the day before her 107th birthday in the nursing home, and 1922, when she was 18. I liked how I honestly didn't know, until the story was almost over, whether she would go on to fame, or return to her small town life and get married as planned.

Although this story is fiction, Aimee Semple McPherson was a real person. I didn't really know much about her until I read this book. It was interesting to learn why her followers were so drawn to her, and I believe she helped pave the way for our modern day televangelists such as Billy Graham.

[Jen W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Loved this book! This has been easily a favorite book of mine and one I will be re reading in the future, it has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf. As soon as I heard Allison Pittman had a new book coming out I could not wait to read it. I have read many of her books and loved them all. I really enjoy reading books set in the roaring '20's since that decade is such a mark of change and the struggles faced back then were very hard and really start to mark a more modern era. Life really started to change from the simpler olden days.

All for a Song is tells a powerful story of Miss Dorothy Lynn Dunbar and really is a story of growing up and finding God's plan. She struggles with the more modern things of the city with her simple country childhood and is torn for much of the story of where she fits and what life she is suppose to lead. I found it interesting how Allison Pittman weaved in the real life charismatic female evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson and loved the the blend of fiction and non-fiction.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves historical s set in the '20's. I will warn though that this book really is not a romance story at all but much more of a coming-of-age story filled with so much that will leave you turning the pages long after the lights go out. Great job Allison Pittman on a fantastic novel.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Daphne Self · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not often that I find a book set in the early 1900's, especially the 1920's, that captures my attention.



Unless it's a classical writer from that time, I am given to be a more harsh reader. What is so special that you bring me into your story and keep me there? Does it contain historical facts, keep with the time, politics, and culture of that era? So many I have put aside; but not Allison Pittman's All for a Song.

It rocked me!

Her character Dorothy Lynn set everything to the side to follow her heart and her dream. Two worlds are front and center in this story: the country, rural, simple life tangoing with the glam, bustling, city life. Women were pushing their preconceived boundaries. Men were breaking away from the norm of society.

One thing this book brought to me was the new knowledge of Aimee Semple McPherson. I've found myself researching and learning more about the real life woman who anchored this novel in the 1920's.

There may not have been twists and turns in the story, but following the few short months before her wedding as Dorothy followed her dream was a fall into the tides of history.

This is one story that is a must read. So enjoyable and so heart endearing, Allison Pittman may soon be an author who will always grace my book shelves.

[Cookielover · Rating 5 out of 5]

All For a Song was bittersweet song that sang of f Dorothy Lynn's life, switching from her adventurous eighteen year old self to her 107th birthday. Written this way, the author taunted the tragedies "Lynnie" would face--without telling you how they'd come about. So of course, this drove me insane.
The characters were real, the situations realer and as you read the book, you were Lynnie,experiencing every heartache and success.
This book was perfectly written and I love how there was always a surprise that was hinted at, but never given away. It was really a good read that says how God's love is enough and how dreams become nightmares without him.

[Shannah Mauney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure how I was going to like this book when I first started it. I actually started and stopped this book, twice, before picking it up to read it again; not because it was boring, but because I wasn't sure how I would feel about it once I got into the story. I worried for nothing. This is the first book I've read written in this time period (I think), and I wasn't disappointed. From the moment Dorothy Lynn comes running home, I was captured. Read my full review here.

[Miranda Atchley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to say about a book like this? It’s been a long time since a novel stirred my heart the way All for a Song did, different portions affecting me in different ways. From the first page, this book defied my expectations and it was definitely not what I was expecting, in good ways, and sometimes in not very good ways. The subject matter is much more serious than I had anticipated, but at times the storyline was lighter than I thought it would be. I liked Dorothy Lynn Dunbar, as well as her family. I had mixed feelings about Brent; going into the book, I was expecting to not like him, that it would be revealed that he was not good for Dorothy Lynn, but that was not the case. I could. not. stand Roland. Ugh! I wish he had not dominated so much of the book because he got on my nerves so bad.

