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When Mockingbirds Sing
What marks the boundary between a miracle of God and the imagination of a child?
Nine-year-old Leah’s invisible friend seems harmless enough until he aids her in upsetting the tranquility of her new town, a place where her parents desperately hoped she’d finally be able to make friends and fit in. Hidden within a picture she paints for a failed toymaker are numbers that win the toymaker millions. Suddenly, townspeople are divided between those who see Leah as a prophet and those who are afraid of the danger she represents. Caught in the middle is Leah’s agnostic father, who clashes with a powerful town pastor over Leah’s prophecies and what to do about them.
When the imaginary friend’s predictions take an ominous turn and Leah announces that a grave danger looms, doubts arise over the truthfulness of her claims. As a violent storm emerges on the day of the annual carnival, Leah’s family and the town of Mattingly must make a final choice to cling to all they know or embrace the things she believes in that cannot be seen.
Nine-year-old Leah’s invisible friend seems harmless enough until he aids her in upsetting the tranquility of her new town, a place where her parents desperately hoped she’d finally be able to make friends and fit in. Hidden within a picture she paints for a failed toymaker are numbers that win the toymaker millions. Suddenly, townspeople are divided between those who see Leah as a prophet and those who are afraid of the danger she represents. Caught in the middle is Leah’s agnostic father, who clashes with a powerful town pastor over Leah’s prophecies and what to do about them.
When the imaginary friend’s predictions take an ominous turn and Leah announces that a grave danger looms, doubts arise over the truthfulness of her claims. As a violent storm emerges on the day of the annual carnival, Leah’s family and the town of Mattingly must make a final choice to cling to all they know or embrace the things she believes in that cannot be seen.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
179 people are currently reading
2462 people want to read
About the author
Billy Coffey
12 books264 followersBilly and his wife, Joanne, live with their two children in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. A product of his small-town locale, Billy counts as assets his rural authenticity, unwavering sense of purpose, and insatiable curiosity--all of which tend to make his front porch a comfortably crowded place.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews
June 28, 2013
As a person completely devoid of spiritual faith, I tend to shy away from books written by authors who openly embrace religion of any kind. How I ended up ordering this book, I can't quite explain. I think it was a Twitter plug, something that I usually ignore. I'm glad I snapped this one up.
The book arrived yesterday. I interrupted a Hilary Mantel book to read the opening paragraph of "When Mockingbirds Sing." Then I kept coming back to peek inside the cover. Finally I gave in and devoted my day to reading this book because it had obviously stolen my attention.
Coffey writes about faith, but he also writes about so much more. Themes that pepper this book include:
outsiders
fate
belief (in anything)
judgement
mercy
righteousness
guilt
shame
The author's eloquent prose zapped me on nearly every page. Be prepared for the likes of this, from page 299: ...people don't weep because they are weak, but because they've been strong for too long.
Really, I wish there were a 4+ rating. I mark this down only because there is one recurring thread about the town's past history that is not resolved...or if it was, I was too stupid to register it.
The book arrived yesterday. I interrupted a Hilary Mantel book to read the opening paragraph of "When Mockingbirds Sing." Then I kept coming back to peek inside the cover. Finally I gave in and devoted my day to reading this book because it had obviously stolen my attention.
Coffey writes about faith, but he also writes about so much more. Themes that pepper this book include:
outsiders
fate
belief (in anything)
judgement
mercy
righteousness
guilt
shame
The author's eloquent prose zapped me on nearly every page. Be prepared for the likes of this, from page 299: ...people don't weep because they are weak, but because they've been strong for too long.
Really, I wish there were a 4+ rating. I mark this down only because there is one recurring thread about the town's past history that is not resolved...or if it was, I was too stupid to register it.
January 19, 2019
This book was a fabulous blend of subplots, unexpected twists, and original storytelling. Suspense and tension are woven throughout the pages, and Mr. Coffey creates a cast of characters that come alive on the page. I'll be looking for more titles from this author.
December 21, 2013
The thing is I like author Billy Coffey. No, I don’t know him personally. I just feel like I do. I’ve sat on his front porch and listened to him spin yarns; I’ve walked the streets of Mattingly and made it my small town; I’ve met the people in his stories, some of whom have become my friends.
Am I crazy? Probably. But that has nothing to do with why I like Billy. I like him because he respects me as a reader enough to get personal. He‘s not phony and he doesn’t write like he’s a know-it-all. His words come at me at a pace that make me want to read faster and yet slow down at once. “Savor” is the closest word I can think of to describe this.
Mostly, he speaks about a God that some of us have forgotten, a God that hasn’t stopped loving us.
I first met Billy through his blog, then through his books Snow Day and Paper Angels. This is a review of his latest book When Mockingbirds Sing. It’s a bold story that will make you think and re-think what you believe. His characters have even more layers than his first two books, and none of them (even the Christians) are perfect or always right. The writing style is even more personal; and the story is different. If you read it, you’ll want to read it again.
Am I crazy? Probably. But that has nothing to do with why I like Billy. I like him because he respects me as a reader enough to get personal. He‘s not phony and he doesn’t write like he’s a know-it-all. His words come at me at a pace that make me want to read faster and yet slow down at once. “Savor” is the closest word I can think of to describe this.
Mostly, he speaks about a God that some of us have forgotten, a God that hasn’t stopped loving us.
I first met Billy through his blog, then through his books Snow Day and Paper Angels. This is a review of his latest book When Mockingbirds Sing. It’s a bold story that will make you think and re-think what you believe. His characters have even more layers than his first two books, and none of them (even the Christians) are perfect or always right. The writing style is even more personal; and the story is different. If you read it, you’ll want to read it again.
August 13, 2013
Hmmmm.....probably one of the most bizarre books I've read in awhile. At first, I thought there was no way I was going to be able to finish this book. I found it oppressive to read. At some point, however, I knew I had to finish it because I truly wanted to know what on earth was going to happen and how was it going to end. The author was very successful in not allowing his readers any clues as to where the storyline was going. I was taken totally off guard by some of the twists and turns. The author was very descriptive - I literally felt as if I was in the middle of the tornado. The storyline makes you think about matters pertaining to faith. The primary theme I came away with was to never assume you know how God works - He can't be put in a box and He can use anything or anyone to accomplish His purposes . Our ways are not His ways. We cannot figure out how God thinks and its not our place to judge how He works. I don't think I will read any other books written by this author because of the heaviness of his writing.
August 17, 2016
4 stars! I chose this book as an option for a dark challenge that didn't end up coming to pass, but I decided to stretch myself anyway. I am usually not drawn to dark, but the description of this book gnawed at me, called to me a little bit. Surprised at the outcome of the monthly topic, I decided I had to read it anyway. When Mockingbirds Sing is the story of 9 year old Leah, a lonely awkward girl with a stutter who challenges a church based town, when she begins to hear the voice of the Rainbow Man, and begins painting stunning visual paintings that forecast for the town. What begins as good, has a darker side, and the town has to inevitably choose what side to be on. Each of the characters has to wrestle with what they believe, including Leah's marriage conflicted parents, and psychiatrist father, the town's reverend, who is envious that he is not the sole voice of God, and others in the town who befriend the girl and her family. I was drawn in, and by the end, last night, I stayed up to finish it. I thought it was interesting and well done.
June 12, 2013
Let me start off by admitting that the summary on the back of the book did not make me eager to read the book. It didn’t seem like my style---but I decided to step out of the box and give it a go.
One of the first things that intrigued me was the way the chapters were titled. It wasn’t “chapter one” but rather “Saturday: Seven Days before the Carnival”. Without even reading a word of the story, I was immediately sucked in! I started asking myself “What carnival?” And then I started speculating that something must happen at a carnival and eagerly sought references to it from then on as I read. I think this was a genius move by the author and one I’ve never seen before.
The first sentence of the story is ripe with premonition…
And from that sentence I decided that this looming carnival must be related to the town’s death and jumped into the story with both feet.
