Sing You Home

Sixteen years ago, I wrote a novel about a custody fight over the child of a lesbian couple after the birth mother was killed. (In a Family Way, available from the store as a paperback or Kindle e-book.) Her surviving partner and co-mother, one of three contestants for their baby, was a woman in her mid-forties who had lost custody of her older children solely because of her sexual orientation.

Since that time, great strides have been made toward achieving equal rights for Americans who are lesbian or gay, including the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the passage of same-sex marriage in six states plus the District of Columbia. Yet although much has changed, Jodi Picoult's gripping novel highlights how much bigotry and discrimination still exist. For in her very current novel, the mother's fitness to parent children is also challenged solely because she is a lesbian, married to another woman.

Over two hundred readers have already posted reviews, and it strikes me on skimming them that quite a few seem to regard the book in a positive or negative light depending on their attitudes toward homosexuality and equal rights for GLBT (Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual or Transgender) people. So I'll state my own views up-front: one of my two wonderful daughters is a lesbian, and my husband and I also have a gay nephew who, with his partner, is doing a first-rate job of parenting their adopted son. And I certainly believe that my daughter and nephew deserve equal rights!

Sing You Home is definitely an "issue book" in the proud tradition of older novels like Gentlemen's Agreement or Consenting Adults; as another reader put it, it shows a "political agenda" on Picoult's part. This is an agenda that Picoult forthrightly admits, as the proud mother of a beloved gay son, and to me it is a plus rather than a minus. Picoult does a great job of portraying Zoe and Vanessa as normal people, with all the virtues and flaws that other ordinary people have. And I was happy to see other readers say that the novel had opened their eyes to the roadblocks and injustices faced by GLBT people.

But readers familiar with Jodi Picoult's earlier novels know that this author never writes books that are simply tracts, but rather well-plotted, compelling reads. Her latest is no exception.

In Sing You Home, the custody fight is not over a baby or child who has already been born, but over three fertilized embryos being kept in storage at the fertility clinic where Zoe Baxter and her ex-husband Max have spent much time, and thousands of dollars they could ill afford, in hopes of having a baby. The story is told by three viewpoint characters: Zoe and her ex-husband Max, who are the contesting parties for the embroyos, plus Vanessa, the school guidance counselor whose relationship with Zoe starts with friendship but develops into love and marriage.

As far as their readiness to be parents, the cards would seem to be stacked against Max. Zoe is a graduate of a prestigious school of music, who uses her talents in the helping profession of music therapist. (I was not familiar with this field and found the description of her work moving and fascinating.) Max, on the other hand, is a recovering alcoholic, with a faltering landscaping business, who walks out on Zoe after her most recent pregnancy comes heartbreakingly close to a successful delivery. But Max has an ace up his sleeve in the fight for their embryos. He doesn't intend to parent the potential baby or babies himself; instead he has found a couple with impeccable Christian morality, who he and his lawyers are sure will trump the standing of a lesbian couple.

I found all three to be well-developed characters, though Max and Zoe interested me more than Vanessa, as both of them experienced profound changes in their self-identity during the course of the book. (Vanessa is most compelling in describing the pain of having to hide her true identity through much of her life.) Max is driven by a life-threatening accident to becoming a born-again Christian, and Zoe is stunned to realize that she is fully capable of falling in love with another woman. And though other readers have criticized Picoult for characterizing Vanessa and Zoe as nearly perfect, I didn't find them to be so.

A number of other readers have criticized Zoe's outspoken intolerance of religion, and I agree with them. Walking out on Christmas dinner because Max's brother and sister-in-law emphasized the religious aspects of the holiday was not only rude but hurtful to both her in-laws and Max. (I tend to doubt that Jodi Picoult meant this to reflect her own views on religion; as a fiction writer I know that characters reveal themselves to writers, warts and all, rather than being made up from whole cloth.)

But I also thought that Zoe's insistence on wanting to try to get pregnant again after the stillbirth -- even though her doctor strongly advised against it, saying another pregnancy would be life-threatening -- was a flaw on Zoe's part. Her demand that they go through another IVF cycle was the "straw" that prompted Max to leave her at such a traumatic time for her, but Zoe should have realized that his lapses back into drinking -- something she was aware of but ignored -- made him a poor source of emotional support.

Max is weak, though hardly evil, and his account of the peace and support he finds as a newly born-again Christian fascinated me. Unfortunately, despite the support and acceptance he finds, the pastor of his congregation is virulently anti-gay, and it is largely at his insistence that Max goes to court to deny custody of the stored embryos to Zoe.

