By Neil Lucas. Photos by JJ Kaplan
David C. Cook Publishing has announced its upcoming release of “How Sweet the Sound,” the first novel written by Zionsville resident Amy K. Sorrells. Many of you may know Sorrells as the mother of three boys — Tucker, 16, Charlie, 15, and Isaac, 12 — or the writer of a regular column that ran in the “Times Sentinel” from 2009 to 2012 called “Life With a Twist.” Sorrells’ new novel has an inspirational tone — as did her columns — that is driven by her steadfast belief that no matter how broken life becomes, there is always hope if you just keep at it.
Sorrells began writing “How Sweet the Sound” in 2006. True to her belief, Sorrells worked diligently for several years to get her work published, all the while being a wife, the mother of three young boys, a nurse and an advocate for RAINN (the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), as well as being active in Mission to Ukraine. After numerous rejections from publishers all over the country, her perseverance paid off and David C. Cook Publishing agreed to publish her novel. In fact, the publisher was so impressed with Sorrells’ work that it has already agreed to publish her second novel that is scheduled to be released in 2015.
“How Sweet the Sound” is a story set in the summer of 1980 in the fictional Alabama 
coastal town of Bay Spring. The story centers around the Harlans, an Alabama family plagued by three generations of sin, who ultimately find redemption. The story opens rather shockingly with a rape and double murder within the Harlan family. As the family’s terrible secrets are revealed, there is a healing that begins through faith. The story has a biblical underpinning from the story of Tamar in 2 Samuel 13.
The novel will be available at national bookstores Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million and online at Amazon. Locally, Black Dog Books, in the Village, will hold a release event March 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. To coincide with the theme of domestic violence in the novel, donations of blankets and toiletries to benefit Helping Hands in Lebanon will be taken at the Black Dog Books event. Sorrells will also be a participant in the Hussey-Mayfield Library’s Author Talk program March 25 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
“How Sweet the Sound” has received outstanding reviews:
“A stirring tale of loss and redemption. Amy Sorrells will break your heart and piece it back twice its size.” — Billy Coffey, author of “When Mockingbirds Sing”
“Amy K. Sorrells has a lyrical voice that immediately draws you into the complex lives of captivating characters and a powerful tale that will leave you breathless. This is one of those stories that will continue to live on in a reader’s mind long after turning the last page. It is hard to believe that ‘How Sweet the Sound’ is a debut novel.” — Tina Ann Forkner, author of “Rose House”