I would best liken the plot of the story to an onion. As the story plays out, more and more layers are shown until you finally get to the climax and then you realize how everything comes together—and yes, as you peel it there will be tears!
The primary plot focuses on the character of Leah Norcross. Leah is a troubled introverted girl with a very strong stutter and she has an "invisible friend" whom she calls Rainbow Man.
The story really gets kicked off when Leah who, on an easel she just received for her birthday, paints a masterpiece—a picture which seems to come alive in its depth and vibrance…something a 9 year old girl should not be able to do. When questioned, she tells her speechless parents that she painted what the Rainbow Man sang to her. Through this painting, we get introduced into another layer of the plot “onion” in the form of Barney, the man who made Leah the easel—and who wins the mega jackpot lottery because of numbers he sees in the painting Leah makes him. And from this point on the story kicks into high gear as it moves ever closer to the looming "Day of the Carnival"!
Through the course of the story we get involved in the lives of the Norcross family, Barney and Mabel Moore, Reverend “Reggie” Goggins and Allie (Leah’s new best friend). The personal faith of each one and the faith of the town of Mattingly is put to the test because of Leah and her Rainbow Man. Like the back cover says, the story makes you question
You will be sucked into the story if you give it a chance—making predictions about where the plot is going to go—and then be shocked when it takes an unexpected twist. You will see the images in your mind because of the author’s vivid vocabulary and word pictures. And when the story is over, you might be like me and just go “wow.”
Even though When Mockingbirds Sing is considered inspirational fiction, I think that even those who aren’t hot on this genre would still enjoy it because of the richness of the plot. For those who love this genre, I highly recommend it as well as the Reading Group Guide at the back of the book. This book will definitely make you ask questions about your own faith and allow you to ask yourself about your own thoughts on truly walking by faith and not by sight—which is the underlying message of the story.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson press as part of the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
One of the first things that intrigued me was the way the chapters were titled. It wasn’t “chapter one” but rather “Saturday: Seven Days before the Carnival”. Without even reading a word of the story, I was immediately sucked in! I started asking myself “What carnival?” And then I started speculating that something must happen at a carnival and eagerly sought references to it from then on as I read. I think this was a genius move by the author and one I’ve never seen before.
The first sentence of the story is ripe with premonition…
"In those long days between the town’s death and its rebirth, everyone had a story of how the magic came to Leah Norcross." (p.1, Coffey)
And from that sentence I decided that this looming carnival must be related to the town’s death and jumped into the story with both feet.
I would best liken the plot of the story to an onion. As the story plays out, more and more layers are shown until you finally get to the climax and then you realize how everything comes together—and yes, as you peel it there will be tears!
The primary plot focuses on the character of Leah Norcross. Leah is a troubled introverted girl with a very strong stutter and she has an "invisible friend" whom she calls Rainbow Man.
The story really gets kicked off when Leah who, on an easel she just received for her birthday, paints a masterpiece—a picture which seems to come alive in its depth and vibrance…something a 9 year old girl should not be able to do. When questioned, she tells her speechless parents that she painted what the Rainbow Man sang to her. Through this painting, we get introduced into another layer of the plot “onion” in the form of Barney, the man who made Leah the easel—and who wins the mega jackpot lottery because of numbers he sees in the painting Leah makes him. And from this point on the story kicks into high gear as it moves ever closer to the looming "Day of the Carnival"!
Through the course of the story we get involved in the lives of the Norcross family, Barney and Mabel Moore, Reverend “Reggie” Goggins and Allie (Leah’s new best friend). The personal faith of each one and the faith of the town of Mattingly is put to the test because of Leah and her Rainbow Man. Like the back cover says, the story makes you question
“What marks the boundary between a miracle from God and the imagination of a child?”
You will be sucked into the story if you give it a chance—making predictions about where the plot is going to go—and then be shocked when it takes an unexpected twist. You will see the images in your mind because of the author’s vivid vocabulary and word pictures. And when the story is over, you might be like me and just go “wow.”
Even though When Mockingbirds Sing is considered inspirational fiction, I think that even those who aren’t hot on this genre would still enjoy it because of the richness of the plot. For those who love this genre, I highly recommend it as well as the Reading Group Guide at the back of the book. This book will definitely make you ask questions about your own faith and allow you to ask yourself about your own thoughts on truly walking by faith and not by sight—which is the underlying message of the story.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson press as part of the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
June 12, 2013
Having read both of Billy's other books (Snow Day and Paper Angels), I was delighted to go back to the fictitious town of Mattingly...but I was also surprised. Surprised by the way each trip to Mattingly brought with it a little more of the extraordinary than one might expect to find in such an ordinary small town...surprised at the mystery and the `maybe' found with the turn of each page. Pages which, I might add, turned at an alarming rate, try though I did to slow them down.
Mystery and maybe are possibly two words not typically associated with a book about faith - even a work of fiction. But, to me, they are true and honest and at the very crux of the matter. I think we choose faith because of them both, choosing the constancy of it when we realize there is no constant to be found that's birthed from this world. Possibly my favorite thing about this book is how it examines just about every approach to faith there is, through each of the town's colorful residents, and how they relate with one another through those belief systems. I was able to connect with just about every one of them on some level (as I daresay could every reader), seeing true colors drop masks when the landscape began to rapidly shift around them. As is so true in life, it's the mystery and the maybe that bring revelation in the end.
You're going to want to visit Mattingly yourself. And it's possible, when you do, that you'll hear Billy's name and work tossed around comparatively with such company as Stephen King and Frank Peretti. While he's certainly deserving, I think you'll find his work distinctly his own, a fresh Southern story teller with a keen eye for looking at all sides of a thing, and pointing out the special light.
This one is a book you don't want to miss!
Mystery and maybe are possibly two words not typically associated with a book about faith - even a work of fiction. But, to me, they are true and honest and at the very crux of the matter. I think we choose faith because of them both, choosing the constancy of it when we realize there is no constant to be found that's birthed from this world. Possibly my favorite thing about this book is how it examines just about every approach to faith there is, through each of the town's colorful residents, and how they relate with one another through those belief systems. I was able to connect with just about every one of them on some level (as I daresay could every reader), seeing true colors drop masks when the landscape began to rapidly shift around them. As is so true in life, it's the mystery and the maybe that bring revelation in the end.
You're going to want to visit Mattingly yourself. And it's possible, when you do, that you'll hear Billy's name and work tossed around comparatively with such company as Stephen King and Frank Peretti. While he's certainly deserving, I think you'll find his work distinctly his own, a fresh Southern story teller with a keen eye for looking at all sides of a thing, and pointing out the special light.
This one is a book you don't want to miss!
July 12, 2013
Another "Christian" novel that is plot-driven and whose characters have to be a certain way to tell a certain message. Don't bother.
May 14, 2021
OK, so I can be real here with you, right?
lolwhat am I saying, I always am.
So I hate adult fiction.
I mean, like I just hate it. The characters are flat and boring and talk about things like lamps and vegetables (Doctor Who reference FTW!) and honestly just who cares?
It is extremely rare for me to find an adult book that I enjoy. That I read every word of. That I actually become so emotionally invested in that I stay up until 4am crying into the pages because I NEED TO FINISH IT NOW.
That was this book. At first it started kinda slow for me. By the time I got through the first chapter I figured I'd be skimming through until the end. But I didn't. I read every word and I loved it. This book isn't for everyone. You definitely have to be a right-brained individual to get much of the symbolism and imagination that went into this beautiful work of art.
That being said:
Leah and her family move to the small town of Mattingly. Can I just say I LIVE in Mattingly?
I mean, not actually. But my town is Mattingly so much it's kinda scary.
So Leah and her family are here, and the most adorable human beings to ever (not actually) walk the face of the planet come to her birthday party and Barney (the old man human I referred to above) gives her an easel.
About this time the Rainbow Man shows up. Now, there's nothing really special about the Rainbow Man because he's a child's imaginary friend, right? lolsure.