What I did enjoy about the book is the setting. I love the 1920s! And I also love the small town setting. Allison Pittman can write about small southern towns the way many authors can’t. Heron’s Nest reminds me of the places where my grandparents grew up in the ‘40s and ‘50s and reading about it reminded me of their stories. I liked that Dorothy Lynn was spunky but sweet and that even through her time of wandering, she still held faith in God and that she turned to Him when she made mistakes. And I love that at times we got a peek at Dorothy Lynn on the final day of her 107 years. I’ve always enjoyed reading stories like that; that switch between a person in their advanced age and their younger years. It was so sad to see how she had outlived those that she loved most and was left with people that seemed like little more than acquaintances to her. This is one of the reasons I felt like crying at the end of this book.

While All for a Song left me a little conflicted, I still think it was a well written novel and had moments that I loved. This is a book that I do believe will stick with me for quite some time.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

[Naomi Musch · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise! This is the first Allison Pittman book I've read, and I really didn't know what to expect. I picked it up because I was interested in reading some 1920s comparative fiction, and I'd started a few other novels recently that didn't really grab and hold me. This one did. First, it's just nice to read an historical that's set in an era that isn't so overflowing with great Christian fiction. Second, it touched on some aspects of big city life like many "roaring twenties" novels do, but it also was set in about as backwoods kind of country you can get. That was refreshing! I thought the story unfolded in a lovely way that kept compelling me to turn the page, and I was intrigued with the juxtaposition of the story between young Dorothy Lynn and 107 year old "Lynnie". Ms. Pittman kept me wondering just how the story was going to turn out for young Dorothy, because frankly, I think many of us have felt like her at some point in our young lives, and it could have gone either way for her, and it might have turned out well either way too, depending on the lessons learned. I thought her characterization of the men in Dorothy Lynn's life were exceptionally well-crafted. The two men she is most drawn to both have good and bad character traits. I won't tell which one I found most intriguing, you'll probably do the same. The lessons Dorothy Lynn learns about what's most important in life and what real love looks like is revealed on multiple levels, in a heart-grabbing way. And for a clean-read, Ms. Pittman sure can write a romance scene!

[Anne Afshar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a fantastic Christian Fiction book. After reading the synopis, I expected something different to happen in the story so I was surprised. There are many historical facts in this book during the era when the main character was 18 early in the 20th century. I liked the way the main character was protrayed as a 107 year old woman looking back on her life and the story went back and forth from her young life to old. Her thoughts when she was old gave hints but still kept you guessing until the end to what actually happened. A good read!

[Gretchen Louise]

I wasn’t sure how this book would end–and that had me a bit worried. Even though the storyline is a juxtaposition of the old woman and the young girl, it wasn’t giving anything away. Pastor’s daughter Dorothy Lynn wants to see what’s beyond her hometown before becoming a pastor’s wife. But the temptations of the big city may be wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing. All for a Song left me feeling like there were a few unresolved issues as the storyline came to a sudden close, not the least of which had to do with the real life historical character featured as a revered preacher.

[Laura Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Pittman’s best work but I did finish it. I was expecting this thrilling, glamorous ride where she reaches the end and realizes it’s not what she wanted and goes back to preacher boy. But no, it’s actually quite lame of a story with just enough sex and scandal to be interesting but not too much where it’s scandalous for a Christian-ish book. This isn’t Francine Rivers!!
Not terrible but not great. If you want a great Allison Pittman book, read On Shifting Sand. Great book.

[Caryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pittman has crafted an exquisite masterpiece! I was immediately immersed into the drama. This novel is well written and nicely paced. These characters will linger long after turning the final pages. Deep spiritual truths are woven amongst the pages. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

Recommend to readers who enjoy historical fiction.

I borrowed a copy from KU. I have expressed my honest view.

