A Song I Knew By Heart

by Bret Lott

During a cold Massachusetts winter, a tragic car accident leaves a mother childless and her daughter-in-law a widow. Naomi and Ruth are now each other’s only comfort. Naomi lost her own husband eight years ago, and now she has lost her son. Carrying a deep secret in her soul, Naomi decides to return to her childhood home in coastal South Carolina. When she tells Ruth her plan, she receives an unexpected reply: “Where you go, I will go.” So the two women plan the journey together, arriving at a place that is flooded with a love they are nearly too fragile to accept. Surrounded by the warmth of their newfound family, Naomi and Ruth begin to find themselves reawakened–and open to the possibility of redemption.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Contemporary, Novels, Inspirational, Christian, Book Club

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fourteen books, most recently the nonfiction collection Letters and Life: On Being a Writer, On Being a Christian (Crossway 2013) and the novel Dead Low Tide (Random House 2012). Other books include the story collection The Difference Between Women and Men, the nonfiction book Before We Get Started: A Practical Memoir of the Writer’s Life, and the novels Jewel, an Oprah Book Club pick, and A Song I Knew by Heart. His work has appeared in, among other places, The Yale Review, The New York Times, The Georgia Review and in dozens of anthologies.

Born in Los Angeles, he received his BA in English from Cal State Long Beach in 1981, and his MFA in fiction from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1984, where he studied under James Baldwin. From 1986 to 2004 he was writer-in-residence and professor of English at The College of Charleston, leaving to take the position of editor and director of the journal The Southern Review at Louisiana State University. Three years later, in the fall of 2007, he returned to The College of Charleston and the job he most loves: teaching.

His honors include being named Fulbright Senior American Scholar and writer-in-residence to Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv, speaking on Flannery O’Connor at The White House, and having served as a member of the National Council on the Arts from 2006 to 2012. Currently he is nonfiction editor of the journal Crazyhorse. He and his wife, Melanie, live in South Carolina.

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, the cover is what pulled me in. Gotcha! I am not inclined towards Chick-Lit books and I am not sure if this qualifies as one. I don't mind the genre as long as there is depth and good character study, this book had of all of that with a good splashing of creativity. Being a visual artist, I recognized the creativity though at times I think the author lost the creative edge and momentum and tried to grab it back with repetitive prose, at least that is my take. I also didn't understand his use of contractions, examples: husband'd, for "husband had" or Carolyn'd for "Carolyn had", a total mystery to me.

Though I loved the conveyance often used and which left me thinking that this man understands women! One of my favorite parts is when Naomi and Ruth were nestled in bed while visiting family and then taking turns sharing their memories and feelings. The latter part for me was losing momentum and in a way I was hoping the author would just end the story. All in all, it is worth the read because the author brought an unique creativity that I connected with; there is so much potential in Mr. Lott's writing and I am hoping that he'll explore his way of looking at the world and sharing it with his readers.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not one of my favorite books to say the least. I would have preferred to watch paint dry, it would have been more exciting. Basically in a nutshell is you have the story of Ruth from the bible. Give it a slight modern twist and WALA you have a novel. You have Naomi the main character. Naomi marries Eli. They have a son named Mahlon. Mahlon marries Ruth. Eli dies and Naomi goes to live with her son and daughter-in-law. Mahlon dies in a car accident and Naomi decides to move back to South Carolina to where she originally came from. Naomi tells Ruth and Ruth tells Naomi that where she goes she shall live with her as well. They move to South Carolina ( Where Eli's kin still lives) and Ruth meets Beau who is Naomi & Eli's step nephew. Ruth and Beau get together and the book pretty much ends there. Wham bam thank you ma'am. 1 or 2 suprises are thrown in, but nothing that I did not guess by page 42 and trust me they are not that shocking or life changing.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel that wants to be a twentieth century retelling of the biblical book of Ruth should be awful, yet Lott manages to make it compelling. He presents a cast of very ordinary characters--old women who quilt and play cards, a grocery store clerk, a truck driver--in such a way that you find them beautiful, even remarkable. The Booklist review points to "the way [Lott] elevates the small rituals of everyday life--a child's Thanksgiving drawing, homemade biscuits for breakfast--into transcendent moments of human connection," which I think is spot-on.