So Leah starts painting because the Rainbow Man tells her too. And her paintings scare the living sense out of anyone who's got a lick of it. The Rainbow Man is warning the people about something huge, and he's using Leah to do it. It all comes down to whether or not you can believe in the unseen.
I'm not going to spoil the book for you, but lots of weird stuff starts happening because of the Rainbow Man. Stuff that wouldn't normally happen. It's got the town all riled up and angry at each other. And the reverend -- don't get me started on him. But literally halfway through the book I just couldn't handle him anymore.
He's actually one of the things I want to address in this review; because he's us. So many people get so worked up in "knowing God" or "seeing His face" that we forget to actually share Him. And that's a problem (obviously). Coffey did an incredible job showing that through his book. And the other person I wanted to address was the head deacon, Brent What's-His-Face. To him, church was a business. It was a job and anything that interfered with that precious tradition needed to be gotten rid of -- even if that was a 9 year old girl and an "imaginary" Rainbow Man.
What bothered me was the way they saw her. SHE WAS NINE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. The way they treated her. How many times did they talk about her soul but never once tried to reach her and tell her about God? How hard did they see her staring at a picture of Jesus and all they could think was "get her out of my precious church."
This book is a massive wake up call. I hope it makes the impact it intended to.
And Coffey, I think the Rainbow Man is proud.
lolwhat am I saying, I always am.
So I hate adult fiction.
I mean, like I just hate it. The characters are flat and boring and talk about things like lamps and vegetables (Doctor Who reference FTW!) and honestly just who cares?
It is extremely rare for me to find an adult book that I enjoy. That I read every word of. That I actually become so emotionally invested in that I stay up until 4am crying into the pages because I NEED TO FINISH IT NOW.
That was this book. At first it started kinda slow for me. By the time I got through the first chapter I figured I'd be skimming through until the end. But I didn't. I read every word and I loved it. This book isn't for everyone. You definitely have to be a right-brained individual to get much of the symbolism and imagination that went into this beautiful work of art.
That being said:
Leah and her family move to the small town of Mattingly. Can I just say I LIVE in Mattingly?
I mean, not actually. But my town is Mattingly so much it's kinda scary.
So Leah and her family are here, and the most adorable human beings to ever (not actually) walk the face of the planet come to her birthday party and Barney (the old man human I referred to above) gives her an easel.
About this time the Rainbow Man shows up. Now, there's nothing really special about the Rainbow Man because he's a child's imaginary friend, right? lolsure.
So Leah starts painting because the Rainbow Man tells her too. And her paintings scare the living sense out of anyone who's got a lick of it. The Rainbow Man is warning the people about something huge, and he's using Leah to do it. It all comes down to whether or not you can believe in the unseen.
I'm not going to spoil the book for you, but lots of weird stuff starts happening because of the Rainbow Man. Stuff that wouldn't normally happen. It's got the town all riled up and angry at each other. And the reverend -- don't get me started on him. But literally halfway through the book I just couldn't handle him anymore.
He's actually one of the things I want to address in this review; because he's us. So many people get so worked up in "knowing God" or "seeing His face" that we forget to actually share Him. And that's a problem (obviously). Coffey did an incredible job showing that through his book. And the other person I wanted to address was the head deacon, Brent What's-His-Face. To him, church was a business. It was a job and anything that interfered with that precious tradition needed to be gotten rid of -- even if that was a 9 year old girl and an "imaginary" Rainbow Man.
What bothered me was the way they saw her. SHE WAS NINE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. The way they treated her. How many times did they talk about her soul but never once tried to reach her and tell her about God? How hard did they see her staring at a picture of Jesus and all they could think was "get her out of my precious church."
This book is a massive wake up call. I hope it makes the impact it intended to.
And Coffey, I think the Rainbow Man is proud.
November 8, 2015
RESEÑA COMPLETA EN ESPAÑOL
Brilliant writing but a bitterwseet ending
This story in itself, is beautiful, but also has an amazing narrative which makes the book becomes a piece of art. The descriptions are poetic, but without boring the reader, besides the characters have quirks that make you love them.
The central message is faith, and although the whole book revolved around this issue, unfortunately the ending was bittersweet; although it's a happy ending, it didn't have enough consistency in the message. It suddenly seemed as if the book had been cut and finished in a hurry; which it is really a shame because the story was captivating.
However, I think Billy Coffey writes brilliantly and that is reflected in his work.
-I recieved a copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion-
October 27, 2013
This book is absolutely excellent! From start to finish it is masterfully written. Billy Coffey spins a tale that is refreshingly unique and charming! The characters are endearing and we all could learn a little something from little Leah. I plan on reading his previous works and can't wait to read what happens next in the charming town of Mattingly!
October 17, 2022
I didn't like the characters. I hated that everyone in town snubbed Barney b/c he fell on hard times. I didn't like the preacher condemned him for buying a lotto ticket. I skipped to the end and didn't even like that.
June 11, 2013
The best part of a great book is when you can take a few moments after the final page has been turned, you close your eyes, sigh, and remember just how great a story that was you just read. One that will live long in your soul like a priceless memory. In fact for as far back as I can recall, almost anything that author Billy Coffey has written has lingered in my mind and touched my heart in profound ways. In his latest novel, When Mockingbirds Sing is definitely not like anything I had ever read from him before. This one gripped me from the first chapter and wouldn't let me go. I quite literally couldn't do anything else until I uncovered the magic that was taking place in the small town of Mattingly, Virginia. Think of it like your personal Mayberry of sorts. The kind of town where everyone knows one another, where often times they can rally together for the good of the community. It's also a place where when things can't be explained that people can assume to worst in others. But all that is about to change when one little girl, Leah Norcross came to town and brought the magic with her.
Leah is the only child of Tom and Ellen Norcross. Your average family from the looks on the outside. Tom is a full-time psychologist in town and has cut back his hours to spend more time with his family. Something he promised them before they moved here. But something in Tom's past won't let him go and he'll have to decide where his true priorities lie when no matter what he tries, he can't seem to heal his own daughter, Leah of her ability to stutter. What's even worse is the divide it has been causing in his own marriage to Ellen. They are more like room mates than husband and wife lately and he is struggling to find a way to create bridge to bring his family back together. Will Leah's magic be enough to heal her family as well?
Leah's only goal in life to to have friends, but she has learned long ago that when you are different like she is, people will often go to great lengths to be mean and stay away from you. So she is more than thrilled when the Rainbow Man appears and offers to work with Leah to help what is ailing this small town. The only problem with the Rainbow Man is that no one can see him but Leah. Leah and the Rainbow Man are about to change the lives of the people living in Mattingly like they had never imagined and all those prayers to God are about to point to what Leah can paint in her remarkable pictures handcrafted just for each one of them. What is really going on with Leah and her paintings? Just what is the Rainbow Man? Is he sent from God or somewhere else?
For that answer to the mystery of the magic in Mattingly, you'll have to pick up a copy of When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey. After picking up a copy of this novel, you'll want to carve out a good portion of time to sit back and watch the real storytelling magic of Billy Coffey's writing transport you as a silent observer into the lives of the people in Mattingly. The interesting note I found when I began my own journey is that the voice in the story reminded me of the narrator from the movie Charlotte's Web (1973), Rex Allen, whose gentle and warm voice lulls you into a magical world that only Billy Coffey can create through his words. This is one not to be missed and will change how you see things in the world today. There is magic alive all around us if we are only willing to look for it.
It's been a true pleasure to review When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and the down to earth author Billy Coffey, himself. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review on this novel and easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars. I've had the distinguished pleasure of adding so many of Billy Coffey's short stories to my personal library through his novels but also through his blog, What I Learned Today. Make sure you grab a comfy spot on the porch swing, make a tall glass of some Southern Sweet Tea and prepare yourself for a truly unforgettable journey into the world of Billy Coffey today! To wrap up this novel in one word would simply be "Awesome Sauce!"
