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A Song for Issy Bradley
Sometimes however much you love someone, you can't understand them.
Ian used to think that his life had been disappointingly easy, compared to the pioneers. He had a happy marriage, four children, a satisfactory job and, for just over a year, he has served the church in his role as Bishop of the local congregation, an enormous responsibility.
And then Issy died.
Now his wife, Claire, won't get out of their dead daughter's bottom bunk and she won't speak. Claire doesn't want a blessing or a sympathy card and she's got nothing to say to the Lord. She just wants to be left alone to be sad.
Ian doesn't know what to do to make things better. Zippy and Alma are trying to combine living with grieving and being Mormons with being teenagers. Only seven-year-old Jacob has a plan. He knows that his faith is bigger than a mustard seed; it's at least as big as a toffee bonbon, maybe bigger. It's clear that if he wants Issy back, it's up to him to perform a resurrection miracle.
Incredibly moving, unexpectedly funny and so sharply observed it will make you feel as if you could pick the woodchip off the bedroom wall, A Song for Issy Bradley is about doubt and faith. But most of all it's about a family trying to work out how to carry on when their world has been blown apart.
Ian used to think that his life had been disappointingly easy, compared to the pioneers. He had a happy marriage, four children, a satisfactory job and, for just over a year, he has served the church in his role as Bishop of the local congregation, an enormous responsibility.
And then Issy died.
Now his wife, Claire, won't get out of their dead daughter's bottom bunk and she won't speak. Claire doesn't want a blessing or a sympathy card and she's got nothing to say to the Lord. She just wants to be left alone to be sad.
Ian doesn't know what to do to make things better. Zippy and Alma are trying to combine living with grieving and being Mormons with being teenagers. Only seven-year-old Jacob has a plan. He knows that his faith is bigger than a mustard seed; it's at least as big as a toffee bonbon, maybe bigger. It's clear that if he wants Issy back, it's up to him to perform a resurrection miracle.
Incredibly moving, unexpectedly funny and so sharply observed it will make you feel as if you could pick the woodchip off the bedroom wall, A Song for Issy Bradley is about doubt and faith. But most of all it's about a family trying to work out how to carry on when their world has been blown apart.
404 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 566 reviews
September 3, 2014
2.5 Stars
A stroy about a mormon family and their struggles with life and faith. We read about a broken family hoping for miracles so they can carry on when their world falls apart.
I think perhaps my expectations were too high when I began reading this novel. And while I didn't dislike it, it just didn't float my boat either.
I enjoy reading about different religions and am always interested to learn something new. However I didn't connect with any of the characters in this novel. Half ways through the book I found that I couldnt name the characters before I opened the book one evening or put faces to them and for me this was a real problem and therefore this the main reason I didn't love the story.
I wasn't emotionally invested in the story as others readers seem to have been and I really didn't find it a page turner.
I did however enjoy reading details and facts about the Mormon faith.
This will probably make a wonderful movie but as a novel its not one for my favorite shelf.
A stroy about a mormon family and their struggles with life and faith. We read about a broken family hoping for miracles so they can carry on when their world falls apart.
I think perhaps my expectations were too high when I began reading this novel. And while I didn't dislike it, it just didn't float my boat either.
I enjoy reading about different religions and am always interested to learn something new. However I didn't connect with any of the characters in this novel. Half ways through the book I found that I couldnt name the characters before I opened the book one evening or put faces to them and for me this was a real problem and therefore this the main reason I didn't love the story.
I wasn't emotionally invested in the story as others readers seem to have been and I really didn't find it a page turner.
I did however enjoy reading details and facts about the Mormon faith.
This will probably make a wonderful movie but as a novel its not one for my favorite shelf.
August 17, 2014
I know so very little about the Mormon faith, so that was my motivation for reading this book.
What I found inside was a wonderful surprise. A family sorely tested after a tragedy, a family that was so invested in their faith and now found themselves struggling to align their faith with what had happened.
The story is told in alternating chapters by the five family members, Clare, the mother, Ian the father and Bishop of their church, Zippy a young girl struggling to find her place, Alma, a young boy who only wishes to play football, and little Jacob, whose staunch belief in the church's teaching leads to some very humorous yet poignant moments. Jacob, quickly won my heart as did all the children. The author has such empathy for her characters and this shines through in the telling of each of their stories.
It would be easy to cast Ian as the villain because his actions sent mixed messages to the children. He was so invested in his faith he often reacted in ways I found strange and very unsympathetic. I think he did try to the best of his ability because really that was all he could do. Clare was not raised in the church, she converted for Ian upon their marriage. This was an emotional and raw telling of the face of profound grief. How it is different for everyone, that there is no time limit and no wrong or right way to grieve. A family in crisis just doing the best they can. A wonderful mixing of the tenants of a faith and the doubts that can prevail.
A beautifully written book with many unfolding layers. A book thaw may not be for everyone especially those who are grieving themselves. Yet, this book had a huge impact on me, one I will not soon forget.
ARC from librarything.
What I found inside was a wonderful surprise. A family sorely tested after a tragedy, a family that was so invested in their faith and now found themselves struggling to align their faith with what had happened.
The story is told in alternating chapters by the five family members, Clare, the mother, Ian the father and Bishop of their church, Zippy a young girl struggling to find her place, Alma, a young boy who only wishes to play football, and little Jacob, whose staunch belief in the church's teaching leads to some very humorous yet poignant moments. Jacob, quickly won my heart as did all the children. The author has such empathy for her characters and this shines through in the telling of each of their stories.
It would be easy to cast Ian as the villain because his actions sent mixed messages to the children. He was so invested in his faith he often reacted in ways I found strange and very unsympathetic. I think he did try to the best of his ability because really that was all he could do. Clare was not raised in the church, she converted for Ian upon their marriage. This was an emotional and raw telling of the face of profound grief. How it is different for everyone, that there is no time limit and no wrong or right way to grieve. A family in crisis just doing the best they can. A wonderful mixing of the tenants of a faith and the doubts that can prevail.
A beautifully written book with many unfolding layers. A book thaw may not be for everyone especially those who are grieving themselves. Yet, this book had a huge impact on me, one I will not soon forget.
ARC from librarything.
February 8, 2017
(4.5) Where I grew up, in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., any trip on the Beltway had us pass the Mormon Temple in Kensington. This giant structure, gleaming white and gold and topped by an eighteen-foot statue of the angel Moroni, is visible for miles around. I remember being intrigued by it, wondering how it differed from our own Protestant church and what might happen there.
Carys Bray can offer a genuine insider’s view: she was raised a devout Mormon but left the faith in her early thirties when, a wife and mother of four, she realized she could not rationalize their beliefs to her children. There is certainly an autobiographical element to her debut, in which the death of a daughter casts a pious Mormon family into the depths of grief and doubt; Bray’s second child, Libby, died at a few days old of an undiagnosed genetic condition.
The novel shifts masterfully between the close third-person perspectives of each member of the family. Seven-year-old Jacob’s viewpoint is pricelessly simple: He “knows that his faith is bigger than a mustard seed; it’s as least as big as a toffee bonbon, maybe bigger.”
This is a touching and necessary story about the difference faith can and cannot make – positing the little resurrections to be found in the midst of despair.
(Full review in February 2015 issue of Third Way magazine.)
Carys Bray can offer a genuine insider’s view: she was raised a devout Mormon but left the faith in her early thirties when, a wife and mother of four, she realized she could not rationalize their beliefs to her children. There is certainly an autobiographical element to her debut, in which the death of a daughter casts a pious Mormon family into the depths of grief and doubt; Bray’s second child, Libby, died at a few days old of an undiagnosed genetic condition.
The novel shifts masterfully between the close third-person perspectives of each member of the family. Seven-year-old Jacob’s viewpoint is pricelessly simple: He “knows that his faith is bigger than a mustard seed; it’s as least as big as a toffee bonbon, maybe bigger.”
This is a touching and necessary story about the difference faith can and cannot make – positing the little resurrections to be found in the midst of despair.
(Full review in February 2015 issue of Third Way magazine.)