It's not a perfect book (example: I think that Naomi calling Beau--the Boaz figure--her "kinsman" was too much and not believable), but I was, on the whole, moved by and impressed with this novel.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern spin on the biblical story of Ruth & Naomi. The author is very descriptive. The book seemed to start slow, but quickly picked up with life-long secrets revealed. Written in SC dialect gives a relatable flare for this southern girl. I enjoyed the poetic repetition of the characters thoughts & memories. That repetition seemed to add a relatable vibe as we all tend to replay our thoughts & memories. I cried and felt deep connection with Naomi. A Song I Knew By Heart...a whole new perspective of the biblical story. A story of grief, letting go, accepting forgiveness & the value in the power of giving/receiving love. Check it out!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a modern retelling of the biblical story of Ruth. It is packed with feeling and a nice, sweet, true message of family (both naturally bestowed and acquired). The problem, in my opinion, is that this is a simple story that doesn't really have the action to go on for 300 pages. This tale would be better told as a short story.

[Kellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too mushy. A mother and daughter-in-law try and cope with the loss of the son(husband). They form a bond and when the mother decides to move south to be with her distant family, the daughter-in-law follows.

[MaryAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book better than I did. The premise -- a modern-day retelling of the story of Ruth & Naomi -- was so promising. But although Bret Lott writes beautifully, this tale is so full of description and lacking in action that I just didn't really enjoy it.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful novel by Bret Lott, author of "Jewel." "Written in lyrical rhythms...an affecting hymn to family love and a mantra of empathy and forgiveness."--Richmond Times-Dispatch

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed my emotions in the first paragraph and carried me through to the end. I haven't been this touched by a book, or a story, in a long time. My hats off to Mr. Lott.

[Donna Goetter]

This is one I will need to read over again. I have memory problems and am not 100% sure what to say except this is a story that sounds like Ruth and Naomi from the Bible. A must read. Loved it.

[Rev. Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every so often, I have to work in a novel to relax my brain from heavy theological texts--this one did the trick. A modern day version of the Naomi and Ruth story in the Bible--an excellent read. ----from the publisher: During a cold Massachusetts winter, a tragic car accident leaves a mother childless and her daughter-in-law a widow. Naomi and Ruth are now each other’s only comfort. Naomi lost her own husband eight years ago, and now she has lost her son. Carrying a deep secret in her soul, Naomi decides to return to her childhood home in coastal South Carolina. When she tells Ruth her plan, she receives an unexpected reply: “Where you go, I will go.” So the two women plan the journey together, arriving at a place that is flooded with a love they are nearly too fragile to accept. Surrounded by the warmth of their newfound family, Naomi and Ruth begin to find themselves reawakened–and open to the possibility of redemption.

[Melinda Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a retelling of "The Book of Ruth" in the Bible. In case you don't remember, the story is about Naomi and Ruth. Naomi married Eli, or Elimelech, who died. They bore Mahlon, who was the first husband of Ruth. Mahlon died, after which Naomi decided to move. Ruth chose to accompany her: "Whither thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." In the Bible, Ruth eventually meets Boaz; in the book, Ruth meets and courts Beau. We all are familiar with the story, but the book has a different twist that involves forgiveness. It is a beautiful novel that involves the traditional values of love, honor and respect. The author uses lyrical writing with Biblical cadences and chiasmus. I enjoyed this novel!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supposed to be a retelling of the Book of Ruth, even down to naming the characters the same. Somehow the premise doesn't feel right-- that Naomi feels the need to relocate to her hometown after the deaths of Eli and Mahlon. She hasn't been there in years, even to visit, but she has to sell her house, say goodby to all her friends and move home? If you dismiss that, the story becomes believable. The descriptions are great. Ruth deciding to go with Naomi even seems right. Ruth has no relatives besides her mother-in-law. Maybe she thinks she needs to care for Naomi. Naomi has a secret that is over 40 years old that she cannot forget. It would've been a better book if she had at some point forgiven herself.