I didn't feel, as some reviewers did, that the author condemned all Christians without distinction, but only the fundamentalist, right-wing churches that would demonize Jodi Picoult's child and mine for the orientation they were born with. The outlook of the congregation Max joins is closer to that of the Westboro Baptist Church, headed by Fred Phelps, which specializes in picketing funerals of fallen American service members, than to most mainstream congregations that I'm familiar with. And indeed, I have numerous friends who belong to accepting, welcoming Christian churches.

Phelps' group came to my mind, incidentally, because Jodi Picoult placed them as onlookers in the courtroom, rooting for Max and his conservative lawyers to win. (This was something that surprised me - not that Phelps and his congregation would be against a lesbian couple raising a child, but that there was a large audience sitting in court throughout the trial. When I did research for the courtroom scenes of In a Family Way, I asked to sit in on a family court custody hearing, but was told the courtroom was closed to all but parties involved in the case.)

It also surprised me that Picoult gave both Zoe and the woman Max announced his intention of donating the embryos to the same infertility problem of multiple miscarriages. Though it was acknowledged that the latter might not be able to carry the embryos to term should she become pregnant with one or more of them, it was brushed aside by her husband saying, "but maybe she can." I thought the conflict might have been stronger if she had an infertility issue that kept her from becoming pregnant to begin with, but not in carrying a baby to term.

And I also -- again, like other readers -- would have liked to know what happened to Lucy, though as she had only a year-and-a-half till her 18th birthday, she had probably left home for a better environment by the time of the epilog that ended the story six years later.

But these are minor quibbles. I couldn't stop turning pages -- a turn of phrase only, as I was actually clicking the Next Page button on my Kindle -- to see how this conflict would be resolved. And maybe it's only because the endings to my own books have the same kind of twists, but I loved the ending Picoult came up with.

Even though this novel follows the same pattern as Picoult's other novels (a court battle) I was surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. If you're looking for a book to use in a reading group, this would be a good book. I especially liked the original music that went with each chapter, each song was a great fit for the book.

Really, I gotta go finish packing....somehow, somewhere.. I got hooked on Jodi Picoult and am "consuming" her books, running downstairs to say to my family: "listen to this" she not only entertains, she makes you think and consider new ideas.
go for it!!!!

So many topics in this book ---gays, invitro fertilization, what to do with frozen embryo, religion ---- you name it. As usual Jodi has covered everything pretty well. We discussed this in our book club and gave it a 7 out of 10 rating. Good story with a little twist at the end.

I loved this book. It was sensitive, yet funny. I love the way she gets into all the different heads and brings you so many perspectives. Her characters are so compelling and strong. Dialogue is clever. I've enjoyed most of Picoult's books and this was another winner.

I really enjoyed the way the chapters went from person to person. It allowed me to get to know each one on a more "personal" level! I laughed, I cried and I cheered each character on....I am now convinced that I have to read ALL of Jodi Picoult's books! I'm completely LOVED this story! I will recommend this book to everyone I know!

Jodi Picoult always leaves me wanting more...enough that I want to finish the book I have in-hand. Her topics delve into the world of controversy and debate. I love her approach. While this particular book continually threw heartache after heartache of Zoe at you, which seemed very unlikely, I still found the foundation of the underlying story worthwhile. A story for pushing the boundaries of religion, homosexuality, and the concepts of conception.

Jodi Picoult's books always cause me to think about and sympathize with whatever issue she is dealing with and this book is no exception. I do get tired however, with the downer aspect of so many of her books......

Jodi Picoult never disappoints! Wonderful book! My only problem with the story was I found it difficult to believe Zoe would so quickly embrace her new lifestyle. She seemed like such a thoughtful, contemporary woman, that I feel she would have likely struggled with her new-found sexuality & questioned her choices more before making the leap to marriage. That would probably have provided enough copy to fill up the entire book, so perhaps Picoult kind of skipped over it in the interest of time & space. That said, I loved the story, the characters, and the ending.

Once again, Jodi has written about a controversial subject with sensitivity and caring. The research for this book is phenomenal. Jodi continues to write on subjects that broaden our knowledge and expand our thinking. I love the way she develops the characters in each book, brings in several story lines and then somehow brings it all together in the end.

Prior to the last 2 books Ms. Picoult has written I was a huge fan. Sing You Home had to be the worse book I have ever forced myself to finish. As others have said it was so fairytaleish, then all the political views, I read for pleasure if I want to hear about politics I will listen to the news. Sadly disappointed in this book and will not read anymore by this Author in the future.

Terrible. Poorly drawn and impossible to believe wooden characters. Plot twists and lost of threads are distracting. The obvious politically correct conclusion marks this as a hack job written just as propaganda. Ms Picoult's failings are reminiscent of Mr. Grishams fall into preaching instead of writing. I wish I could get my money back on this one!