September 29, 2021
Having spoken with a Goodreads friend who is a member of the Mormon church (see comments below) I am assured that these practices aren't the norm and hopefully don't go on in any Mormon churches now. The author was from a Mormon community and left, I hope things have changed now and it certainly doesn't sound representative of what the member commenting below has experienced.
I'm glad I came to this book knowing nothing about the plot. The main event came as a big shock to me. I enjoyed the family dynamics, the look into the Mormon faith with it's upsides and it's massive downsides. If this is an accurate description of Mormon life it's very oppressive of females. I was in disbelief at the part that explains how young brides were taken into the temple
I loved so much about these characters, and despite the good parts to their beliefs you can see how unhealthy this closed sort of community is, it's hard to speak out. I appreciated the mum in this story and her efforts to go against the brainwashing experience and say no, and you don't have to.
The book did a good job of getting across the fact that for all the good advantages the members of this community had there were so many awful downsides particularly for the female members but also men. The author left the community, I really hope that things have changed now.
I'm glad I came to this book knowing nothing about the plot. The main event came as a big shock to me. I enjoyed the family dynamics, the look into the Mormon faith with it's upsides and it's massive downsides. If this is an accurate description of Mormon life it's very oppressive of females. I was in disbelief at the part that explains how young brides were taken into the temple
I loved so much about these characters, and despite the good parts to their beliefs you can see how unhealthy this closed sort of community is, it's hard to speak out. I appreciated the mum in this story and her efforts to go against the brainwashing experience and say no, and you don't have to.
The book did a good job of getting across the fact that for all the good advantages the members of this community had there were so many awful downsides particularly for the female members but also men. The author left the community, I really hope that things have changed now.
January 7, 2015
If you have read anything about this novel, you know that it’s about a grieving family. If you don’t want to know at this point what tragedy caused this grief, you may want to stop reading this now. I find that it’s just not possible for me to write a review about how I feel about this story and not talk about what happens to Issy Bradley and her family.
***************************************************************************************************
SPOILER ALERT
Four year old Issy Bradley dies of meningitis and her family is devastated.
“The house is full of sadness. It's packed on every crevice and corner like snow. There are bottomless drifts if it beside Issy's beanbag in the lounge. The sadness gives Jacob the shivers and he takes refuge in the garden."
The Bradley's are a Mormon family in England, and their religious rituals, faith in God and their questioning of their faith are central elements in the story. But it is ultimately about a family who love each other.
For Ian Bradley, his faith and the church help him cope. He is just so accepting of Issy's death because he believes it’s about the resurrection and that everything will be okay. He is concerned about being removed as bishop so he covers up about what his wife is going through and he is less than truthful to church members. There were times that I just didn’t like the man. He can’t or doesn’t want to see what is happening to his family, especially his wife and throughout the book he puts the church and its members before his family. However, I have to admit there were times, when you could see his genuine grief.
It is heartbreaking to see what Issy’s mom, Claire is going through. The depth of grief that a mother has at the loss of her child is so clearly depicted at the funeral home when she wants to take Issy’s body home for the weekend. The funeral wasn't until Monday and she doesn't want Issy to be alone. This touched a real place for me. Many years ago my brother passed away and while he was 22, not a 4 year old child, he was my mother's child. I remember vividly that even though my parents had a cemetery plot , they decided to bury my brother with my grandparents because my mother couldn't bear the thought that Sammy would be alone . The grief of this mother is as real as it gets. I had to catch my breath when I read that because I heard my mother saying it. After the funeral, Claire just wants to stay in bed -Issy's bed and she sinks into the depths of depression.
The impact on the children is heartbreaking. Sixteen year old Zippy and fourteen year old Al are typical teenagers in so many ways with the typical angst over boys and sports. But they too are grieving and the loss of Issy impacts everything for them. Jacob is seven years old and if this little boy doesn’t steal your heart, no one can. I think Jacob suffers the most next to his mom and the depth of his loss and just how much he misses his sister are evident in some poignant moments. He reads Jack and the Beanstalk and he knows it’s not a miracle, but a fairy tale. “He wishes he could plant the magic beans at the bottom of the garden, behind the hedge, and watch an enormous stalk twist and stretch skyward. And even though dad says heaven is not actually in the sky, he wishes he could climb the stalk right up into the clouds and find Issy.” Jacob believes in miracles. He prayed a blessing over Issy’s dead goldfish “...bless this sick and afflicted fish to be resurrected." And it was ( or at least that's what Jacob thinks) and so his he prays over Issy's grave for her to come back.
This is a moving, heartfelt story that will break your heart, but will ultimately give you the hope that healing is possible with the love that a family shares.
***************************************************************************************************
SPOILER ALERT
Four year old Issy Bradley dies of meningitis and her family is devastated.
“The house is full of sadness. It's packed on every crevice and corner like snow. There are bottomless drifts if it beside Issy's beanbag in the lounge. The sadness gives Jacob the shivers and he takes refuge in the garden."
The Bradley's are a Mormon family in England, and their religious rituals, faith in God and their questioning of their faith are central elements in the story. But it is ultimately about a family who love each other.
For Ian Bradley, his faith and the church help him cope. He is just so accepting of Issy's death because he believes it’s about the resurrection and that everything will be okay. He is concerned about being removed as bishop so he covers up about what his wife is going through and he is less than truthful to church members. There were times that I just didn’t like the man. He can’t or doesn’t want to see what is happening to his family, especially his wife and throughout the book he puts the church and its members before his family. However, I have to admit there were times, when you could see his genuine grief.
It is heartbreaking to see what Issy’s mom, Claire is going through. The depth of grief that a mother has at the loss of her child is so clearly depicted at the funeral home when she wants to take Issy’s body home for the weekend. The funeral wasn't until Monday and she doesn't want Issy to be alone. This touched a real place for me. Many years ago my brother passed away and while he was 22, not a 4 year old child, he was my mother's child. I remember vividly that even though my parents had a cemetery plot , they decided to bury my brother with my grandparents because my mother couldn't bear the thought that Sammy would be alone . The grief of this mother is as real as it gets. I had to catch my breath when I read that because I heard my mother saying it. After the funeral, Claire just wants to stay in bed -Issy's bed and she sinks into the depths of depression.
The impact on the children is heartbreaking. Sixteen year old Zippy and fourteen year old Al are typical teenagers in so many ways with the typical angst over boys and sports. But they too are grieving and the loss of Issy impacts everything for them. Jacob is seven years old and if this little boy doesn’t steal your heart, no one can. I think Jacob suffers the most next to his mom and the depth of his loss and just how much he misses his sister are evident in some poignant moments. He reads Jack and the Beanstalk and he knows it’s not a miracle, but a fairy tale. “He wishes he could plant the magic beans at the bottom of the garden, behind the hedge, and watch an enormous stalk twist and stretch skyward. And even though dad says heaven is not actually in the sky, he wishes he could climb the stalk right up into the clouds and find Issy.” Jacob believes in miracles. He prayed a blessing over Issy’s dead goldfish “...bless this sick and afflicted fish to be resurrected." And it was ( or at least that's what Jacob thinks) and so his he prays over Issy's grave for her to come back.
This is a moving, heartfelt story that will break your heart, but will ultimately give you the hope that healing is possible with the love that a family shares.
May 17, 2018
Grief, like love, is often a rainbow. We cope with loss and grief in our own ways. We struggle, reject, accept, rave, and rant against the ache of loss. ‘A Song For Issy Bradley’ is a beautiful, moving elegy on grief. When the devout Bradley family lose their youngest, Issy, to a sudden and unexpected illness, grief steals a march on each of the members in its own insidious ways.
The mother, Claire, shuts down and retreats from the outside world. Jacob, the little boy who follows Issy in terms of age, is the most heart-rending, thinking of ways to resurrect Issy. He broke my heart, did this boy - a child after my own heart with all the thoughts he had in his little head. Ian, the husband, turns more to faith than ever before. Alma, the oldest, struggles with missing Issy and finding ways to rebel from the Mormon strictures. Zippy is in love and finds the temptations of that all too sinful. Together, they all form a beautiful family. Not the picture-perfect family that others post on Facebook or Instagram. No. This is the real family with the aching vulnerabilities, the pain, the agony of trying to understand loss, and fitting together pieces when you are not whole. This is a story that reminded me at some level of Patrick Ness’s ‘A Monster Calls.’ My poor poor Jacob.