[Melissa Gamm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat interesting story of family connections which centers around an older woman and her daughter-in-law, both of whom have suffered losses and seek to find solace and happiness. Bret Lott's (the author's) writing is very descriptive and you really develop a good understanding of the characters and their psyche. My problem with this book was that there was little action and it was way too melodramatic and repetitive in rehashing their life stories. And enough with the "bless her heart", can't stand that. Three quarters of the way through I couldn't wait for it to end.

[Ryan Geer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know where to start with this book... I heard this author on a podcast I listen to called "Cultivated" and picked this book to read because it was the only one my library had--so, I knew nothing about it.
This book wrecked me (in a good way) and brought me to tears too many times to count. It's a beautiful story about love (its beauty and awfulness), forgiveness (and its pain), and redemption (and its costliness). The characters and the story are so well developed that I was drawn deeply into the story and it never let me go.

[Lori Neff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely story. Sad and redemptive. A beautiful interplay of personal history and present circumstances, family and relationships. I cried through several parts - Bret Lott writes beautifully about grief.
I generally don't enjoy modern-day retelling of Biblical accounts... just not my preference. This felt forced in a few places and I even felt cranky about Ruth's and Naomi's names - a bit too on the nose for me. BUT, I will say that overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stuck with this! I didn’t shelve it. I kept wanting to be sucked into the lives of Naomi & Ruth but it never happened. While I found occasional pages to savor I kept wondering why this 300 page book read like it was 500+ pages. It just took so long to get through any event, time or thought the two main characters were having. I didn’t identify with Naomi and just wanted to peel her bandaids off quicker! I think I would have like Mary Margaret’s story more!

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book moves at the speed of molasses, and the ongoing internal dialogue of Naomi is not really all that believable. Loosely using a biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, the author works really hard to make it a story of forgiveness, which is the tail that wags the dog here. The grief, which ought to have been the driver in this story is not well depicted.

Author also loses point for snarky comments about Smith College.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a modern retelling of the Biblical story of Ruth and Naomi. The syntax and grammar were a little hard to follow at first, but the heart of the story remained mostly true to the original. It took quite a while to get into it because it seemed dry and like it just wasn’t going anywhere. But slowly the story picked up steam and I ended up really enjoying it by the end.

[Liane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn between a 3 and 4 star on this book. Naomi is widowed and living with her son and dauther-in-law, Ruth, when her son dies. It is mainly about the bond between these two women and I liked most of the story, but there was a lot of repetition of the theme about guilt. And the end was kind of weird. Maybe it's a southern thing. But it's a reasonable summer read.

[Diane Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readable story. A kind of retelling of the biblical story of Naomi and Ruth; a story of family love. The additional element of living with a lie is an interesting twist. The dialect used for Naomi as the narrator of the story was distracting at times - sentence structure and word usage caused my reading to stumble at times. The story was okay, not great.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story in which the author tries to render a modern day telling of th book of Ruth. There are far more dissimilarities than there are similarities, but it is still a sweet story of love, family, and reconciliation of the past with the present.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give very few books 5 stars. For a long time I said I would read any one of Lott’s books. This was a good start.
Deep relationships, love, death, starting over. But love is powerful. Have tissues handy.

[Katie Downing · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sooo slow...It took me forever to finish. The story was so filled with internal thoughts that there was almost no dialogue. In one whole chapter, there would be a short conversation, filled in with long lines of thoughts and stories. The story would have been okay if it had moved more quickly.

[Bostonlotus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor re-telling. Not very imaginative; not fulfilling.

[Paula Pinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragically sad.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of the love of family

[Val Gropp · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd time through..still a favorite..this time I went to Mr. Pleasant and found the firehouse, school, gas station and Harris Teeter!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pace of this book is so slooooooow.

[Toni Reese · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The whole premise that Naomi, one-half of this epic, fantastic love duo would run off, after an argument with Mahlon, and screw his best friend was completely baffling. So unbelievable.