Review: The Shepherd’s Song by Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers

shepherdsTitle: The Shepherd’s Song by Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers
Publisher: Howard Books
Genre: Contemporary, Christian, Fiction
Length: 240 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Shortly before suffering a tragic car accident, Kate McConnell wrote the simple but powerful words of Psalm 23 on a piece of paper to give to her wayward and confused son. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. . . . As she loses consciousness from her injuries, she wonders if she’s done enough with her life.

When a lonely dry-cleaning employee finds Kate’s humble, handwritten copy of the psalm, it begins an incredible journey around the world, forever changing the lives of twelve very different people. From a soldier wounded in Iraq, to a young Kurdish girl fleeing with her family to Turkey, to a Kenyan runner about to begin the Rome Invitational Marathon, the power of the ancient words begins to take shape in various ways, drawing us into these stories inexplicably linked by the passing of the psalm from one recipient to the next.

Eventually, Kate’s paper makes it back to its starting place, and she discovers the unexpected ways that God moves and changes lives through even our smallest actions.

The Review:

Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers’ The Shepherd’s Song is a beautiful story of faith inspired by the 23rd Psalm. Meant to help her son, Matt, find his way back to God, Kate McConnell’s handwritten copy of the Psalm unexpectedly touches twelve different lives as it makes an incredible journey around the world.

Each chapter in The Shepherd’s Song is about a different person who finds personal meaning from one verse from the Psalm. Beginning with Kate taking comfort in the line, “The Lord is My Shepherd”, the story then moves to an employee at her dry cleaners finding her note and the next part of the Psalm, “I Shall Not Want” changing his life. He then passes the note along to someone else, thus beginning the wondrous voyage that will profoundly alter so many lives.

Kate’s note travels from country to country, affecting a diverse set of individuals from different cultures and sometimes different religions. For some, the verses will help them find their way back to their lost faith. For others, it will begin their relationship with God for the first time. For another, it will help heal their sorrow. A young woman will find courage to begin a new life. One man will find his way back from the wrong path. But of course, the most compelling chapter brings the story full circle when the fate of Kate and her family is revealed.

The Shepherd’s Song is a touching and sometimes poignant novel that is quite captivating. Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers bring readers a quiet story of faith that packs a powerful message that will linger long after the last page has been turned.

1 Comment

Filed under Betsy Duffey, Christian, Contemporary, Fiction, Howard Books, Laurie Myers, Rated B+, Review, The Shepherd's Song

One Response to Review: The Shepherd’s Song by Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers

  1. Timitra

    Thanks for the great review Kathy.