The mother, Claire, shuts down and retreats from the outside world. Jacob, the little boy who follows Issy in terms of age, is the most heart-rending, thinking of ways to resurrect Issy. He broke my heart, did this boy - a child after my own heart with all the thoughts he had in his little head. Ian, the husband, turns more to faith than ever before. Alma, the oldest, struggles with missing Issy and finding ways to rebel from the Mormon strictures. Zippy is in love and finds the temptations of that all too sinful. Together, they all form a beautiful family. Not the picture-perfect family that others post on Facebook or Instagram. No. This is the real family with the aching vulnerabilities, the pain, the agony of trying to understand loss, and fitting together pieces when you are not whole. This is a story that reminded me at some level of Patrick Ness’s ‘A Monster Calls.’ My poor poor Jacob.
April 30, 2017
I could feel pieces of my heart crumbling off while I read this. A story about reanalyzing faith after a tragedy, and about how family members often live in vastly different worlds even as they sit at the same dinner table every night. I loved being in the heads of all the Bradleys (especially the youngest son, Jacob), and I'll miss spending time with them. A beautiful book.
May 14, 2014
I cried on the train. People saw. I don't care. This book is beautiful.
November 29, 2014
I received a free advanced reader's copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. Just as I was beginning to think I'd never be a randomly selected winner of anything... it's a miracle!
As a quick caveat, my reflections are certainly influenced by the fact that I'm a Mormon reading about Mormons. I started the novel with every intention of appraising it based on its literary merit rather than whether or not its depiction of Mormonism resonates with my own experience. However, I quickly found it difficult to ignore how caricatured so many characters in the text are. It's probably true that many LDS congregations have their own ultra-conservative, wish-they-could-be-pioneers, braid-their-hair-like-pioneers Primary instructors or old men who swear they've seen the Three Nephites and only use their computers for genealogical research. But I found it hard to just shrug off the fact that the entire congregation is made out to be scripture-quoting Stepford wives who can't have a single conversation without throwing in at least three Mormon aphorisms. While it is fully within Bray's right to critique the community she grew up in, I would have trusted her more and I genuinely think the novel would have been better if she had chosen to be a bit more generous in fleshing out her Mormon characters, particularly the non-Bradley ones.
Likewise, while many of Bray's reservations about Church culture are understandable (and even shared by me), some of the episodes were too hyperbolic to have the impact they could have. For example, a running theme was that many Mormons (and perhaps Christians at large) minimize the pain of loss in light of the hope offered by eternal life. This, of course, ends up being problematic when responding to someone in the throes of bereavement who is likely not ready to "be of good cheer" just yet. I think this is an incredibly important topic to grapple with, and there are many moments when Bray does so brilliantly. But that was occasionally undercut by a cheap jab at pious Mormons, such as when not one but two members of the congregation claim to have been visited by Issy's spirit in the temple. I really wanted to like what Bray was building—about the importance of compassion and of being thoughtful in responding to our imperative to mourn with those that mourn—but I felt oddly betrayed by her on several occasions when Mormons were reduced to paper dolls.
As a final note about all that, one of the things I sensed most keenly throughout was that the church in the novel looked a lot more like Mormonism of the '80s or '90s (or at least Mormon pamphlets and videos of that era). Or maybe by that I mean, what Mormonism seemed like when I was a kid. Since becoming an adult and witnessing some pretty significant changes in the church, I feel that the religion is a lot more dynamic, and so is my participation in it. Even if you think religion is nothing but rubbish, it's short-sighted to miss that its practitioners can still lead robust lives.
This is where we come to the Bradleys. Where Bray excels is in depicting their varied grief in response to the loss of their daughter and sister, Issy. This year I have encountered some really great writing about grief—Mary Oliver's Thirst, Julian Barnes's Levels of Life—and I think Bray deserves to join the ranks of those who have offered a compelling portrait of what it's like to lose a loved one. Her exploration was made all the more fascinating and heartbreaking by including the seemingly competing dynamic of trying to exhibit faith in the midst of deep and overwhelming sadness. I remember one scene where the mother, Claire, becomes frustrated to realize that none of the cards she has received from her Mormon friends simply says "I'm so sorry"—all of them jump immediately into the work of comforting by reassuring: "Good thing you know you'll be reunited with her," "She is in a better place," etc. Unfortunately, this is the coping mechanism used by her husband, Ian, as well. While his character was initially infuriating to me, he was slowly revealed to be someone who was just trying to do the best he could with the resources he had. I think Ian was ultimately redeemed as someone who loves his family more than his clerical responsibilities, although I take issue with something he did near the end of the novel, which was never properly resolved or even so much as discussed. (Speaking of which, content warning pp. 272-275.)
Something I enjoyed throughout were the bursts of clarity in describing small moments that are beautifully human. One line that stood out to me when finishing the novel this morning: "Jacob stands on the step in the deep dark. He turns round to face the road and the park. The dark is cool and velvety; it collects between the street lights, right at the tips of the trees where Issy might be floating about, waiting until it's precisely the right time and the right day to come back" (282). I also really love how the novel ended. I was wondering exactly how the novel could end without just dropping off. I felt a genuine flush of pleasure as I saw the situations and characters coalesce in the final chapter. It offered a glimpse of redemption that wasn't cheap or hasty. Hats off to Bray for that.
Depiction of grief: 5, brilliant. Depiction of Mormonism: 2, lots of details but too stilted and caricatured. I liked the book a fair bit, but it's hard to know who to recommend it to. I do think Bray offers a lot of honest questions worth wrestling if you are in a place to do so. Those who are already grieving or struggling with faith may want to hold off on the novel. I'd be intensely curious to hear some of my Mormon friends' responses to this; maybe that would take some of the pressure off me to balance my religious devotion with my genuine sympathy for the problems Bray presents.
As a quick caveat, my reflections are certainly influenced by the fact that I'm a Mormon reading about Mormons. I started the novel with every intention of appraising it based on its literary merit rather than whether or not its depiction of Mormonism resonates with my own experience. However, I quickly found it difficult to ignore how caricatured so many characters in the text are. It's probably true that many LDS congregations have their own ultra-conservative, wish-they-could-be-pioneers, braid-their-hair-like-pioneers Primary instructors or old men who swear they've seen the Three Nephites and only use their computers for genealogical research. But I found it hard to just shrug off the fact that the entire congregation is made out to be scripture-quoting Stepford wives who can't have a single conversation without throwing in at least three Mormon aphorisms. While it is fully within Bray's right to critique the community she grew up in, I would have trusted her more and I genuinely think the novel would have been better if she had chosen to be a bit more generous in fleshing out her Mormon characters, particularly the non-Bradley ones.
Likewise, while many of Bray's reservations about Church culture are understandable (and even shared by me), some of the episodes were too hyperbolic to have the impact they could have. For example, a running theme was that many Mormons (and perhaps Christians at large) minimize the pain of loss in light of the hope offered by eternal life. This, of course, ends up being problematic when responding to someone in the throes of bereavement who is likely not ready to "be of good cheer" just yet. I think this is an incredibly important topic to grapple with, and there are many moments when Bray does so brilliantly. But that was occasionally undercut by a cheap jab at pious Mormons, such as when not one but two members of the congregation claim to have been visited by Issy's spirit in the temple. I really wanted to like what Bray was building—about the importance of compassion and of being thoughtful in responding to our imperative to mourn with those that mourn—but I felt oddly betrayed by her on several occasions when Mormons were reduced to paper dolls.
As a final note about all that, one of the things I sensed most keenly throughout was that the church in the novel looked a lot more like Mormonism of the '80s or '90s (or at least Mormon pamphlets and videos of that era). Or maybe by that I mean, what Mormonism seemed like when I was a kid. Since becoming an adult and witnessing some pretty significant changes in the church, I feel that the religion is a lot more dynamic, and so is my participation in it. Even if you think religion is nothing but rubbish, it's short-sighted to miss that its practitioners can still lead robust lives.
