How Sweet the Sound

by Amy Sorrells

  CHAPTER 51

  Anniston

  After Princella died, Harlan Pecan Company filled Christmas orders just in time for the holidays. Ronald Reagan took office just in time for the hostages to be released in Iran. The Daughters of the Confederacy Cotillion and Bay Spring Auxiliary Auction crowned Sally Roberts as their 1981 princess just in time for me to never attend another cotillion again. Mama and I got our very own house in town where we hung Granddaddy Harlan’s sword above the mantel. Grass grew over the three deep graves. I learned enough chords on Daddy’s old guitar that I could play a song or two. Bells rang, and the town went hog wild over an early June jubilee.

  And in the midst of all that good, Comfort and Solly got married.

  As he’d promised, Vaughn made sure the ceremony and celebration held nothing back for his daughter, the bride, and her groom. Handkerchiefs came out all over when Vaughn walked Comfort down the aisle, his arm entwined with his only living child’s. His only daughter, surrounded and battered by troubles, but not demoralized. Terrorized, but held up by the love of family and Jesus. Thrown down, but unbroken.

  Comfort wore a string of asters braided into her hair. And it was clear as Vaughn, his face wet with tears, lifted her veil and kissed her cheek, that this day brought with it a new beginning for us all.

  A grand Cochon de Lait followed the ceremony, bringing the most fun the Harlan plantation had ever seen in its hills. Felt like springtime coming to Narnia, the worst of things melting into the best. We roasted a suckling pig over hickory, and most of the town came, even Mrs. Reed, the organist, and her husband, who only came out for Friday-night bingo. Muddy and the Flaps rocked the reception and received several requests—including several asking them specifically to bring Solly along with ’em—to play at other upcoming venues in town, and Shirley O’Day never printed another nasty word about them in her social column.

  Late in the evening, when the music of Muddy and the Flaps switched from rock and roll to ballads, couples slow-danced down our red-ribboned driveway to their cars. Husbands put their arms around wives, and wives put theirs around their husbands.

  The wire fence separating Comfort’s yard from the cemetery was covered with the blossoms of bright-orange trumpet-vine flowers. The shadow of Daddy’s, Cole’s, and Princella’s gravestones stood tall as the last rays of the sun stretched out. I took the double brooksella out of my dress pocket and traced the places where the arms of the stars blended together.

  I pulled the letter and photo out of my pocket next, edges of both yellowed from all the times I’d held them. In the picture, Jed stands shirtless on top of his brand-new oysterin’ skiff, hands on his hips, chest stuck out like a rooster.

  Dear Anni,

  You were right.

  God gives second chances.

  I hope He gives one to us someday too.

  Jed

  I could almost hear the water sloshing against the hull of that steely gray boat, against the letters standing tall in fresh black paint.

  JUBILEE

  I turned to watch Comfort and Solly dancing under a canopy of white lights and wisteria, and walked over to join them while Muddy and the Flaps played on.

  … a little more …

  When a delightful concert comes to an end,

  the orchestra might offer an encore.

  When a fine meal comes to an end,

  it’s always nice to savor a bit of dessert.

  When a great story comes to an end,

  we think you may want to linger.

  And so, we offer ...

  AfterWords—just a little something more after you

  have finished a David C Cook novel.

  We invite you to stay awhile in the story.

  Thanks for reading!

  Turn the page for ...

  • A Word about Tamar and Survivors

  • Book Club Questions

  • Author Interview

  • Recipes from Bay Spring and the Harlan Family and Friends

  A Word about Tamar and Survivors

  Writing a novel about sexual abuse might lead folks to believe the story of Comfort is a parallel to my own journey of abuse and healing. As with most writers, words strung from the heart to the page cannot exist without a certain degree of autobiography, for as artists, our calling is to create from what we know and feel most deeply.

  On the contrary, however, the intricacies of what I went through as a child differ greatly from the path and inspiration of this novel. I prefer to let the perpetrators wrestle with their own misdeeds and perversions in private. They and I know precisely what they did, and that is enough.

  Instead, How Sweet the Sound is inspired by the story of King David’s daughter Tamar, whose story is written in 2 Samuel 13. After her brother, Amnon, raped her, what happened next is possibly worse than the rape:

  Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has your brother Amnon had his way with you? Now, my dear sister, let’s keep it quiet—a family matter. He is, after all, your brother. Don’t take this so hard.” Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s home, bitter and desolate. (2 Sam. 13:20 MSG)

  Rape, incest, and molestation are the silent epidemics of our society. Conservative estimates are that one out of four girls and one out of six boys will suffer such atrocities before the age of eighteen. And the victims are threatened, coerced, and frightened into staying silent. As a result of their silence, most of them battle lifelong mental, spiritual, and even physical illnesses.

  As a follower of Christ, I am not satisfied with the ending of Tamar’s story. None of us should be. The truth and light shining into the darkest places of our broken, ailing world is what sets people free. And so I wrote this book as a loose, modern-day allegory in hopes that it might challenge and encourage the Tamars of the world, that they might not live bitter and desolate lives, but that they might instead find hope, healing, and freedom.