Leah is the only child of Tom and Ellen Norcross. Your average family from the looks on the outside. Tom is a full-time psychologist in town and has cut back his hours to spend more time with his family. Something he promised them before they moved here. But something in Tom's past won't let him go and he'll have to decide where his true priorities lie when no matter what he tries, he can't seem to heal his own daughter, Leah of her ability to stutter. What's even worse is the divide it has been causing in his own marriage to Ellen. They are more like room mates than husband and wife lately and he is struggling to find a way to create bridge to bring his family back together. Will Leah's magic be enough to heal her family as well?
Leah's only goal in life to to have friends, but she has learned long ago that when you are different like she is, people will often go to great lengths to be mean and stay away from you. So she is more than thrilled when the Rainbow Man appears and offers to work with Leah to help what is ailing this small town. The only problem with the Rainbow Man is that no one can see him but Leah. Leah and the Rainbow Man are about to change the lives of the people living in Mattingly like they had never imagined and all those prayers to God are about to point to what Leah can paint in her remarkable pictures handcrafted just for each one of them. What is really going on with Leah and her paintings? Just what is the Rainbow Man? Is he sent from God or somewhere else?
For that answer to the mystery of the magic in Mattingly, you'll have to pick up a copy of When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey. After picking up a copy of this novel, you'll want to carve out a good portion of time to sit back and watch the real storytelling magic of Billy Coffey's writing transport you as a silent observer into the lives of the people in Mattingly. The interesting note I found when I began my own journey is that the voice in the story reminded me of the narrator from the movie Charlotte's Web (1973), Rex Allen, whose gentle and warm voice lulls you into a magical world that only Billy Coffey can create through his words. This is one not to be missed and will change how you see things in the world today. There is magic alive all around us if we are only willing to look for it.
It's been a true pleasure to review When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and the down to earth author Billy Coffey, himself. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review on this novel and easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars. I've had the distinguished pleasure of adding so many of Billy Coffey's short stories to my personal library through his novels but also through his blog, What I Learned Today. Make sure you grab a comfy spot on the porch swing, make a tall glass of some Southern Sweet Tea and prepare yourself for a truly unforgettable journey into the world of Billy Coffey today! To wrap up this novel in one word would simply be "Awesome Sauce!"
July 14, 2023
As I read the first half of this book, I realized I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. It was rather slow and cumbersome, but redeems itself in the end.
I find it sad that we (me included) would turn our minds away from a new idea rather than to believe it might be true. I thought for sure the Rainbow Man was an evil spirit or the devil, but slowly realized that my first snap judgement was wrong.
Sometimes it's hard to know who or what to trust, and sadly most people love to judge first, and then distrust last. Christians are some of the worst offenders, but we've been brought up to believe most things are evil and of the devil. This is fear based faith, and something I don't ascribe to anymore.
The best passage of the book shows Leah stating that none of us can hear God. We pretend to, but to hear Him, we must be as little children in our hearts. Then we can hear His voice. We all think we know the best way, and make our decisions without Him.
Allie is the 30 year old nine year old who befriends Leah. She is smart and good, and everything needed for a best friend for someone going through great turmoil
I loved this book, and feel there is a message for everyone, believers or non-believers.
I find it sad that we (me included) would turn our minds away from a new idea rather than to believe it might be true. I thought for sure the Rainbow Man was an evil spirit or the devil, but slowly realized that my first snap judgement was wrong.
Sometimes it's hard to know who or what to trust, and sadly most people love to judge first, and then distrust last. Christians are some of the worst offenders, but we've been brought up to believe most things are evil and of the devil. This is fear based faith, and something I don't ascribe to anymore.
The best passage of the book shows Leah stating that none of us can hear God. We pretend to, but to hear Him, we must be as little children in our hearts. Then we can hear His voice. We all think we know the best way, and make our decisions without Him.
Allie is the 30 year old nine year old who befriends Leah. She is smart and good, and everything needed for a best friend for someone going through great turmoil
I loved this book, and feel there is a message for everyone, believers or non-believers.
December 22, 2020
Billy Coffey is one of my all-time favorites, and every time I read him, I see more gold among the dross. In this, a pandemic year, I chose to re-read this Town of Mattingly, Virginia series and am so glad that I did. Mattingly is a very small, cloistered town, more than likely much smaller than your own. Alamogordo is more than twice the size, though still very small and insular, yet every character in these novels has a parallel in my community, and likely in yours as well. Most of us have a shade of this and a little of that - occasionally we run into someone who is close to 100% Mayor Wallis or 73% Tom Norcross or 12% Doc March. With any luck at all, we will also be a good percentage of Sheriff Jake and 29 percent Barney Moore and a goodly sifting of The Rainbow Man. The main thing I take away from Coffey is that in all of us we can break even emotionally if we encourage the percentage of Barney to grow.
Purchased in Electronic trilogy 6.15.2020 for re-read.
Reviewed on December 22, 2020, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo, and GooglePlay.
Purchased in Electronic trilogy 6.15.2020 for re-read.
Reviewed on December 22, 2020, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo, and GooglePlay.
August 27, 2020
This story kept me turning the pages until late at night. It's a clean faith infused novel which gave me the chills in parts as the story took some unique plot twists. Think Stephen King or Jaime Jo Wright.
Billy Coffey has a one of a kind literary voice and I'll be looking forward to reading more from him.
Billy Coffey has a one of a kind literary voice and I'll be looking forward to reading more from him.
January 30, 2023
What happens to a small Southern community when their pride and arrogance becomes greater than their faith? When only one small child that is not a believer is the only one that's privy to the mysteries of faith? This book follows that path in the lives of the people in a small town. Will they withstand the storm that is coming, or be swept away by their unbelief, arrogance, and their inability to have faith in the unknown?
July 17, 2024
Fra første kapittel vekket denne interessen med en passe mengde mystikk, magi og hverdag. Følelsen av spenning og mystikk holdt gjennom hele historien! Jeg var veldig spent på slutten - jeg hadde en følelse av at den kunne ødelegge boka, eller gjøre den komplett... jeg er litt usikker på om forfatteren klarte å gjøre slutten så spektakulær som jeg hadde håpet, men det var ikke langt i fra, så jeg kan ikke annet enn å gi den full pott, så mye som jeg har gledet meg til å lese videre....
April 13, 2025
If you liked "A Prayer for Owen Meany" you'll probably enjoy this.
I became a fan of Coffey's writing style, in particular the way he described simple movements people do.
I was, however, left with a few questions that seemed to go unanswered. Perhaps i just missed them.
Still, for me, a thought-provoking book. I can see how some wouldn't be a fan. And that's okay.
I became a fan of Coffey's writing style, in particular the way he described simple movements people do.
I was, however, left with a few questions that seemed to go unanswered. Perhaps i just missed them.
Still, for me, a thought-provoking book. I can see how some wouldn't be a fan. And that's okay.
August 31, 2018
Four and a half stars.
When I come across a work of fiction that someone would place in the Christian genre, and it happens to be well written and keep my attention, I can’t help but recommend it. I’ve read my share of poorly written Christian fiction and that makes me sad. But this book was genuine and mystical and engaging. Read it and tell me what you think...
When I come across a work of fiction that someone would place in the Christian genre, and it happens to be well written and keep my attention, I can’t help but recommend it. I’ve read my share of poorly written Christian fiction and that makes me sad. But this book was genuine and mystical and engaging. Read it and tell me what you think...
April 26, 2023
I enjoyed experiencing Allie and Leah’s friendship and the childlike acceptance they had for each other. The flow of the story left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
September 15, 2016
To read the entirety of my review, please visit Bookshelves and Daydreams.
My Take in 3 Parts
The Theme
A little girl is somehow miraculously chosen to give Mattingly a message. Either from God or from some other being, but a definite message, and the town divides on how that message should be received, or even if it should be received.