This is where we come to the Bradleys. Where Bray excels is in depicting their varied grief in response to the loss of their daughter and sister, Issy. This year I have encountered some really great writing about grief—Mary Oliver's Thirst, Julian Barnes's Levels of Life—and I think Bray deserves to join the ranks of those who have offered a compelling portrait of what it's like to lose a loved one. Her exploration was made all the more fascinating and heartbreaking by including the seemingly competing dynamic of trying to exhibit faith in the midst of deep and overwhelming sadness. I remember one scene where the mother, Claire, becomes frustrated to realize that none of the cards she has received from her Mormon friends simply says "I'm so sorry"—all of them jump immediately into the work of comforting by reassuring: "Good thing you know you'll be reunited with her," "She is in a better place," etc. Unfortunately, this is the coping mechanism used by her husband, Ian, as well. While his character was initially infuriating to me, he was slowly revealed to be someone who was just trying to do the best he could with the resources he had. I think Ian was ultimately redeemed as someone who loves his family more than his clerical responsibilities, although I take issue with something he did near the end of the novel, which was never properly resolved or even so much as discussed. (Speaking of which, content warning pp. 272-275.)
Something I enjoyed throughout were the bursts of clarity in describing small moments that are beautifully human. One line that stood out to me when finishing the novel this morning: "Jacob stands on the step in the deep dark. He turns round to face the road and the park. The dark is cool and velvety; it collects between the street lights, right at the tips of the trees where Issy might be floating about, waiting until it's precisely the right time and the right day to come back" (282). I also really love how the novel ended. I was wondering exactly how the novel could end without just dropping off. I felt a genuine flush of pleasure as I saw the situations and characters coalesce in the final chapter. It offered a glimpse of redemption that wasn't cheap or hasty. Hats off to Bray for that.
Depiction of grief: 5, brilliant. Depiction of Mormonism: 2, lots of details but too stilted and caricatured. I liked the book a fair bit, but it's hard to know who to recommend it to. I do think Bray offers a lot of honest questions worth wrestling if you are in a place to do so. Those who are already grieving or struggling with faith may want to hold off on the novel. I'd be intensely curious to hear some of my Mormon friends' responses to this; maybe that would take some of the pressure off me to balance my religious devotion with my genuine sympathy for the problems Bray presents.
August 26, 2017
3.5*
I found this book almost unbearably sad....it's about a family tragedy, and how it affects the different members of that family.
It's also about the Mormon faith, something I knew very little about, so from this point of view, it was something of an education.
There are some very well drawn characters, one who made me angry, and some who broke my heart, and actually made me cry.
Not a favourite book, but one I'm glad to have read, even though its theme made reading it quite difficult at times.
I found this book almost unbearably sad....it's about a family tragedy, and how it affects the different members of that family.
It's also about the Mormon faith, something I knew very little about, so from this point of view, it was something of an education.
There are some very well drawn characters, one who made me angry, and some who broke my heart, and actually made me cry.
Not a favourite book, but one I'm glad to have read, even though its theme made reading it quite difficult at times.
August 18, 2014
A Song for Issy Bradley by Carys Bray is a very highly recommended novel about a family experiencing a tragic death and how they all handle the aftermath.
The Bradleys are an LDS (Mormon) family living in the UK. Parents Ian and Claire have four children: daughter Zippy is sixteen, son Al is fourteen, son Jacob is seven, and the youngest daughter is Issy. A Song for Issy Bradley opens on the morning of Jacob's seventh birthday. Claire is trying to get things ready for his party and has been promised help by Ian, but Ian is serving as a bishop for their church and rushes off to help one of the (many needy) church members who calls, leaving Claire to manage the shopping and the party alone. Issy has stayed in bed because she doesn't feel well, so Claire gives her something for her fever and tries to get everything ready for the party, hoping Issy will sleep and feel better afterwards. After the party, Ian is still gone and Issy is not up. Claire immediately realizes that something is wrong and they call for an ambulance. Issy is hospitalized, but dies from meningitis.
Each member of the Bradley family tells their story and what they are thinking and experiencing during this picture of their lives during an especially trying and emotional time of their lives. Claire falls into a deep depression, sleeps in Issy's bed and neglects the rest of her family. Ian is like a cheerleader for the LDS church. He knows that there is something wrong but will not get Claire help, even as Zippy asks him to, because it's not what "we"do. Zippy is a teen girl dealing with her first crush, and guilt over the way her church handles any petting - it's always the girl's fault. Al just wants to play football, something his father is trying to prohibit. Jacob thinks if he has enough faith and prays right he can bring Issy back to life. And Ian just keeps following along with the LDS role of bishop, always going if anyone calls him, neglecting his family who really need him.
I simply can't say enough good things about A Song for Issy Bradley. The writing is stunning, superb, superlative. The character development is outstanding. It's hard to believe that this is Bray's debut novel - it is that good. Now, the subject matter is hard... so hard. Parts of this novel will anger you, and with good reason: a child dies; a woman falls into a black hole of depression; a father tries to ignore it and hides the truth from people so no one will think there is anything wrong; a teenage girl is made to feel guilty and that petting with a young man is her fault, according to what her LDS church teaches; a young man is prohibited from pursuing his passion for football and doubts his faith; a young boy thinks he can pray his sister back to life.
But even as you are indignant and brokenhearted over the abuse/misuse of faith, the family is presented with real empathy and compassion. Claire's questioning of her faith and falling into a depression is very easy to comprehend after the death of her child. Ian's reactions are harder for me to accept. His eagerness to please all the church members and put their needs and desires first while allowing his own family to suffer is unintelligible. Zippy is a great character and the guilt that she is burdened down with in the name of religion is awful.
Carys Bray grew up in the Mormon church, so she knows her subject matter and infuses every bit of A Song for Issy Bradley with very realistic details of the daily life of an LDS family. The questioning of their beliefs and how women are treated/viewed are based on real facts and the inside knowledge lends an authenticity to the novel that is hard to ignore.
One of the best books I've read this year!
One quote took my breath away since I intimately know and have experienced this feeling when my sister passed away:
"Zippy stared at Issy’s face; she didn’t look peaceful and she didn’t look asleep. She looked like a badly made model of herself, empty of all her Issy-ness. She looked really dead."
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Random House via Netgalley for review purposes.
The Bradleys are an LDS (Mormon) family living in the UK. Parents Ian and Claire have four children: daughter Zippy is sixteen, son Al is fourteen, son Jacob is seven, and the youngest daughter is Issy. A Song for Issy Bradley opens on the morning of Jacob's seventh birthday. Claire is trying to get things ready for his party and has been promised help by Ian, but Ian is serving as a bishop for their church and rushes off to help one of the (many needy) church members who calls, leaving Claire to manage the shopping and the party alone. Issy has stayed in bed because she doesn't feel well, so Claire gives her something for her fever and tries to get everything ready for the party, hoping Issy will sleep and feel better afterwards. After the party, Ian is still gone and Issy is not up. Claire immediately realizes that something is wrong and they call for an ambulance. Issy is hospitalized, but dies from meningitis.
Each member of the Bradley family tells their story and what they are thinking and experiencing during this picture of their lives during an especially trying and emotional time of their lives. Claire falls into a deep depression, sleeps in Issy's bed and neglects the rest of her family. Ian is like a cheerleader for the LDS church. He knows that there is something wrong but will not get Claire help, even as Zippy asks him to, because it's not what "we"do. Zippy is a teen girl dealing with her first crush, and guilt over the way her church handles any petting - it's always the girl's fault. Al just wants to play football, something his father is trying to prohibit. Jacob thinks if he has enough faith and prays right he can bring Issy back to life. And Ian just keeps following along with the LDS role of bishop, always going if anyone calls him, neglecting his family who really need him.