I was not impressed with this book. After all of the help Reid gave Max, Max ends up marrying his brother, Reid's, wife. Not a good ending, and they never let you know what happens to Reid. I would not recommend this book.

I would not have downloaded this book had I known that the content included characters whose sexual preference was questionable to say the least. It was well written but the content was less than desirable.

Jodi Picoult never disappoints me. I think that it is fitting that I rounded out this year with one of her books and it definitely is more special that it is also one of my best friend's favorite books.

This book is equal parts beautiful, infuriating, sad and just straight up painfully lovely. All of the characters are so relatable, both delightful and flawed at the same time which adds such a realism to the story that makes it impossible not to become thoroughly invested in their lives. There is so much introspection that resonates with me, and I'm sure so many others will feel the same. All of the relationships in this book are complex and genuine and the way they evolve is just so beautifully done.

"It hits me like a hurricane: the realization that what I've labeled friendship is --- on my end,   anyway --- more than that. And the understanding that what I want from Zoe is something I will never have. I've been here before, so I know how to act, how to pretend. After all, I'd much rather have a piece of her than nothing at all." 

The love story here is so appealing and in line with my own personal beliefs of love. I highlighted so many passages, it is hard not to share every single one.

"I know it seems strange, but when you are attracted to people, it's because of the details. Their kindness. Their eyes. Their smile. The fact that they can get you to laugh when you need it the most"

And this one as well...

"We never know people as well as we think we do --- including ourselves. I don't believe you can wake up and suddenly be gay. But I do believe you can wake up and realize that you cannot spend the rest of your life without a certain individual"

While this book had so many parts that I found absolutely infuriating, it couldn't have been what it is without those moments. Jodi Picoult is a master of unpredictable endings and twists that are just gut wrenching. This book is worth every moment that it will steal from you, in both the reading and the hold it has on your thoughts after you have finished.

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
Atria, 2011
466 pages
Fiction; Issues
3.5/5

Source: GalleyGrab

Summary: Zoe and Max have struggled with infertility problems for years but now Zoe is twenty-eight weeks pregnant and they feel like they're in the home stretch. Until she goes into labor and delivers a stillborn son. Still she has hope and three frozen embryos but Max is done. He does not want to go through a sixth round and they divorce.
Zoe is devastated and seeks solace in a new friendship with Vanessa which turns to romance. They get married in Massachusetts and then decide to use the remaining embryos to have a child.
Max meanwhile turned to his conservative brother and sister-in-law Reid and Liddy for a place to live while he relapses into alcoholism until a saving experience with Jesus. Consequently when Zoe needs his permission for the embryos, he's uncertain. His pastor excitedly uses this opportunity to fan a big court case with media attention attacking gays and their destruction of the traditional family.

Okay, I know that's a long summary but I feel like it all had to be said before I get in to my thoughts. I usually love Jodi Picoult's novels so I was psyched to get an advance peek at her latest. I didn't know anything about it going in and when I skimmed the summary on goodreads, I read it wrong believing that Zoe ended up wanting a family with the teenage girl she was helping. Luckily that is not the case!

I really liked Zoe and Max but if I had to choose one of them, I'd pick Max despite him being a much more flawed person. He's an alcoholic with several falls of the wagon over the course of the novel, he lusts after a married woman, and he's rather indecisive. But I liked his conversion experience and his deepening understanding of God's character although I wish there had been more scripture than the few instances that refer to homosexuality. I also loved Liddy with whom Max interacts; she made me think of the actress Anna Camp who actually played a similar character on "True Blood."

Meanwhile I did not like Vanessa. I don't know why. She was very good at her job as a guidance counselor and their courtship (while much too whirlwind for my taste-about five months from falling in love and marriage to the court case) was sweet. Maybe it was how she and Zoe were incapable of tolerance while demanding it from the pastor?

I know I'm just a college student with a very different set of experiences from forty-year old Zoe and her struggle to get pregnant but I did not understand why she wouldn't adopt or later use Vanessa's eggs and find a sperm donor. Why was it SO important to have a child with her DNA when the ending chapter demonstrated that family is not just about blood? I've obviously never been in that position but I know that there are loads of children who would love to be adopted by such a loving person and I wish she had seriously considered that alternative, either with Max or with Vanessa.

I was sad that Christians came off so poorly especially because NEWS FLASH not all Christians hate gay people nor are all Christians against gay marriage and gay rights. Yet the only Christians shown in the book are very anti-gay. Admittedly it is clear that this is a super conservative congregation when the pastor says that porn videos should be in kindergarten classrooms because that was the equivalent of the president's sex-ed program. But there were no liberal or even moderate Christian voices.