[Wendy Plant · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I got part way into the book I considered not finishing. I pushed through because I so enjoyed The Seamstress and Loving Luther. The book just didn’t measure up to what I’d come to expect from Allison Pittman. The method of story telling was interesting but I was more caught up in the story told from the nursing home perspective. Not sure if I will bother with the rest of this series.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like the content in this book, I'm not a "liberal" christian I'm a biblical living christian so when I read nonchalant material I just don't digest it well at all... the drunken sex in the story was so carefree, it spoke of asking for forgiveness and Jesus forgiving but then seemed to be a treasured secret of pride....not my kind of christian reading

[Janet Merrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me about 50% to really get into the book, but then ended up loving it. Beautifully written story about a young girl finding her way, and coming to terms with her future. I loved both Brent and Roland and enjoyed the setting in the jazz age.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Christian story of a young woman from Appalachia who meets Amie Semple McPherson during the Flapper Era. She is invited to sing her song and play her guitar on stage. This develops into a chance for her to see what life is like away from Appalachia.

[Samantha Gronberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely an interesting take on the 1920's and the religious revolutions taking place during the era. Stated the obvious but still managed to keep me guessing until the very end.

[S.rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

slow start but great book

[Carolyn Lockwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cried more than a couple of times during this sweet story.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept me hoping and guessing and ended beautifully.

[Rereloluwa Bajomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed All For a Song. I loved the switch between modern day and the 1920s. I enjoyed Dorothy's journey and the ending did not leave me disappointed.

[Constance M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you start thinking about the characters when you’re not reading, it’s probably an indicator that it is worth reading.
I wish it were possible to develop specific parts of the story into another book, just to find out more. Oh I wish that I could find out more about some parts of the storyline.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is proof that I’ll read just about anything. I was a bit dense going into it. I knew, obviously, that there were religious undertones based on the blurb but I didn’t realize it was proper Christian lit, published by a Christian publisher and written by a devout Christian author, until after I even started reading. And then the psalms and overt religion started making sense.

However, that didn’t detract me from the story. And I still found ALL FOR A SONG a good story, much more about female empowerment and a young woman finding herself than anything else.

I liked Dorothy Lynn, both in her younger days and her last ones, and you could see the transformation she makes. Or more correctly the realization she makes about herself. She’s flawed. She makes mistakes. She hangs around with less than savory people in order to achieve an end. But she’s incredibly self-aware and she suffers for her actions but she doesn’t apologize for them either. And she can thank Mr Lundi for that.

His first name escapes me at the moment so I’ll just call him Lundi, Lundi is a rather slimy fellow that gets Dorothy Lynn to travel with their revivalist group there and he just has an air of sleaze about him. He just borders inappropriate with her, he talks a good game, knows all the right things to say and do, knows all the right people, and I didn’t like him for most of the book. I really didn’t. He was gross. But around the last quarter of it or so his facade really breaks down and he becomes more human to me. He’s still a bit of a slime and a schmoozer but he gives some damn good advice. He empowers Dorothy Lynn, makes her hold her head up about what she’s done, convinces her not to beg for forgiveness but own her life, whatever life she chooses. It was such a wonderful message and I really wish I got to see more of that part of his character throughout. And his and Dorothy Lynn’s parting broke my heart a little. It really did.

The female preacher there, you can keep her. Yay, lady preacher! Boo, self-aggrandizing snatch. She was just a nasty piece of work and it’s unfortunate that that’s the character she was. She was almost bordering on bitter but she was pretty nasty and rather mean. The two faces of Jesus, I guess.

You don’t really see much of Brent, Dorothy’s intended, because most of the story is set away from Heron’s Nest, but from what I saw he was a rather forwarding thinking guy for the period setting. He definitely still had hints of male-dominated society about him where women are flitted about with their permission but considering his upbringing and where he landed, he deserves more credit than that. He truly loved Dorothy and let her go to do what she needed to do. All he had was faith that she would come back. Not a lot of guys would do that even today.

I wish the older Dorothy had her voice because the sass going on in her head was rather hilarious. I liked the camaraderie she had with Charlotte and how her young relative brought a life gone by back to her, if even for a little while. The rest of Dorothy’s family was rather useless in that regard and that’s a sad state. Still she gets to have a meaningful connection with someone before the light fades.