What really stood out to me while reading this book is that nothing is as it seems in the small town of Mattingly. No one is as they seem. Almost the entire town goes to church and yet that same set of churchgoers turn their backs on an elderly man with an ailing wife when his success goes down the drain. Who does that? I found When Mockingbirds Sing to be an apt description of a society that pretends everything is fine, that everyone loves each other, when in reality there is a ton of backbiting and hatred going on. In other words, this book speaks the truth about the church, in ways many Christians do not eve want to admit. No, I'm not judging, not being harsh, just being honest about what I've seen during my years as a Christian, both in others and in myself. It's not a pretty picture. And this book really strips away the facade of Christianity to reveal the face beneath. We're not perfect, we're ugly and sinful creatures, and yet there is still salvation. The worst thing we can do, as believers, is put forth a false front of perfection and piety when we know, in our heart of hearts, that we coveted our best friend's new car, that we lusted after a sister's husband, or that we slipped down the street to buy a lotto ticket when our church is deadset against gambling.
I don't like pretending that all is well when I know it darn well isn't. And I'd rather have the truth out in the open than have people tiptoe around it as if the truth is an ugly thing to be ignored instead of released. When we confess truth, we conquer sin. It's as simple as that.
The Characters
On Shifting Sand by Allison Pittman was the last book I read that left me in a conundrum over how I felt about the characters. I usually either love characters or hate them, so this in-between is an unusual place for me. I didn't quite know what to make of Leah. In fact, sometimes I downright disliked her because she had no sense of societal timing over where and when to say something. Allie, Leah's friend, and Mabel, Barney's wife, I liked throughout the entirety of the book. Apart from them, I never liked someone all the time or disliked them all the time. Reggie the pastor, Barney the toymaker, Jake the sheriff, Allie's parents, Leah's parents, all of them had moments of like and dislike. It made them like real people. Because I don't always like the people I like or dislike the people I dislike, if that makes any sense at all. Very few people are bad all of the time or vice versa. So I felt authenticity in Coffey's character design, in their simplicity of emotion, yet complexity of action and mindset. These people felt real to me, and I appreciate that realism.
The Writing
Now, the writing is flawless. Billy Coffey writes his stories with a unique colloquialism that matches the society he's using. I don't usually read books where accents are written into the dialogue, but it works for Coffey's style. Even Leah with her stutter worked, although I think it did make When Mockingbirds Sing a little bit of a slow read for me because her sentences slowed me down. Still, that's a very minute point in an otherwise excellently penned prose.
My Take in 3 Parts
The Theme
A little girl is somehow miraculously chosen to give Mattingly a message. Either from God or from some other being, but a definite message, and the town divides on how that message should be received, or even if it should be received.
What really stood out to me while reading this book is that nothing is as it seems in the small town of Mattingly. No one is as they seem. Almost the entire town goes to church and yet that same set of churchgoers turn their backs on an elderly man with an ailing wife when his success goes down the drain. Who does that? I found When Mockingbirds Sing to be an apt description of a society that pretends everything is fine, that everyone loves each other, when in reality there is a ton of backbiting and hatred going on. In other words, this book speaks the truth about the church, in ways many Christians do not eve want to admit. No, I'm not judging, not being harsh, just being honest about what I've seen during my years as a Christian, both in others and in myself. It's not a pretty picture. And this book really strips away the facade of Christianity to reveal the face beneath. We're not perfect, we're ugly and sinful creatures, and yet there is still salvation. The worst thing we can do, as believers, is put forth a false front of perfection and piety when we know, in our heart of hearts, that we coveted our best friend's new car, that we lusted after a sister's husband, or that we slipped down the street to buy a lotto ticket when our church is deadset against gambling.
I don't like pretending that all is well when I know it darn well isn't. And I'd rather have the truth out in the open than have people tiptoe around it as if the truth is an ugly thing to be ignored instead of released. When we confess truth, we conquer sin. It's as simple as that.
The Characters
On Shifting Sand by Allison Pittman was the last book I read that left me in a conundrum over how I felt about the characters. I usually either love characters or hate them, so this in-between is an unusual place for me. I didn't quite know what to make of Leah. In fact, sometimes I downright disliked her because she had no sense of societal timing over where and when to say something. Allie, Leah's friend, and Mabel, Barney's wife, I liked throughout the entirety of the book. Apart from them, I never liked someone all the time or disliked them all the time. Reggie the pastor, Barney the toymaker, Jake the sheriff, Allie's parents, Leah's parents, all of them had moments of like and dislike. It made them like real people. Because I don't always like the people I like or dislike the people I dislike, if that makes any sense at all. Very few people are bad all of the time or vice versa. So I felt authenticity in Coffey's character design, in their simplicity of emotion, yet complexity of action and mindset. These people felt real to me, and I appreciate that realism.
The Writing
Now, the writing is flawless. Billy Coffey writes his stories with a unique colloquialism that matches the society he's using. I don't usually read books where accents are written into the dialogue, but it works for Coffey's style. Even Leah with her stutter worked, although I think it did make When Mockingbirds Sing a little bit of a slow read for me because her sentences slowed me down. Still, that's a very minute point in an otherwise excellently penned prose.
July 24, 2013
My Thoughts:
When Mockingbirds Sing is the epitome of the book which at its ending leaves you wishing there was one more page to turn and then one more and then . . . well, you get the picture, don't you? I did not want this book to end.
Billy Coffey is a masterful storyteller. His characters come alive, and some jump off the page into your heart. Others you don't care for at all. Scenes evolve before your eyes as if an artist was wielding his paint brushes across the canvas while you're reading. The plot maintains a highly readable pace, holding your interest which is captured immediately upon reading the first page.
Coffey has created a small town with its foibles and quirks and yes, its characters. Into Mattingly, Virginia, he has dropped some city folk from Away. Being from Away tends to make life difficult for those who come from there. Add to that the fact that young Leah Norcross stutters, and life burgeons from difficult to impossible and miserable.
Fortunately, during a birthday celebration, Leah is befriended by Allie Granderson, whom I believe senses Leah needs a friend. Allie is bold and steps right up to fill the job.
Enter Leah's friend, The Rainbow Man. However, only Leah sees him and hears him. But Leah believes in him with all her might. Leah's Rainbow Man concerns her psychologist father, Tom Norcross, who has demons he struggles with from a previous life it seems. And his marriage to Ellen isn't going so smoothly either. A bit more tension added to the story line.
As soon as the Mattingly folks learn of Leah's Rainbow Man and her belief in him plus his ability to help Leah foretell the future, they begin to take sides -- some against Leah because they are afraid, others standing with her because they are enchanted with her abilities. And the town's minister begins to fall apart at the idea a child could hear more clearly than he the voice of God.
If we take a deep look at the people of Mattingly, I believe we see ourselves, whether we believe in a higher power or not. Judgment cast on others because of where they come from happens daily. Choosing to shun another because of an impairment in speech or other challenge isn't all that uncommon, is it? And what about fearing what another might say about their own relationship with a higher power?
Has Billy Coffey imagined Mattingly, or has he described for us any small or large town in America? Has he opened the door for us to take a close look at how we treat our neighbors? Is the author attempting to open our eyes and hearts to something bigger than ourselves?
For the answers to these questions, you'll have to read When Mockingbirds Sing. I promise you will not be disappointed, whether you read it as Southern fiction or Christian fiction. Coffey's transcendent writing style will hold your attention and keep you entertained.
* * *
Favorite Passage:
"He c-comes to us all, Ruh-Reverend. He's always w-with us. You and me aren't duh-different. No one's duh-different. It's just that I nuh-know I'm small and everyone else thinks they're buh-big. That's why no one else c-can see Him. They pruh-pray and sing and say they luh-love Him, but d-deep down they think they know beh-better than He does. They d-do their own things because they thuh-think they're b-big enough. But they're not. No one's big enough."
* * *
I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookSneeze.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.
When Mockingbirds Sing is the epitome of the book which at its ending leaves you wishing there was one more page to turn and then one more and then . . . well, you get the picture, don't you? I did not want this book to end.
