All for a Song by Allison Pittman

Read first chapter excerpt here.

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?

All for a Song by Allison Pittman was a sweet and engaging novel that followed the path of a young girl torn between her love for music and her love for her home and her man. The set-up of this novel is unique in that alternates between Dorothy as a young girl and Dorothy in a nursing home decades later. The way this novel is constructed allows the reader to look back at Dorothy's young years as if they are the older Dorothy themselves, reliving her memories, her desires, her choices. I liked how, as the novel went on, the two storylines became more intertwined as a new character enters the elderly Dorothy's live that completes the picture of what happened when Dorothy was younger. The plot of All For a Song was interesting, quick paced, and was filled with romance, temptation, secrets, and suspense. The characters were realistic and well developed, especially Dorothy. I loved seeing how Dorothy was faced with relatable, tough decisions and how she learned to deal with her choices, both good and bad. Even though the majority of this novel was set in the 1920's, the temptations that Dorothy must resist are still very relevant today, and her thoughts and feelings as she tries to live according to her faith and what is right are both convicting and good warnings for modern readers as well.

Overall I found this novel to be both melancholy and entertaining at times but still a wonderfully engaging read. I would highly recommend All for a Song to any reader looking for a historical novel that leaves one guessing from cover to cover.

I received this novel for free from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.