I’m not religious. I’m not about to go out and find Jesus after reading ALL FOR A SONG, nor am I about to seek out more Christian lit. With that being said, this really was an incredibly good story. So HONEST and without pretense and that really surprised me for how steeped in religion it really was. I didn’t feel preached at or moralized at all. There was such an overwhelming sense of girl power going on here that I couldn’t help but get revved up about it. I really liked Dorothy, for all her flaws and mistakes. She was honest (eventually) to herself and everyone around her. She indulged and recanted, screwed up and apologized. She’s HUMAN. You can’t really ask for anything more. I do have one more Pittman book through BookShout (where I also got ALL FOR A SONG) that I plan on reading. I really think it’s a shame that this book isn’t more mainstream (while something like HALO by Alexandra Adornetto is and is just so steeped in self-righteous religioning it makes me gag and it’s a Big 5 book) because there’s so much going on here and I think it would touch far more people than just the limited market that Christian lit addresses itself to.

4 1/2

[Danyelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dorothy Lynn Dunbar has everything any girl could ever want: a family that loves her, a great church, a tight-knit community, and a handsome fiancé that’s the pastor to her church. Spending time in the woods lost in her music, lifting her heart and voice in worship to God with her brother’s guitar, should make her life complete but she longs for more.

Spending a week in St. Louis looking for a wedding dress with her sister, gives her more when she discovers Aimee Semple McPherson’s crusade team. Given the chance to sing on stage for this powerful woman, Dorothy begins to see how dangerous stardom can be. But she reluctantly agrees to follow Aimee and her troupe to Los Angeles to find her brother and herself.

As she traverses the good and bad side of the ’20s she’s forced to consider what she wants out of life. With her engagement on the rocks because of her choices and temptation like no other rears its ugly head and innocent Dorothy must use every power in her to resist. Dorothy and her naïveté get her into a lot of trouble and temptation and it doesn’t seem like she’s strong enough to get herself out.

Will Dorothy resist temptation and sin or will she give in and ruin her life for good? How will Dorothy decide what she truly desires in life? What will Dorothy choose? Her sweet innocent life back home or a wild new world out in California? Can Dorothy win back her fiancé or did she lose him forever?
——————————–

Being me, I picked this book solely for cover and era. I’ve been a fan of the “Roaring ’20s” for a while and wanted to read this one solely for that. Unfortunately, this time my gamble didn’t pay out. This book is, for lack of a better word, boring. There was no real excitement and the storyline was actually kind of predictable. I don’t think this is the best representative of the 1920s and the views of that time.

This book was a mess. It felt disjointed and bipolar. The emotions shot all across the map, making the reader wonder what emotion we’re going to encounter next. And the fact that part of the book was from the 19 year old Dorothy and the 107 year old Dorothy really made the story jump around and though it was a good concept, it wasn’t executed very well.

One factor I really didn’t like was Aimee Semple McPherson. It was the part that the author liked the most and her admiration for the woman comes through her after note but it doesn’t resonate throughout the book. I didn’t agree with the doctrine in this book nor did I like the Aimee Semple McPherson I was shown. My view of her after reading this book was that she was haughty and in the business of saving souls just for the fame and fortune that comes with being a female evangelist. I really don’t think the author portrayed this woman, whom she really admires, in a very appealing light.

I really didn’t care much for any of the characters, except for the minor characters that only had a few lines. I felt that the heroine left her faith when she left her hometown and particularly when she needed it most, I felt that her fiancé was foolish and slightly controlling, the guy she turns to and trusts is the epitome of slimy and womanizer and not at all what a Christian should be not to mention I got the impression he was just being nice to her to make her his conquest, Aimee came off as haughty and slightly bitter, and Dorothy’s sister was overbearing. None of them were very like able and I felt greatly disappointed in that.

I didn’t like this book from Allison Pittman. I don’t think I’ve read anything from this author before and because I like to give people a second chance I do intend to read more from this author but with more of a caution. I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess I would say that this book isn’t a proper representation of her ability. I don’t recommend this book and I can’t really recommend this author, at least not yet.

Overall, I didn’t like this book at all and I don’t really recommend this one. Some of you might like this book more than other and me, but read at your own caution. This book is best for adults only. I give this book a two out of five.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.*