Billy Coffey is a masterful storyteller. His characters come alive, and some jump off the page into your heart. Others you don't care for at all. Scenes evolve before your eyes as if an artist was wielding his paint brushes across the canvas while you're reading. The plot maintains a highly readable pace, holding your interest which is captured immediately upon reading the first page.
Coffey has created a small town with its foibles and quirks and yes, its characters. Into Mattingly, Virginia, he has dropped some city folk from Away. Being from Away tends to make life difficult for those who come from there. Add to that the fact that young Leah Norcross stutters, and life burgeons from difficult to impossible and miserable.
Fortunately, during a birthday celebration, Leah is befriended by Allie Granderson, whom I believe senses Leah needs a friend. Allie is bold and steps right up to fill the job.
Enter Leah's friend, The Rainbow Man. However, only Leah sees him and hears him. But Leah believes in him with all her might. Leah's Rainbow Man concerns her psychologist father, Tom Norcross, who has demons he struggles with from a previous life it seems. And his marriage to Ellen isn't going so smoothly either. A bit more tension added to the story line.
As soon as the Mattingly folks learn of Leah's Rainbow Man and her belief in him plus his ability to help Leah foretell the future, they begin to take sides -- some against Leah because they are afraid, others standing with her because they are enchanted with her abilities. And the town's minister begins to fall apart at the idea a child could hear more clearly than he the voice of God.
If we take a deep look at the people of Mattingly, I believe we see ourselves, whether we believe in a higher power or not. Judgment cast on others because of where they come from happens daily. Choosing to shun another because of an impairment in speech or other challenge isn't all that uncommon, is it? And what about fearing what another might say about their own relationship with a higher power?
Has Billy Coffey imagined Mattingly, or has he described for us any small or large town in America? Has he opened the door for us to take a close look at how we treat our neighbors? Is the author attempting to open our eyes and hearts to something bigger than ourselves?
For the answers to these questions, you'll have to read When Mockingbirds Sing. I promise you will not be disappointed, whether you read it as Southern fiction or Christian fiction. Coffey's transcendent writing style will hold your attention and keep you entertained.
* * *
Favorite Passage:
"He c-comes to us all, Ruh-Reverend. He's always w-with us. You and me aren't duh-different. No one's duh-different. It's just that I nuh-know I'm small and everyone else thinks they're buh-big. That's why no one else c-can see Him. They pruh-pray and sing and say they luh-love Him, but d-deep down they think they know beh-better than He does. They d-do their own things because they thuh-think they're b-big enough. But they're not. No one's big enough."
* * *
I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookSneeze.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 14, 2015
Leah Norcross is a rather unlikely hero. Nine years old, painfully shy, usually shunned by other children because of her stammer, and she would rather watch her birthday party from atop the hill, sitting hidden by the two pine trees than come down and have to talk to people. She also has a nervous habit of rubbing one thumbnail with her other thumbnail which makes a hole. Her family has recently moved to Mattingly. Her father, Tom, a psychiatrist, has cut back his practice in the big city to 3 days a week to devote more time to his family in a small town setting. Her mother, Ellen, says "he loves too much" which Leah doesn't really understand but knows it's why her parents aren't getting along well the way they used to. Tom can't leave his practice at the office and he sees God, or rather his patient's belief in God, as the one thing keeping her in an extremely dangerous situation.
The story begins with the birthday party about which Leah's new friend Allie says, "Not even the carnival's this nice." In addition to the whole town being invited, and the temporary amusement park set up by Celebration Time, Barney Moore and his wife Mabel have come with a beautiful wooden easel commissioned by Leah's parents as a special birthday present. The Moores have fallen on tough times. Mabel had a stroke which left her in a wheelchair and her only communication is "I love you" which is more of a response than the doctors ever expected her to have. Their toy store, The Treasure Chest, is dusty and deserted. But Leah loves Mabel and Barney, and is less shy around them. However, she is so lonely that she has found an imaginary friend she calls "Rainbow Man." This is when the magic begins: seven days before the carnival!
Some people attribute the magic to the easel; some feel it's attached to the place. Many people believe in Leah's Rainbow Man; but even more feel it's dangerous, bordering on sinful. Leah paints a picture to thank Barney for the easel and it's like nothing a nine-year-old ever painted before. It's a beautiful, country scene and when Barney looks at it, he sees numbers. He uses them for his lottery ticket and wins the jackpot! The Reverend Goggins is aghast! He is also envious. Why is little Leah receiving revelations when the Reverend, who has sought Him all his life, devoted himself to speaking for the Lord, and now no longer hears the "still small voice"? Before long, half the town wants the Norcross' out of town, and the other half believes the miracles. But Leah's paintings take a darker turn, and even threaten the carnival.
This novel is most unusual. It's almost like a children's fantasy but it contains elements that make it very much an adult book. It tells of faith and lack thereof, fear and certainty, trust and betrayal. It tells of different approaches to God, and the afterlife. Coffey has based his story around his daughter's childhood friend. He says,
It's a story about believing in Higher Things — in things unseen!
The story begins with the birthday party about which Leah's new friend Allie says, "Not even the carnival's this nice." In addition to the whole town being invited, and the temporary amusement park set up by Celebration Time, Barney Moore and his wife Mabel have come with a beautiful wooden easel commissioned by Leah's parents as a special birthday present. The Moores have fallen on tough times. Mabel had a stroke which left her in a wheelchair and her only communication is "I love you" which is more of a response than the doctors ever expected her to have. Their toy store, The Treasure Chest, is dusty and deserted. But Leah loves Mabel and Barney, and is less shy around them. However, she is so lonely that she has found an imaginary friend she calls "Rainbow Man." This is when the magic begins: seven days before the carnival!
Some people attribute the magic to the easel; some feel it's attached to the place. Many people believe in Leah's Rainbow Man; but even more feel it's dangerous, bordering on sinful. Leah paints a picture to thank Barney for the easel and it's like nothing a nine-year-old ever painted before. It's a beautiful, country scene and when Barney looks at it, he sees numbers. He uses them for his lottery ticket and wins the jackpot! The Reverend Goggins is aghast! He is also envious. Why is little Leah receiving revelations when the Reverend, who has sought Him all his life, devoted himself to speaking for the Lord, and now no longer hears the "still small voice"? Before long, half the town wants the Norcross' out of town, and the other half believes the miracles. But Leah's paintings take a darker turn, and even threaten the carnival.
This novel is most unusual. It's almost like a children's fantasy but it contains elements that make it very much an adult book. It tells of faith and lack thereof, fear and certainty, trust and betrayal. It tells of different approaches to God, and the afterlife. Coffey has based his story around his daughter's childhood friend. He says,
She was four when he appeared at the edge of her bed — bright and friendly and sparkling. I would hear the whispers coming from her room late at night. . . They got along famously.
It's a story about believing in Higher Things — in things unseen!
May 31, 2015
What marks the boundary between a miracle from God and the imagination of a child?
Leah is a child from Away, isolated from her peers because of her stutter. But then she begins painting scenes that are epic in scope, brilliant in detail, and suffused with rich, prophetic imagery. When the event foreshadowed in the first painting dramatically comes true, the town of Mattingly takes notice.
Leah attributes her ability to foretell the future to an invisible friend she calls the Rainbow Man. Some of the townsfolk are enchanted with her. Others fear her. But there is one thing they all agree on-there is no such thing as the Rainbow Man.
Her father, the town psychologist, is falling apart over his inability to heal his daughter . . . or fix his marriage. And the town minister is unraveled by the notion that a mere child with no formal training may be hearing from God more clearly than he does.
While the town bickers over what to do with this strange child, the content of Leah's paintings grows darker. Still, Leah insists that the Rainbow Man's heart is pure. But then a dramatic and tragic turn of events leaves the town reeling and places everyone's lives in danger. Now the people of Mattingly face a single choice:
Will they cling to what they know . . . or embrace the things Leah believes in that cannot be seen?
I found When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey very intriguing. Leah's family are not church goers and her father doesn't want to hear anything about God or religion. Her mother has interest in the idea of spiritual things but not necessarily in a God who is in control of the things that happen in life.