I simply can't say enough good things about A Song for Issy Bradley. The writing is stunning, superb, superlative. The character development is outstanding. It's hard to believe that this is Bray's debut novel - it is that good. Now, the subject matter is hard... so hard. Parts of this novel will anger you, and with good reason: a child dies; a woman falls into a black hole of depression; a father tries to ignore it and hides the truth from people so no one will think there is anything wrong; a teenage girl is made to feel guilty and that petting with a young man is her fault, according to what her LDS church teaches; a young man is prohibited from pursuing his passion for football and doubts his faith; a young boy thinks he can pray his sister back to life.
But even as you are indignant and brokenhearted over the abuse/misuse of faith, the family is presented with real empathy and compassion. Claire's questioning of her faith and falling into a depression is very easy to comprehend after the death of her child. Ian's reactions are harder for me to accept. His eagerness to please all the church members and put their needs and desires first while allowing his own family to suffer is unintelligible. Zippy is a great character and the guilt that she is burdened down with in the name of religion is awful.
Carys Bray grew up in the Mormon church, so she knows her subject matter and infuses every bit of A Song for Issy Bradley with very realistic details of the daily life of an LDS family. The questioning of their beliefs and how women are treated/viewed are based on real facts and the inside knowledge lends an authenticity to the novel that is hard to ignore.
One of the best books I've read this year!
One quote took my breath away since I intimately know and have experienced this feeling when my sister passed away:
"Zippy stared at Issy’s face; she didn’t look peaceful and she didn’t look asleep. She looked like a badly made model of herself, empty of all her Issy-ness. She looked really dead."
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Random House via Netgalley for review purposes.
May 12, 2014
I approached this novel from a rather sceptical standpoint; as an atheist and someone who knew little of the beliefs held by Mormons. I was intrigued to read how the challenges that the characters faced after the death of the youngest family member, particularly those regarding their beliefs and faith system played out upon their lives, and if these would hold any significance or interest for a non-believer. The resounding answer was yes!
This novel is deeply moving and well observed, and without doubt an emotional and involving read. The story follows the path of a Mormon family following the death of a child at an early age. Each of the characters involved faces questions testing their own faith, all very distinct. The fact that the novel looked at how each of he family members was affected certainly made it more riveting than if it was simply how the parents or mother alone coped. The author considers the reaction of the father, a Bishop with previously unquestionable beliefs, the mother, a convert to Mormonism and someone who is full of questions, the hormonally charged teenage daughter, Zippy, the football crazy skeptic son Alma and an innocent seven year old, Jacob. This novel raised issues as to how Mormonism could be reconciled with the day to day running of each of their lives and was beautifully portrayed and often unexpectedly funny.
I appreciate that the Bradley family may be a stereotypical example of the Mormon faith but the added aspect of how their faith impinged upon their lives was a source of constant interest and kept me reading on avidly to the conclusion. Indeed, on approaching the end of the book I was in a quandary as to how it would play out which served to keep me totally consumed.
I did appraise myself of the some of the fundamental Mormon beliefs prior to reading this novel, and I believe that this greater understanding of the religion heightened my appreciation for the story.
My thanks for www.lovereading.co.uk for an advance copy to read in return for an honest opinion.
August 20, 2014
"About the author: Carys Bray was brought up in a strict Mormon family. In her early thirties she left the church and replaced religion with writing." This is her first novel.
I get this feeling that Ms. Bray may not have much appreciated the teachings of Mormonism, as I read about the Bradley family dealing with their grief after losing a loved one. The father Ian is a Bishop of the Mormon church who cannot even decide whether he is allowed to openly grieve alongside his family or act instead in the interest of his flock. Mother Claire is a mess, so much so that she has taken to bed for days on end. Teenage son Alma (interesting coincidence that I'm reading another book with an Alma character, who is a woman) needs to mature into his own future role in the priesthood, but oh how he is dreading that. Alma also is a bit of a stupid twat, his own words. But so is Ian. Little Jacob is a sweetie, and the oldest Zippy is discovering boys, one in particular.
As each family member deals with grief in his or her own manner, it is also a struggle to balance their everyday urges and temptations with the church edicts. But what the book really is about is dealing with profound, unintelligable grief. Ms. Bray has written something special here.
Thanks to librarything.com for an Advance Uncorrected Proof.
I get this feeling that Ms. Bray may not have much appreciated the teachings of Mormonism, as I read about the Bradley family dealing with their grief after losing a loved one. The father Ian is a Bishop of the Mormon church who cannot even decide whether he is allowed to openly grieve alongside his family or act instead in the interest of his flock. Mother Claire is a mess, so much so that she has taken to bed for days on end. Teenage son Alma (interesting coincidence that I'm reading another book with an Alma character, who is a woman) needs to mature into his own future role in the priesthood, but oh how he is dreading that. Alma also is a bit of a stupid twat, his own words. But so is Ian. Little Jacob is a sweetie, and the oldest Zippy is discovering boys, one in particular.
As each family member deals with grief in his or her own manner, it is also a struggle to balance their everyday urges and temptations with the church edicts. But what the book really is about is dealing with profound, unintelligable grief. Ms. Bray has written something special here.
Thanks to librarything.com for an Advance Uncorrected Proof.
September 4, 2015
Something is missing in this novel. It has some very interesting themes, but it never goes deep enough into any of them. Age old questions of faith - why do bad things happen to self-proclaimed good people, for example, are never dealt with philosophically or practically. Even though dramatic and tragic things happen in this novel, it does not have the emotional power it should. Instead, it feels sometimes like a young adult novel, as many have already commented, or as a soapy tear-jerker. No one really goes all the way - lose their faith, confront each other's choices or changes their lives following the events in the book. Almost no one learns anything. How is that possible? I enjoyed reading this novel - it is a fast and easy read, but has no added value.
July 13, 2014
This was such a wonderful, wonderful book. It is the story of a the Bradleys, a Mormon family whose lives are suddenly shattered by an unthinkable tragedy. It is the story of how each of them comes to terms with the loss of one of their own while seeking his or her own place within their Mormon faith and in the wider world. The characters in this book are authentic and endearing, imperfect and human. The writing is beautiful and engaging. I feel fortunate to have received this book for free through the Goodreads First Reads program, as it certainly would have been well worth paying for. I absolutely loved it.
January 9, 2016
הספר הזה ריסק לי את הלב. לא קראתי ספוילרים לפני שניגשתי אליו, ואולי בשל כך צלחתי את לב ליבו תוך שאני ממררת בבכי. משפחת ברדלי נכנסה לי ללב. אם המשפחה נגעה ללבי מאד, ואילו אבי המשפחה עורר בי זעם ובוז. דווקא לקראת הסוף ניכר בו שיפור, אך הוא עדיין אדם נוראי בעיניי. אהבתי את דמותו של ג'ייקוב, למרות שהתנהגותו ותפיסת עולמו לאורך רוב הספר תואמת את גילו של בן ארבע הרבה יותר מבן שבע. אהבתי גם את התהליך וההתפכחות שעוברים בני המשפחה, כל אחד בדרכו, והייתי שמחה לקרוא את המשך עלילותיהם של בני משפחת ברדלי לאחר נקודת השיא החותמת את הספר.
מומלץ בחום.
מומלץ בחום.
September 20, 2014
Originally posted at http://utahmomslife.blogspot.com/2014...
For years I've longed to see literature written for a wider audience featuring members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or at the very least some LDS characters. I hoped to see accurate and fair portrayals so that readers could get a glimpse of the lives of members.
A Song for Issy Bradley by Carys Bray is about a Latter-day Saint family living in Great Britian. Bishop Bradley leads his family as he strives to follow each commandment and rule with exactness and his loving wife Claire, a convert to the church, works hard to support him. When their youngest daughter, four year old Issy dies from meningitis, their family faces a crisis of faith as they each struggle to overcome their sorrow and the tragic changes to their family.