  Book Club Questions

  1. Overall, how did you feel after reading How Sweet the Sound? Renewed? Hopeful? Or depressed? Angry? Perhaps perplexed?

  2. Why does Rey shoot Cole? Do you feel his actions are justified? Why or why not?

  3. Princella and Comfort react to similar pasts in very different ways. What life events and choices may have shaped the way they chose to live their lives? Did any of their behaviors disturb you, or did you feel sympathy toward them? Why or why not?

  4. Anniston begins the book by saying she thought she’d lived through everything. How does her view change by the end of the book? Does she grow and mature?

  5. In what ways—if any—does Jed’s journey parallel the journeys of Comfort and Princella? How are his reactions to his past different from or similar to Comfort’s and Princella’s? How does Jed’s life teach Anni about her aunt and grandmother?

  6. As a figure of goodness and truth, Ernestine provides a voice of reason and encouragement in the novel. As a bystander to most of the tragedies and secrets of the Harlan family, what is the primary role of her character in the story? Would you have changed anything about her part in the story?

  7. What did you think about the two-narrator structure of the book? Did you like being able to see the thoughts of both Anni and Comfort? How might the book have changed if told from only one or the other’s viewpoint?

  8. Did the plot keep moving you forward? Was it engaging? Too slow? Too fast? Enough details? Too many?

  9. What themes are explored in How Sweet the Sound? What symbols are used to reinforce these themes?

  10. What chapter or passage was the most moving or profound for you and why?

  11. Did you feel like the ending was fulfilling? How might you change the ending?

  12. How has this novel changed you? Have you learned something new by reading it? If so, what will you do with that new knowledge or insight?

  Author Interview

&nb
sp; What is your schedule like when you’re writing?

  My writing schedule is a bit unusual, and perhaps unconventional by industry standards. Most experts will tell you that you must write every day. I have tried that, and I have failed every time. Because I am a wife, a mama of three teenage boys, and I work two to three days a week as a registered nurse, I have learned to fit my writing time in while I wait in school pickup lines, during halftimes of lacrosse games, in doctor’s office waiting rooms, and on the back patio on those rare, quiet mornings after everyone has gone to work and school.

  What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

  Personally, my writing process involves a lot of thinking, and so I often do artistic projects around the house, like reupholstering and refinishing furniture and antiques. This helps me back up and gain a little insight into what I’m writing. If I’m too close to the story, I tend to get “stuck.” For me, art truly inspires my art.

  Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

  My ideas come from a spring bulb pushing up from the crusty, winter ground; from the pull of an oysterman’s tongs across shallow, coastal bay waters; from holding the wrinkled hand, crisscrossed with blue veins, of a dying nonagenarian; from the laughter of my sons; and from the chords and strains and banjos of a rip-roaring worship set at church. My ideas come from my past and my future. From a psalm and a lament. But deep, deep down, I believe my ideas come from love.

  What books/authors have influenced your writing?

  I love great Southern stories: anything by Kaye Gibbons, Sue Monk Kidd, and Kathryn Stockett; Eudora Welty’s short stories; Maya Angelou and Mary Oliver’s poems. Recently, I have come to adore Kent Haruf and Chaim Potok. And Brennan Manning, well, he wrecks me every time. I would be remiss if I did not mention that Francine Rivers’s book Redeeming Love prompted me to seek traditional publication.

  Do you ever experience writer’s block?

  I don’t believe there is such a thing as writer’s block. I do believe in the luring power of procrastination, and unfortunately I can be found practicing it all too often.

  Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

  Honestly, Solly is my favorite character in this book. First of all, I imagined him to look like Matthew McConaughey, so what’s not to like? But secondly, he reminds me of my husband, who has endless patience and who adores me, though I’m not sure—despite eighteen years together—why.

  What was the hardest part of this book for you to write?

  Originally, Princella had no redeeming qualities. None. I hated her. But with the wise prompting of my editor, I knew I had to make her more well-rounded. It was painful for me to find ways to pull the beautiful parts out of her. And in the end, I realized my struggle with Princella paralleled her own search for forgiveness. And so Princella and I, we both came a long way together.

  Give us an interesting fun fact related to your book.

  I’ve never once eaten pecan pie. Not one bite.

  What can we expect from you in the future?

  I have a second novel due out about a year from now. It is quite different from How Sweet the Sound in that it is set in Michigan and Ukraine. Although it is a very different (and even a bit mysterious) story, readers will enjoy the same strong themes of hope and redemption. Beyond that, I have a couple more stories brewing, and I plan to continue writing novels for as long as I can write them well.

  Recipes from Bay Spring and the Harlan Family and Friends

  You can’t have a novel about the South without featuring food. Here are some good recipes for you to try, many of them featured in the novel. And if these aren’t enough, you can find more—like Ernestine’s cheesy jambalaya and cinnamon rolls, Anni’s favorite pecan pancakes, Princella’s holiday pecan log, and more—at my author website.