Therefore, when Leah begins talking about The Rainbow Man and insisting he is real, she can see him, and he sings to her and tells her what to do, her father is frustrated with the idea. Her mother sees it as a normal part of a child's life, inventing an imaginary friend. But, when Leah starts to paint pictures with incredible detail, both of her parents are baffled. When the event depicted in her first painting comes true, her parents begin to question what is causing this new, surreal ability their daughter seems to have.
Her parents aren't the only ones struggling to figure out what is enabling Leah to paint these pictures. The town minister suspects that instead of hearing from God, Leah may be connected to evil forces instead.
Is Leah good or evil? How could Leah be prophetic when she knows nothing of God?
Read Billy Coffey's When Mockingbirds Sing to find the answers to these questions.
I enjoyed this book. I couldn't wait to get to the end because the story drove a desire within me to know if Leah was evil or good because as I read the plot, I kept flip-flopping in my opinion, so I just wanted to know, so it definitely kept me turning the pages. I also was pleased to find study questions at the end of the book because the story left me with a couple of questions about the author's thoughts in writing the story, and when I read the study questions, I found the answers to the questions I had.
I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys stories that involve the supernatural and give cause to think about the spiritual realm and stories that hold your interest and keep you turning pages.
Leah is a child from Away, isolated from her peers because of her stutter. But then she begins painting scenes that are epic in scope, brilliant in detail, and suffused with rich, prophetic imagery. When the event foreshadowed in the first painting dramatically comes true, the town of Mattingly takes notice.
Leah attributes her ability to foretell the future to an invisible friend she calls the Rainbow Man. Some of the townsfolk are enchanted with her. Others fear her. But there is one thing they all agree on-there is no such thing as the Rainbow Man.
Her father, the town psychologist, is falling apart over his inability to heal his daughter . . . or fix his marriage. And the town minister is unraveled by the notion that a mere child with no formal training may be hearing from God more clearly than he does.
While the town bickers over what to do with this strange child, the content of Leah's paintings grows darker. Still, Leah insists that the Rainbow Man's heart is pure. But then a dramatic and tragic turn of events leaves the town reeling and places everyone's lives in danger. Now the people of Mattingly face a single choice:
Will they cling to what they know . . . or embrace the things Leah believes in that cannot be seen?
I found When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey very intriguing. Leah's family are not church goers and her father doesn't want to hear anything about God or religion. Her mother has interest in the idea of spiritual things but not necessarily in a God who is in control of the things that happen in life.
Therefore, when Leah begins talking about The Rainbow Man and insisting he is real, she can see him, and he sings to her and tells her what to do, her father is frustrated with the idea. Her mother sees it as a normal part of a child's life, inventing an imaginary friend. But, when Leah starts to paint pictures with incredible detail, both of her parents are baffled. When the event depicted in her first painting comes true, her parents begin to question what is causing this new, surreal ability their daughter seems to have.
Her parents aren't the only ones struggling to figure out what is enabling Leah to paint these pictures. The town minister suspects that instead of hearing from God, Leah may be connected to evil forces instead.
Is Leah good or evil? How could Leah be prophetic when she knows nothing of God?
Read Billy Coffey's When Mockingbirds Sing to find the answers to these questions.
I enjoyed this book. I couldn't wait to get to the end because the story drove a desire within me to know if Leah was evil or good because as I read the plot, I kept flip-flopping in my opinion, so I just wanted to know, so it definitely kept me turning the pages. I also was pleased to find study questions at the end of the book because the story left me with a couple of questions about the author's thoughts in writing the story, and when I read the study questions, I found the answers to the questions I had.
I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys stories that involve the supernatural and give cause to think about the spiritual realm and stories that hold your interest and keep you turning pages.
March 29, 2014
A suspenseful work that exposes the norms of small town Christianity. Can you believe in the Maybe?
After an unfortunate incident that almost cost Tom Norcross his therapist license, he moves his family away from the city out to the country life of Mattingly. Soon after their arrival, his daughter Leah begins to have conversations with a supposed imaginary friend she calls The Rainbow Man. After receiving an easel for her birthday from Barney Moore, Leah paints him a picture that she says was sung to her by the Rainbow Man. Her parents have never seen her paint like this before and wonder how it came to be. Barney and his wife Mabel, who never recovered from a stroke, accept the painting and he sees some strange numbers that he uses to fall into a large fortune, which causes quite a stir around town.
The local preacher, Reggie Groggins, is stricken that his flow could be led so wayward by a little girl’s painting. As Leah keeps painting, the town looks to see if this painting is significant as well. Reverend Groggins rouses the head Deacon and the Mayor to find a way to put an end to the painting. After the expected result of the second painting fails, the town turns against the Norcross family. Leah’s paintings begin to turn darker and the town tries to force them out, regardless of Leah’s warning of an impending disaster to the town and its residents. In the end, is the Rainbow Man imaginary or is he something more spiritual?
I began this book with mixed expectations of what it would hold for me. It took a little bit to set up, but then it flew by. Mr. Coffey has brought a story that looks into everyday aspects of Christianity that we face every day. Whether you are the unbelieving father, the struggling preacher, or the grief stricken husband questioning Gods motives. All of the characters came to life in a great way that made me feel like I was in the crowd as events were happening.
The story is a push and pull struggle of several main characters that are all interwoven together. The suspense of the story drew me in relatively quickly and I didn’t want to put it down once I was pulled in. The end of the book was left open for a possible future story that I will be looking forward to reading. This was the first book I have read by Billy Coffey, but it will not be the last.
After an unfortunate incident that almost cost Tom Norcross his therapist license, he moves his family away from the city out to the country life of Mattingly. Soon after their arrival, his daughter Leah begins to have conversations with a supposed imaginary friend she calls The Rainbow Man. After receiving an easel for her birthday from Barney Moore, Leah paints him a picture that she says was sung to her by the Rainbow Man. Her parents have never seen her paint like this before and wonder how it came to be. Barney and his wife Mabel, who never recovered from a stroke, accept the painting and he sees some strange numbers that he uses to fall into a large fortune, which causes quite a stir around town.
The local preacher, Reggie Groggins, is stricken that his flow could be led so wayward by a little girl’s painting. As Leah keeps painting, the town looks to see if this painting is significant as well. Reverend Groggins rouses the head Deacon and the Mayor to find a way to put an end to the painting. After the expected result of the second painting fails, the town turns against the Norcross family. Leah’s paintings begin to turn darker and the town tries to force them out, regardless of Leah’s warning of an impending disaster to the town and its residents. In the end, is the Rainbow Man imaginary or is he something more spiritual?
I began this book with mixed expectations of what it would hold for me. It took a little bit to set up, but then it flew by. Mr. Coffey has brought a story that looks into everyday aspects of Christianity that we face every day. Whether you are the unbelieving father, the struggling preacher, or the grief stricken husband questioning Gods motives. All of the characters came to life in a great way that made me feel like I was in the crowd as events were happening.
The story is a push and pull struggle of several main characters that are all interwoven together. The suspense of the story drew me in relatively quickly and I didn’t want to put it down once I was pulled in. The end of the book was left open for a possible future story that I will be looking forward to reading. This was the first book I have read by Billy Coffey, but it will not be the last.
August 10, 2013
Having never read a book by Billy Coffey, and considering the contents of most of the other books to cross my desk at work, I was more than a little skeptical when I opened the cover to his latest offering, "When Mockingbirds Sing."
Even given the back cover synopsis, I confess I have no idea what I thought I was going to encounter when I started reading. Let's get some things out of the way first. The book comes from Christian publisher Thomas Nelson, part of Harper Collins and Zondervan. For some reason which I cannot grasp, such groups occasionally like to put reading group guides at the backs of their books. This ought to be ignored at all costs, as pretending it doesn't exist will allow for maximum enjoyment.
And this is a book deserving of enjoyment. Not roller coaster enjoyment, or even walk-in-the-park enjoyment, but a savoring. Each page should be taken in, soaked up, and processed.