Bray excels at creating emotion. The heartache and depression faced by Claire is tangible and heartfelt. As a mother I could so easily understand her reactions to the death of her little girl. Crumbling in on herself, Claire has nothing left to give the rest of her family. The other members of the Bradley family face the trial in their own ways. Bishop Bradley is determined to carry on and pushes his grief aside to continue serving the congregation. Zippy feels lost as she needs the comfort and advice from her mother and can't reach her. Alma, or Al as he would prefer to be called, is resentful and snarky. Sweet, seven year old Jacob is praying for a miracle. As simply a discussion of death and healing and mourning, A Song of Issy Bradley is a beautiful and tender novel.
Where Bray strays is in her basic representation of the church and its membership. Determined to give an overview of every curious religious practice, she fills the books with details that have no bearing to the story and doesn't provide a reasonable explanation. Also, they tend to be described by the characters that are having issues or doubts about the practice and so the derision is evident. There is very little kindness offered in the characterization of Bishop Bradley. He is presented as the ultimate misogynist. The other LDS characters in the book are caricatures--they are exaggerated and ridiculous. Most members would concede that we may have met a person similar to some of the people in the book but they are rare and usually considered "lovable nuts" even by the other members. Yet, in Bray's book we meet only these folks. Where, I wonder, are all the thoughtful and caring members of the church that I know and have associated with over the years? These characters represent the work of a propagandist, not a novelist.
I had trouble placing the novel in the proper time period. While it was intended to be contemporary, so much of the church "culture" described felt like the 1980's or 90's--especially in the representation of the way morality was taught to the youth by some shortsighted local leaders and how mental illness and depression are treated within the church. The church, just like all society, has come a long way in the past decades about how to treat mental illness. Also, quite often the doctrine presented in the novel was simply wrong.
Overall, what could have been a moving and emotional story about a family's struggle with grief and their faith, was overshadowed by the constant and subtle disparaging of the religion.
For years I've longed to see literature written for a wider audience featuring members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or at the very least some LDS characters. I hoped to see accurate and fair portrayals so that readers could get a glimpse of the lives of members.
A Song for Issy Bradley by Carys Bray is about a Latter-day Saint family living in Great Britian. Bishop Bradley leads his family as he strives to follow each commandment and rule with exactness and his loving wife Claire, a convert to the church, works hard to support him. When their youngest daughter, four year old Issy dies from meningitis, their family faces a crisis of faith as they each struggle to overcome their sorrow and the tragic changes to their family.
Bray excels at creating emotion. The heartache and depression faced by Claire is tangible and heartfelt. As a mother I could so easily understand her reactions to the death of her little girl. Crumbling in on herself, Claire has nothing left to give the rest of her family. The other members of the Bradley family face the trial in their own ways. Bishop Bradley is determined to carry on and pushes his grief aside to continue serving the congregation. Zippy feels lost as she needs the comfort and advice from her mother and can't reach her. Alma, or Al as he would prefer to be called, is resentful and snarky. Sweet, seven year old Jacob is praying for a miracle. As simply a discussion of death and healing and mourning, A Song of Issy Bradley is a beautiful and tender novel.
Where Bray strays is in her basic representation of the church and its membership. Determined to give an overview of every curious religious practice, she fills the books with details that have no bearing to the story and doesn't provide a reasonable explanation. Also, they tend to be described by the characters that are having issues or doubts about the practice and so the derision is evident. There is very little kindness offered in the characterization of Bishop Bradley. He is presented as the ultimate misogynist. The other LDS characters in the book are caricatures--they are exaggerated and ridiculous. Most members would concede that we may have met a person similar to some of the people in the book but they are rare and usually considered "lovable nuts" even by the other members. Yet, in Bray's book we meet only these folks. Where, I wonder, are all the thoughtful and caring members of the church that I know and have associated with over the years? These characters represent the work of a propagandist, not a novelist.
I had trouble placing the novel in the proper time period. While it was intended to be contemporary, so much of the church "culture" described felt like the 1980's or 90's--especially in the representation of the way morality was taught to the youth by some shortsighted local leaders and how mental illness and depression are treated within the church. The church, just like all society, has come a long way in the past decades about how to treat mental illness. Also, quite often the doctrine presented in the novel was simply wrong.
Overall, what could have been a moving and emotional story about a family's struggle with grief and their faith, was overshadowed by the constant and subtle disparaging of the religion.
June 18, 2014
Received from the publishers in return for an honest review
I seem to have been hearing people talk about this book on Twitter for months – and it’s not even out here in the UK until Thursday. I know a number of other bloggers – if they haven’t already – will be sharing their thoughts about this book too – so you can expect to see a lot about this novel in the coming weeks and months.
There are some topics about which it is always hard to think about and therefore just as hard to read about. The death of a child is probably the greatest of these tough subjects. Carys Bray’s depiction of a family reeling under the weight of an incomparable loss is brilliantly authentic, at times heart-breaking, desperately poignant and yet infused with the gentle humour of one who observes life with complete honesty.
The Bradley family appear at first to be like any other family, mum, dad, four kids and a pet goldfish living in the north-west of England. However the Bradley’s are members of the Mormon church, and dad Ian has quite recently been made a Bishop of the church, a position that comes with a great deal of community responsibility requiring him to make enormous sacrifices, like missing his son’s birthday party. Family life is a little different at the Bradley house, along with school runs and supermarket shopping; there is family at home evening, a ban on tea and coffee, and lots of rules about modest dress and behaviour that is hard to follow when you are a teenager. Eldest daughter Zippy thinks she might be in love, while her brother Alma – only wants to play football.
On the day of seven year old Jacob’s birthday party mum Claire is seething as her husband has run off to help some church members leaving her to do the shopping and supervise the party on her own. With Claire running around organising everything and the older children beset with their own concerns – nobody really notices how ill little Issy is. Left to sleep with a quick dose of Calpol – Issy is gradually succumbing to a terrible illness, while Jacob’s party continues downstairs. The result is horrifyingly inevitable and desperately sad.
In the aftermath of Issy’s death, the family face an uphill struggle. Ian is certain of his faith, sure that they will see Issy again in the Celestial Kingdom; he seems to have the answers to all those difficult questions, as he quashes his own grief in a relentless optimism. Claire hasn’t such an absolute certainty, her faith is the kind that still questions – she doesn’t blindly follow the teachings of the prophet, but Claire only joined the church a year before her marriage and in the face of her loss her questions and doubts multiply. Claire climbs into Issy’s bottom bunk, and stays there, unwashed unable to interact with the rest of her grief stricken family. Teenagers Zippy and Alma coping with the unbidden waves of grief that assault you when you least expect, are struggling to live with the expectations of Mormon life. Young men are expected to go off on mission for two years between school and university, while all that is expected of a girl is that she shouldn’t help lead boys astray and that she will marry and have children.
Jacob is still young enough to be entranced by the stories of miracles, but he’s not sure he wants to wait to see Issy again in the Celestial Kingdom, for that seems to be an awfully long time. Jacob realises that if he wants Issy to come back he will just have to make a miracle and bring her back himself. Jacob is the character who is the easily the most memorable, and the biggest heartbreaker – I may long be haunted by the image of him sat on the stairs, eyes fixed on the glass panel in the front door, waiting.
The Bradley family are a very real contemporary family, and their bereavement is agonisingly timeless. Carys Bray knows all about growing up in the Mormon Church as that is where she grew up, and she also knows about grief, having lost her own child. This novel owes a lot to those experiences, unswervingly honest in its portrayal of grief and how different people cope with it. I have to admit I found myself fuming at Ian and his unquestioning certainty, but I loved Claire and the children, Jacob particularly, I defy anyone not to want to give him a massive hug. There is so much to think about in this novel, I could blather on for another six paragraphs – fear not I won’t. Questions of religious doctrine, faith, life, death and how people living within other religious traditions reconcile that way of life with the modern world, will probably make this a favourite with many book groups.
A Song for Issy Bradley is a warm and thoughtful novel, poignantly honest and enormously compelling, I gobbled it up with a lump in my throat. This novel will be an undoubted success, and I am looking forward to reading everyone else’s thoughts about it too. Carys Bray is the author of a volume of short stories called Sweet Home which I am keen to read now too, this is her first novel.