  Cajun Pistols from the Moonlight and Magnolia Music Festival

  (be sure to have a lemonade shake-up or a cold glass of sweet tea on hand!)

  FILLING

  ½ cup chopped onion

  ½ cup chopped celery

  ½ cup butter

  Minced garlic

  Salt and pepper

  ½ pound crawfish tails

  ½ pound crab meat

  ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

  ¼ cup shredded Swiss cheese or whatever cheese you like

  1½ tablespoons chopped green onion

  1½ tablespoons chopped parsley

  A shake or two of ground hot pepper

  A shake (or six!) of your favorite hot sauce

  DOUGH

  2 cups Bisquick

  3/4 cups water

  Vegetable oil for frying

  1.Sauté onion and celery in butter until tender.

  2.Add garlic, seasoning, and crawfish tails. Simmer 10 minutes or until all liquid evaporates.

  3.Set aside and let cool completely.

  4.Add cheese, green onions, and parsley.

  5.Prepare dough by stirring biscuit mix and water with a fork. On well-floured surface, roll out dough. Cut with 4-inch circle cutter.

  6.Place crawfish filling on half of dough.

  7.Fold circle in half, seal edges with fork dipped in flour.

  8.In deep pot, heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry beignets until golden brown.

  9.Serve warm.

  Makes about sixteen beignets.

  Jed’s Favorite Pecan-Crusted Chicken Strips

  2 pounds ½-inch chicken strips

  1–2 beaten eggs

  ¼ cup flour

  Salt and pepper to taste

  1½ cups finely chopped pecans

  ¼-inch canola oil for skillet

  1.Salt and pepper chicken strips to taste.

  2.Dredge lightly in flour, then egg.

  3.Roll in chopped pecans. Set aside.

  4.Heat oil in pan to medium high.

  5.Place coated chicken strips in pan and cook about 2 minutes on each side, until pecans are a nice golden-brown.

  6.Place cooked chicken strips on paper towels to drain.

  Solly’s Hotter-than-Snot Pecan-Stuffed Pickled Jalapeños

  Whole pickled jalapeño peppers

  Spreadable garlic-and-herb cheese, softened

  Chopped toasted pecans

  1.Cut peppers in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds and membranes.

  2.Pipe softened cheese into each pepper half.

  3.Press peppers, cheese sides down, into chopped toasted pecans.

  4.Cover and chill up to one full day.

  Captain Larry’s Parmesan Oysters

  2 dozen oysters, in the shell

  ¼ cup butter

  1 tablespoon lemon juice

  1 clove garlic, minced

  ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs

  1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

  1.Place oysters (still in the shell) in the bottom of a shallow baking dish.

  2.Melt butter and add garlic and lemon juice, pour over oysters.

  3.Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

  4.Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

  5.Serve warm with hot sauce, of course.

  Vaughn’s Crawdaddy Pecan Dressing

  1 medium onion, chopped

  1 rib celery, chopped

  1 green bell pepper, chopped

  1 red bell pepper, chopped

  1 pound ground beef

  2 tablespoons cooking oil

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  2 pounds cooked crawfish tails

  1 cup cooked rice

  1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

  ¼ cup butter

  1 small bunch green onions, chopped

  2 tablespoons creole seasoning

&nb
sp; ½ teaspoon black pepper

  1.Cook onion, celery, bell peppers, garlic, and ground beef over medium-high heat until beef crumbles and no pink remains.

  2.Stir in crawfish, rice, pecans, butter, green onions, creole seasoning, and black pepper.

  3.Cook three minutes or until thoroughly heated.

  4.Spoon into baking dish lightly greased or sprayed with cooking spray.

  5.Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

  Comfort’s Homecoming Peach-Pecan Pie

  CRUST

  ½ a store-bought crust, or use your mama’s pie crust recipe

  FILLING

  3 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches

  1 cup sugar

  2/3 cup sour cream

  3 egg yolks

  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  Dash of lemon rind

  PECAN-CRUMB TOPPING

  ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter

  ½ cup sugar

  ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  ¼ teaspoon allspice

  ½ cup (2 oz.) chopped pecans

  FOR FILLING:

  1.Scatter peach slices over bottom of pie crust.

  2.Using a whisk, combine sugar, sour cream, egg yolks, and flour, and pour over the peaches.

  3.Bake at 350 until the custard is set and the crust is golden-brown, approximately 30 minutes.

  FOR TOPPING:

  1.Combine butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles peas and cornmeal. Stir in the chopped pecans and set aside.

  2.Scatter pecan topping over pie.

  3.Return pie to oven and bake until the topping is golden-brown, about 10–15 minutes more.

  4.Place pie on a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature.

  5.Ernestine recommends topping with cinnamon whipped cream.

  HOW SWEET THE SOUND

  Published by David C Cook

  4050 Lee Vance View

  Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.