The Norcross family has moved to the town of Mattingly from their city home, in order to escape past hurts and heal their small family. As the family strives for acceptance, their shy daughter Leah, makes two new friends -- one of whom nobody else can see. This invisible friend, The Rainbow Man, has bestowed on her an amazing gift -- one that will rally the town around her and, eventually, turn it against her. Helping her through the ups and downs is Allie, who is faithful, loyal, and most importantly, believes in Leah's Rainbow Man.
Coffey writes engaging characters you'll like enough to be disappointed in when they fail. And they will fail. Coffey's characters are real people -- people you know -- and they each harbor a darkness the reader will find at once shocking and familiar. The town of Mattingly, a character in its own right, is as inviting on one hand as it is cold and distant on the other. You feel for the Norcross family as they attempt to fit in, even as they begin to realize it will never happen in the way they hope.
When Mockingbirds Sing is part coming-of-age, part Southern Gothic, exploring faith and doubt, community and alienation, friendship and deep hurt.
Even given the back cover synopsis, I confess I have no idea what I thought I was going to encounter when I started reading. Let's get some things out of the way first. The book comes from Christian publisher Thomas Nelson, part of Harper Collins and Zondervan. For some reason which I cannot grasp, such groups occasionally like to put reading group guides at the backs of their books. This ought to be ignored at all costs, as pretending it doesn't exist will allow for maximum enjoyment.
And this is a book deserving of enjoyment. Not roller coaster enjoyment, or even walk-in-the-park enjoyment, but a savoring. Each page should be taken in, soaked up, and processed.
The Norcross family has moved to the town of Mattingly from their city home, in order to escape past hurts and heal their small family. As the family strives for acceptance, their shy daughter Leah, makes two new friends -- one of whom nobody else can see. This invisible friend, The Rainbow Man, has bestowed on her an amazing gift -- one that will rally the town around her and, eventually, turn it against her. Helping her through the ups and downs is Allie, who is faithful, loyal, and most importantly, believes in Leah's Rainbow Man.
Coffey writes engaging characters you'll like enough to be disappointed in when they fail. And they will fail. Coffey's characters are real people -- people you know -- and they each harbor a darkness the reader will find at once shocking and familiar. The town of Mattingly, a character in its own right, is as inviting on one hand as it is cold and distant on the other. You feel for the Norcross family as they attempt to fit in, even as they begin to realize it will never happen in the way they hope.
When Mockingbirds Sing is part coming-of-age, part Southern Gothic, exploring faith and doubt, community and alienation, friendship and deep hurt.
June 11, 2013
Some people are given a gift for storytelling, and Billy Coffey is one of those people. I discovered Billy's writing first through his blog. When Mockingbirds Sing is the first of his fiction works that I've read. It is a keeper!
I won't give a story summary - others have done that already, and have done it well. I will say that I fell in love with the characters, especially Leah and Allie. What I wouldn't give for the chance to spend the afternoon with little Allie! The way she views the world and expresses herself reminded me so much of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. (And since TKAM is one of my favorite books ever, that is high praise!)
I will say that if you've ever been from "Away" and tried to fit into a new place, if you've ever tried to live into the "Maybe" of life and faith, if you've ever struggled with doubt, if you've ever wondered who God might be able to use and how, then this book is for you. The characters are real and lovable, the town of Mattingly is strangely familiar to anyone who has lived in a small town (especially in the South), and the story - refusing to take easy roads or to tie up endings in neat bows - rings true.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I am not compensated for any of my reviews. In light of all of that, I still say - read it! You will love it!
I won't give a story summary - others have done that already, and have done it well. I will say that I fell in love with the characters, especially Leah and Allie. What I wouldn't give for the chance to spend the afternoon with little Allie! The way she views the world and expresses herself reminded me so much of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. (And since TKAM is one of my favorite books ever, that is high praise!)
I will say that if you've ever been from "Away" and tried to fit into a new place, if you've ever tried to live into the "Maybe" of life and faith, if you've ever struggled with doubt, if you've ever wondered who God might be able to use and how, then this book is for you. The characters are real and lovable, the town of Mattingly is strangely familiar to anyone who has lived in a small town (especially in the South), and the story - refusing to take easy roads or to tie up endings in neat bows - rings true.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I am not compensated for any of my reviews. In light of all of that, I still say - read it! You will love it!
September 22, 2013
I'm usually not a fan of Christian fiction, but I have to say that this one will take your breath away. I received it as an ARC and when it arrived is when I noticed the genre it belonged in. I took a chance and I'm very glad I did. Billy Coffey is what I would call a magical author. There is something about his writing that makes you want to open up your mind that the world has endless possibilities. He makes you want to believe that certain events in our life happen for a reason. I believed that to begin with, but it seems more reinforced coming from the words of this author. Does that make sense? I'm not sure if I am making sense. His writing makes you hang on to every word he writes.
In this book Leah and her family are new to the town of Mattingly. Mattingly is a very small close knit town in the south that take care of their own and eye "away people" with suspicion and caution. Leah receives an beautiful wooden easel as a birthday present from one of the towns oldest resident, Barney. Leah starts to paint on this easel and her painting begin to foretell events that are coming towards the people and the town. She claims that The Rainbow Man is telling her what to paint. Some of the town folks look at Leah and believe, while others look at her as some sort of devil who needs to get up and leave town. I don't want to give to much away but I just have to say that those who had lost their faith find it in the end.
In this book Leah and her family are new to the town of Mattingly. Mattingly is a very small close knit town in the south that take care of their own and eye "away people" with suspicion and caution. Leah receives an beautiful wooden easel as a birthday present from one of the towns oldest resident, Barney. Leah starts to paint on this easel and her painting begin to foretell events that are coming towards the people and the town. She claims that The Rainbow Man is telling her what to paint. Some of the town folks look at Leah and believe, while others look at her as some sort of devil who needs to get up and leave town. I don't want to give to much away but I just have to say that those who had lost their faith find it in the end.
August 30, 2016
3.5 stars
Full review on my blog
I think that I should have listened to someone reading this book, rather than reading it myself. It’s one of those questionable plots that have you confused, yet, unable to stop reading. I think that it would have been much more suspenseful that way, and I probably would have rated it higher than 3.5 stars. Still, I did enjoy it to a certain extent.
This book tells the story of a little girl, Leah, and her imaginary(?) friend. Her mysterious premonitions about things in the small town of Mattingly cause quite a stir. There are some who believe her to be a prophet of some sort, and then there are the naysayers. Her predictions of lottery numbers (or were they lottery numbers?) and then a terrible storm, prove to be the start of a myriad of events in Mattingly. Her parents, Tom and Ellen, don’t know what to think of their daughter’s sudden gift. Her dad writes it off as nothing but soon can’t deny that something is going on.
Leah is just an adorable, yet strange, little girl. I think that her stutter is just too cute. That little trait already causes her to feel displaced among kids her age, but since her sudden intuitions have come to fruition, she feels like even more of an outcast.
Full review on my blog
I think that I should have listened to someone reading this book, rather than reading it myself. It’s one of those questionable plots that have you confused, yet, unable to stop reading. I think that it would have been much more suspenseful that way, and I probably would have rated it higher than 3.5 stars. Still, I did enjoy it to a certain extent.
This book tells the story of a little girl, Leah, and her imaginary(?) friend. Her mysterious premonitions about things in the small town of Mattingly cause quite a stir. There are some who believe her to be a prophet of some sort, and then there are the naysayers. Her predictions of lottery numbers (or were they lottery numbers?) and then a terrible storm, prove to be the start of a myriad of events in Mattingly. Her parents, Tom and Ellen, don’t know what to think of their daughter’s sudden gift. Her dad writes it off as nothing but soon can’t deny that something is going on.
Leah is just an adorable, yet strange, little girl. I think that her stutter is just too cute. That little trait already causes her to feel displaced among kids her age, but since her sudden intuitions have come to fruition, she feels like even more of an outcast.
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