I seem to have been hearing people talk about this book on Twitter for months – and it’s not even out here in the UK until Thursday. I know a number of other bloggers – if they haven’t already – will be sharing their thoughts about this book too – so you can expect to see a lot about this novel in the coming weeks and months.
There are some topics about which it is always hard to think about and therefore just as hard to read about. The death of a child is probably the greatest of these tough subjects. Carys Bray’s depiction of a family reeling under the weight of an incomparable loss is brilliantly authentic, at times heart-breaking, desperately poignant and yet infused with the gentle humour of one who observes life with complete honesty.
The Bradley family appear at first to be like any other family, mum, dad, four kids and a pet goldfish living in the north-west of England. However the Bradley’s are members of the Mormon church, and dad Ian has quite recently been made a Bishop of the church, a position that comes with a great deal of community responsibility requiring him to make enormous sacrifices, like missing his son’s birthday party. Family life is a little different at the Bradley house, along with school runs and supermarket shopping; there is family at home evening, a ban on tea and coffee, and lots of rules about modest dress and behaviour that is hard to follow when you are a teenager. Eldest daughter Zippy thinks she might be in love, while her brother Alma – only wants to play football.
On the day of seven year old Jacob’s birthday party mum Claire is seething as her husband has run off to help some church members leaving her to do the shopping and supervise the party on her own. With Claire running around organising everything and the older children beset with their own concerns – nobody really notices how ill little Issy is. Left to sleep with a quick dose of Calpol – Issy is gradually succumbing to a terrible illness, while Jacob’s party continues downstairs. The result is horrifyingly inevitable and desperately sad.
In the aftermath of Issy’s death, the family face an uphill struggle. Ian is certain of his faith, sure that they will see Issy again in the Celestial Kingdom; he seems to have the answers to all those difficult questions, as he quashes his own grief in a relentless optimism. Claire hasn’t such an absolute certainty, her faith is the kind that still questions – she doesn’t blindly follow the teachings of the prophet, but Claire only joined the church a year before her marriage and in the face of her loss her questions and doubts multiply. Claire climbs into Issy’s bottom bunk, and stays there, unwashed unable to interact with the rest of her grief stricken family. Teenagers Zippy and Alma coping with the unbidden waves of grief that assault you when you least expect, are struggling to live with the expectations of Mormon life. Young men are expected to go off on mission for two years between school and university, while all that is expected of a girl is that she shouldn’t help lead boys astray and that she will marry and have children.
Jacob is still young enough to be entranced by the stories of miracles, but he’s not sure he wants to wait to see Issy again in the Celestial Kingdom, for that seems to be an awfully long time. Jacob realises that if he wants Issy to come back he will just have to make a miracle and bring her back himself. Jacob is the character who is the easily the most memorable, and the biggest heartbreaker – I may long be haunted by the image of him sat on the stairs, eyes fixed on the glass panel in the front door, waiting.
The Bradley family are a very real contemporary family, and their bereavement is agonisingly timeless. Carys Bray knows all about growing up in the Mormon Church as that is where she grew up, and she also knows about grief, having lost her own child. This novel owes a lot to those experiences, unswervingly honest in its portrayal of grief and how different people cope with it. I have to admit I found myself fuming at Ian and his unquestioning certainty, but I loved Claire and the children, Jacob particularly, I defy anyone not to want to give him a massive hug. There is so much to think about in this novel, I could blather on for another six paragraphs – fear not I won’t. Questions of religious doctrine, faith, life, death and how people living within other religious traditions reconcile that way of life with the modern world, will probably make this a favourite with many book groups.
A Song for Issy Bradley is a warm and thoughtful novel, poignantly honest and enormously compelling, I gobbled it up with a lump in my throat. This novel will be an undoubted success, and I am looking forward to reading everyone else’s thoughts about it too. Carys Bray is the author of a volume of short stories called Sweet Home which I am keen to read now too, this is her first novel.
July 28, 2014
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. Thanks!
Guhhh. I really honestly don't know how I felt about this one. I wish it was a book-club read because I'd love to discuss it. It feels weird to tag this as Christian fiction, because it's actually Mormon fiction, and while Mormons are Christians (as far as I can tell) they have their own brand of religious whatnot going on. For a while I was wondering if the author was trying to show us how selfish and one-sided this kind of life can be, or if she was just sort of promoting it without realizing that she was painting her characters to seem like jerks to the rest of us. I should have trusted her more; the "about the author" page says she left the Mormon church quite some time ago. Well, okay then.
Recently I was talking with a friend, who happens to be an author and the daughter of a pastor, about this book. I talked about how selfish the Bishop (and father of four children) seemed in the book, how quickly he was willing to cast aside the needs of his wife and children to serve what he perceived to be the higher needs of his church and congregation, and how frustrating of a character he was. My friend said this is the struggle of all children of clergy, no matter if they are Mormon or not: there is always a battle to choose the people you love most over the people you are called to serve. To those of us who have never felt such a calling, Bishop Ian and his ilk seem like colossal jerks, using God as an excuse for everything. But to Ian, it is all very logical and makes perfect sense. No matter what happens, it was God's plan.
There's also lots and lots of misogyny in this book, although the church paints it up as modesty, chastity, the woman's proper place in the home, etc. There's a scene with Zipporah that broke my heart because I don't think she'll ever stop blaming herself for something that wasn't her fault. There's also an incredibly disturbing scene that really tiptoes along the edge of being rape. The man in question seems to know this but continues on anyway, which made me a bit sick to my stomach.
Okay, so anyway, the same friend from above recently defined literary fiction as a story in which everyone is still upset at the end. This book fits that description perfectly. The ending is hopeful, but not what I would call happy. The dad is still obtuse, the mom is still a wreck, and the kids are still teetering in the verge of losing their faith. I have high hopes that everything will turn out okay, but I'm still really worried about all of these characters. They have long and difficult roads ahead of them.
Guhhh. I really honestly don't know how I felt about this one. I wish it was a book-club read because I'd love to discuss it. It feels weird to tag this as Christian fiction, because it's actually Mormon fiction, and while Mormons are Christians (as far as I can tell) they have their own brand of religious whatnot going on. For a while I was wondering if the author was trying to show us how selfish and one-sided this kind of life can be, or if she was just sort of promoting it without realizing that she was painting her characters to seem like jerks to the rest of us. I should have trusted her more; the "about the author" page says she left the Mormon church quite some time ago. Well, okay then.
Recently I was talking with a friend, who happens to be an author and the daughter of a pastor, about this book. I talked about how selfish the Bishop (and father of four children) seemed in the book, how quickly he was willing to cast aside the needs of his wife and children to serve what he perceived to be the higher needs of his church and congregation, and how frustrating of a character he was. My friend said this is the struggle of all children of clergy, no matter if they are Mormon or not: there is always a battle to choose the people you love most over the people you are called to serve. To those of us who have never felt such a calling, Bishop Ian and his ilk seem like colossal jerks, using God as an excuse for everything. But to Ian, it is all very logical and makes perfect sense. No matter what happens, it was God's plan.
There's also lots and lots of misogyny in this book, although the church paints it up as modesty, chastity, the woman's proper place in the home, etc. There's a scene with Zipporah that broke my heart because I don't think she'll ever stop blaming herself for something that wasn't her fault. There's also an incredibly disturbing scene that really tiptoes along the edge of being rape. The man in question seems to know this but continues on anyway, which made me a bit sick to my stomach.
Okay, so anyway, the same friend from above recently defined literary fiction as a story in which everyone is still upset at the end. This book fits that description perfectly. The ending is hopeful, but not what I would call happy. The dad is still obtuse, the mom is still a wreck, and the kids are still teetering in the verge of losing their faith. I have high hopes that everything will turn out okay, but I'm still really worried about all of these characters. They have long and difficult roads ahead of them.
July 11, 2016
Denne bog var yderst lærerig og meget rørende. Vi følger en familie, som er ved at krakelere efter deres yngste medlem er død, og de prøver så krampagtigt at holde fast i deres tro - at det hele nok skal gå, Gud har bestemt det og de vil møde Issy i livet efter døden. Jeg havde lidt svært ved at bogen var så religiøs, da det involverede meget med Gud, meningen med livet og efterlivet ifølge ham, regler, der skal følges osv. men på den anden side, så blev jeg også oplyst på det punkt. Der var enormt mange ting jeg ikke vidste om mormoner, så jeg føler mig meget klogere nu.
