Nominated for a 2014 Lime Award for Excellence in Fiction
Named a Best Book of Summer 2014 by Publishers Weekly
Named a Pick of the Week for the week of June 30th by Publishers Weekly
“An earnest, well-done historical novel that skillfully blends fact and fiction.”
–Publishers Weekly
“A profound story of how one unforeseen event may tear a family apart, but another can just as unexpectedly … one unforeseen event may tear a family apart, but another can just as unexpectedly bring them back together again.”
—Publishers Weekly, Best Book of Summer 2014 Pick
“Solomon enticingly described the novel Sing in the Morning, Cry at Night by Barbara J. Taylor (Akashic), set in a coal-mining town in 1913, as ‘one of those sit on the couch and don’t bother me’ reads.”
—Shelf Awareness, NCIBA Spring Rep Picks
“An absolute gem of a book filled with beautiful characters and classical writing techniques rarely seen in modern literature.”
—The Christian Manifesto, Top Fiction Pick of 2014
“This story is at once poignant and hopeful, spiced up by such characters as Billy Sunday, the revivalist, and Grief, the specter who haunts Grace to the very edge of sanity. A rich debut.”
—Historical Novel Society
“Like Dickens, the novel faces family tragedy, in this case the town blaming 8-year-old Violet Morgan for her older sister’s death. As her parents fall victim to their own vices, Violet learns how to form her own friendships to survive.”
—Arts.Mic
“A fantastic novel worthy of the greatest accolades. Writing a book about a historical event can be difficult, as is crafting a bestseller, but Barbara J. Taylor is successful at both.”
—Downtown Magazine
“Taylor’s careful attention to detail and her deep knowledge of the community and its people give the novel a welcome gravity.”
—The Columbus Dispatch
“One of the most compelling books I’ve ever read…a haunting story that will stay with the reader long after reading this novel.”
—Story Circle Book Reviews
“Rave reviews are pouring in for this historical novel of a family tragedy.”
—The Halifax Reader, “6 New Books to Look for in July”
“This well-written book is peopled with characters the reader can really care about and captures the feeling of a gritty twentieth century coal mining community.”
—Breakthrough, newsletter of the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation
“Like all good historical fiction, I learned from this novel.”
—Time 2 Read
“This book has…prizewinner written all over it….Worth the read!”
—I’ve Read This
“This haunting story of tragedy and hope in an early twentieth century mining town is…an expertly crafted arrow that shoots straight for the heart. Reminiscent of classics such as How Green Was My Valley…this book is a must-read for fans of character-driven, authentic historical fiction.”
—Amy Drown Blog
Almost everyone in town blames eight-year-old Violet Morgan for the death of her nine-year-old sister, Daisy. Sing in the Morning, Cry at Night opens on September 4, 1913, two months after the Fourth of July tragedy. Owen, the girls’ father, “turns to drink” and abandons his family. Their mother Grace falls victim to the seductive powers of Grief, an imagined figure who has seduced her off-and-on since childhood. Violet forms an unlikely friendship with Stanley Adamski, a motherless outcast who works in the mines as a breaker boy. During an unexpected blizzard, Grace goes into premature labor at home and is forced to rely on Violet, while Owen is “off being saved” at a Billy Sunday Revival. Inspired by a haunting family story, Sing in the Morning, Cry at Night blends real life incidents with fiction to show how grace can be found in the midst of tragedy.
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Sing in the Morning, Cry at Night, Barbara Taylor’s debut novel, is one of the most compelling books I’ve ever read. It is historical fiction about Scranton, PA’s coal mining community in 1913; as a coal miner’s granddaughter, this story resonated with me. The author set the tone by dedicating the book to her father, followed with a quote by Fanny J. Crosby, “This is my story, this is my song…”
Violet tossed the sparkler in the air that landed on her sister’s dress and caught it on fire. We witness a heartbreaking scene as nine year old Daisy begs her eight year old sister, Violet, to play familiar Sunday school songs on their small piano, positioned just outside her bedroom door, while Daisy sings along.
A sunbeam, a sunbeam… to shine for him each day.
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling…come home, come home…
Away in a manger…bless all the dear children in thy tender care.
Their mother tells Violet to stop and let Daisy rest. Dasiy insisted and continued singing until she lost consciousness. Her funeral was one of the largest in city history; word had spread of the singing angel…
Violet’s guilt was palpable as her faith evolved. The intermittent lines of church songs, such as, “I come to the garden alone…” through the book added a layer of haunting poignancy.
Unexpected plot twists, excellent pacing and a well-developed cast of characters brought the story to life. The mother’s bondage to the auditory and tactile hallucination, Grief, seduced her through sinister maneuvers into a crippling depression…almost to the point of no return, created an unforgettable story of loss. Violet’s father’s alcoholism was portrayed with compassion, as well as Violet’s grief, guilt, feelings of abandonment and despair. Violet’s friend Stanley’s innate intelligence and feisty attitude despite his desperate situation depicted an era where only the strong survived. The kind Doctor who made house calls added depth to the novel. Missionary Adelaide provided tension; her self-righteousness provided a thin veneer of her gluttonous appetite and gossiping prayer requests.
The coal mining culture: of company towns, company stores, the constant threat of mining accidents…if a father was killed in a mining accident, the oldest son, even if only eight years old, had to work in the mines as a breaker boy or the family would lose the right to live in the company house.
In the middle of the Christmas Eve service, the mine whistle blew and everyone, including the organist, ran to the mines to see who would be the unlucky ones in the cave-in. The chronological story takes place in a period of nine months moves ahead at a steady pace, yet utilizes back story when needed.
The anticipation of the Billy Sunday revival meetings threaded through the book and was a strong factor in the novel’s conclusion. Billy Sunday was one of the best outfielders in major league baseball at the time and a powerful evangelist. He often started his sermons by running onto the stage swinging a ball bat and declaring, “I’m here to make a home run for God.”
The author used subtle wit, such as To Keep Awake In Church, “…lift one foot a little way from the floor and hold it there. It is impossible to go to sleep when your foot is poised in the air….”
Taylor’s writing reminds me most of Australian author Colleen McCullough’s. It makes us aware of the many changes in our daily lives during the last 100 years. The Morgan family’s story will stay with the reader long after reading Sing in the Morning, Cry at Night.