One last comment: apparently the finished copy comes with a CD because Zoe is a music therapist and that plays a big role in the story. My e-copy did not come with any music so I cannot comment on that.

SPOILERS from the LAST chapter: So Liddy and Reid got divorced? Or did Reid die? Cling more to the church while she moved away? Is no one Christian anymore? Because that makes me sad.

Overall: The presentation of Christians really lowered the rating for this book but I think most Picoult fans will be satisfied.

This books reads very easily - it keeps you interested and asking questions. I enjoyed reading from the perspectives of Max and Zoe because they think so differently. The only problem that I have is that (MILD SPOILER ALERT) Zoe and Vanessa's relationship progressed so fast. They were married and fighting for custody in five months into their relationship, which feels very rushed. (END OF SPOILER). Overall, it is a very enjoyable book.

I read this book for our bookclub. Although I found most of the characters likable the story line was like being in a fun house. Each room held something else. There were too many deep subjects to cover them effectively. The two Mommy parents thing, the frozen embryo debate, and the teenage suicide issue. All of the intense action taking place in a span of six months is a little unbelievable as well. I wish the story lines were fewer and deeper. .....And Max was a whining, spineless, excuse of a man.

As always, I was very impressed with the writing of this book. Picoult always does her homework and research. She writes with so much character, she really brings her characters to life, and it's always a surprise. This book shocked me, brought tears to my eyes and a smile on my face. It is ALWAYS a good novel, that while reading, can bring a person so many emotions.

Jodi Picoult (as always) does a beautiful job opening ours minds to the other side of the story. This book is very realistic and delves into the hard life and scrutiny that homosexuals have to live with. It is a very real look at love, loss, and our inner demons. Highly recommended!

There is a very real moral and ethical dilemma in what to do with frozen embryos once a couple has divorced. Is it ever right to force a man or woman to bring a child into the world against his or her will? Jodi Picoult's SING YOU HOME pretends to be interested in this ethical dilemma. Zoe and Max try for ten years to have a child through in vitro fertilization. When they finally divorce, they leave three frozen embryos in limbo. A year later, Zoe (now a lesbian) wants the embryos so she can have a child with her new spouse, Vanessa. Max (now a born-again Christian), wants to give the embryos to his infertile brother and sister-in-law so the children can be raised in a traditional Christian home.

Much of the novel is about the legal maneuverings and court case as this dilemma is litigated. There are interesting issues here - if Max truly believes homosexuality is wrong, should he be forced by law to allow his child to be born into that lifestyle? Similarly, should Max have the right to give away Zoe's children to relatives who are so disapproving of her lifestyle that they would never allow her to be part of their lives?

Unfortunately, Picoult isn't really interested in these sticky issues. As with most of her novels, SING YOU HOME is really more of a melodramatic "Lifetime Movie" about an unconventional couple fighting bigotry and religious intolerance. As the reader gets closer and closer to the end, it becomes more and more clear that the ethical dilemma will never really be addressed. Instead, characters will miraculously be able to see each other with new eyes and a resolution will be achieved without a political victory for either side.

Picoult is a good writer who knows just how to bring her readers into her politically charged novels. SING YOU HOME is told from three perspectives (Zoe, Max, and Vanessa), which helps readers see the various viewpoints surrounding the central conflict. Everything becomes a little too black-and-white, however, and more than a little too easy. Zoe's transformation from hetero to homosexual seems too fast and too smooth (including her mother's almost immediate acceptance of it). And Max's sudden rebirth as a Christian zealot is equally unconvincing.

This would have been a far more interesting novel had it really been about the rights of parents in deciding the fate of frozen embryos. Does a man have a right to say, "No, I do not want my embryo brought to term"? Does a woman have the right to say, "Yes, I will have this child, no matter what the father has to say"? There are no easy answers to these questions, but by focusing instead on the clash between homosexuality and religious bigotry Picolt doesn't give her readers a chance to make a hard decision. Too bad - this could have been a very interesting novel.

Wonderful author & definetely worth the purchase. I have read most of her books & I love her style of writing. The best part about her writing is she always gives all points of her characters. Indeed buy this if your a fan of hers.

Whether you are for or against gay marriage or heavily religious, this book will tug at your heart strings.

I think everyone can find a note, line, chapter, or page to relate too.

I found a couple chapters to be rather slow but aside from that I raced through the rest because I just needed to know what was going to happen.

I wish the end was elaborated a bit more, would love to know what happened to these families.

As usual Jodi Picoult handles a current social issue with dignity and ease. The outcome was rather predictable however and I thought that once the court case was over, she shut the door rather quickly...but it was a good read.