Selve skrivestilen mindede mig en anelse om Jojo Moyes, hvilket selvfølgelig gav pluspoint fra mig. Der er nogle virkelig skønne beskrivelser, og eftersom man følger alle familiemedlemmerne i bogen, så får man også et indblik i deres forskellige former for sorg, hvilket jeg synes var et fint element. Jeg kunne dog ikke rigtigt abstrahere fra alt det religiøse, og jeg ventede på at der skete et eller andet revolutionerende i bogen, hvilket ikke helt var sådan det blev, så det skuffede mig desværre en del.
""Det er nemt at være bedrevidende og lave sjov med alting, Det kræver en meget større indsats at have tillid og tro."" - citat side 77.
Det der er så fantastisk ved religion og tro er, at man næsten har svarene på alt. Det virker bare ikke for alle mennesker, og det bør man acceptere begge veje. Bogen var interessant netop fordi den stiller tvivlsspørgsmål ved religion, familieliv og meningen med livet. Hvad er det rigtige og hvad er det forkerte at tro på? Hvis man ikke rynker for meget på næsen over andres tro, så kan den varmt anbefales.
Selve skrivestilen mindede mig en anelse om Jojo Moyes, hvilket selvfølgelig gav pluspoint fra mig. Der er nogle virkelig skønne beskrivelser, og eftersom man følger alle familiemedlemmerne i bogen, så får man også et indblik i deres forskellige former for sorg, hvilket jeg synes var et fint element. Jeg kunne dog ikke rigtigt abstrahere fra alt det religiøse, og jeg ventede på at der skete et eller andet revolutionerende i bogen, hvilket ikke helt var sådan det blev, så det skuffede mig desværre en del.
""Det er nemt at være bedrevidende og lave sjov med alting, Det kræver en meget større indsats at have tillid og tro."" - citat side 77.
Det der er så fantastisk ved religion og tro er, at man næsten har svarene på alt. Det virker bare ikke for alle mennesker, og det bør man acceptere begge veje. Bogen var interessant netop fordi den stiller tvivlsspørgsmål ved religion, familieliv og meningen med livet. Hvad er det rigtige og hvad er det forkerte at tro på? Hvis man ikke rynker for meget på næsen over andres tro, så kan den varmt anbefales.
August 27, 2014
4 stars on the quality of the writing alone. The story made me sad and feel like I had a big rock in my gut. The character, Alma, was the only voice of reason in this book, and I despised Ian. I won't go into a ton of detail; any of you who are my friends can PM me and I will explain further- so long as you promise to not be offended by my response. The best way I can sum up the gist,tone and mise en scene (if that wasn't a term used for film) of this story, and what these tragic characters have to go through, is a quote from the book: "There's no point in believing something that's not true, even if it makes you feel better". This is a very well done book but it did leave me with a feeling of despair.
November 19, 2014
I really loved this family story of grief and faith. I hope to come back to a full review later.
May 15, 2015
I can't review the book... I can't do it justice. Just found it heartbreaking and beautiful.
June 1, 2024
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2014
As a Mormon, I thought I would love this book, an honest story about a Mormon family coping with loss. But I found the Mormonism in the book to be somewhere between repellant and horrifying. It is clearly an insiders view, and there is nothing technically incorrect, but it felt like all our worst moments and tendencies on display (chewing gum lesson, teenage girls in wedding dresses, neurotic unmarried 29yo, obsessive end of days weirdness, kitschy RS crafts, self-justifying “sympathy” cards) stripped of anything redeeming or beautiful. I am very much in favor of honest reflections of who we are, including the problems in our culture and theology, but this did not feel honest or accurate to me. The people in this book are almost exclusively motivated by fear of exclusion and keeping up appearances to maintain status in the group. It was, frankly, a cult. There felt like almost no genuine interaction or love between people, only forced, correlated, manipulative, stilted weirdness, even between family members. And most significantly, people’s spirits were just not being fed. They felt no real love from God, no acceptance from or worship of Jesus, no warmth and hope and grace. The father and bishop is one of the most stilted, underdeveloped, pathetic people in literature, not at all reflective of many of the genuine, compassionate, good men I know in the church. It all made me extremely sad. If only our worst tendencies went amuck, I do fear we would get a culture akin to that in the book, but that has not been my experience. I have felt love, acceptance, and soul expanding moments in the church, both in my interactions with God and with my ward members. I regretted that Bray apparently did not. If this reflected my experience, I would get me and my family out too. The ending is extraordinary, however, but only because for a short moment everyone was finally getting out of the horrible restrictive straightjacket their faith put on them, so they could actually breathe for once and feel something real.
August 25, 2015
I gave this book three stars because the story was so compelling. But I don't recall ever reading a book where the characters were so one dimensional. They are all members of the Church, but it focuses on all the hard things about being a Mormon and not at all on the joys. I read my scriptures almost every day, but I don't spout scriptures in every conversation or even have them going through my head in a running commentary like the characters in this story. There was no room for repentance and feeling that joy or for even having a feeling or thought contrary to what the Church teaches. I understand the experiences the characters went through, particularly Zippy, because I remember getting those same lessons about morality and sex as I was growing up. They are not effective and I have taken a different approach with my kids. I just feel like members of the Church were portrayed as not open to anything except what they learn in church and there is no room for independent thought, and that is just not true. I thought the writing was great and the story was a good story but the portrayal of the characters reflects what the author thinks of the Church and its teachings and she does not have a positive view of it.
July 19, 2017
An excellent book, engaging and interesting. It explores several themes, religious belief, bereavement, grief and tragedy. The Issy Bradley in the title is the daughter of a devout Mormon family, Issy dies in the first part of the book, tragically young, from meningitis and the book explores the family's response to this event, her brothers and sister, their response, her parents reacting differently each stricken in their own way.
There can be no happy ending in the face of such tragedy, but this novel explores the family dynamic, the way they are supported (or not) by their faith. The author, Carys Bray, talks about her own experiences as a child growing up in the Mormon faith and as it is a Richard and Judy Summer book club read, there are questions raised which would be helpful to members of a book club.
Carys manages to lighten this novel with humour, her observations on family life are excellent. There are some laugh aloud moments, so that it is not all about the tragedy, sadness and pain, which makes this an enjoyable read, and one which I can thoroughly recommend.
There can be no happy ending in the face of such tragedy, but this novel explores the family dynamic, the way they are supported (or not) by their faith. The author, Carys Bray, talks about her own experiences as a child growing up in the Mormon faith and as it is a Richard and Judy Summer book club read, there are questions raised which would be helpful to members of a book club.
Carys manages to lighten this novel with humour, her observations on family life are excellent. There are some laugh aloud moments, so that it is not all about the tragedy, sadness and pain, which makes this an enjoyable read, and one which I can thoroughly recommend.
September 3, 2014
A devout Mormon family in the UK deals with the tragic death of the youngest member of the family, 4 year old Issy. Ian, the father, is an extremist when it comes to "following the rules". He seemed a caricature to me--are there really people (men, because it is about men who are in charge) out there like this? Claire, the wife and mother, falls into a deep depression and crisis of faith, unable to leave bed. The other three children, two teenagers and a 7 year old, struggle to process the experience, as well as deal with the normal ups and downs of school and church life.
I know that the people and object lessons and experiences in the book have occurred in real wards, but I felt like Bray put all the extremes in this book, set over the course of a few months.
Still, a brave and interesting book for the questions it raises and for the way it confronts some negative aspects of Mormonism.
3.5 stars.
I know that the people and object lessons and experiences in the book have occurred in real wards, but I felt like Bray put all the extremes in this book, set over the course of a few months.
Still, a brave and interesting book for the questions it raises and for the way it confronts some negative aspects of Mormonism.
3.5 stars.
August 14, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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