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Likely Stories - Heard it in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis

Heard it in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis

A pleasant story of overcoming obstacles.

Tracey Garvis Graves is a New York Times bestselling author.  Her most recent bestseller, The Girl He Used to Know received rave reviews.  Her latest novel is Heard it in a Love Song.  She currently lives in Des Moines, Iowa.

Layla Hilding is thirty-five and recently divorced.  She had some glory days as a lead singer.  Her ex-husband, Iiam, shares custody with Layla.  Josh is an electrician, and he begins thinking about Lala every day.

The story begins, Graves writes, “Layla Hilding-Cook stood on the curb next to the drop-off line on a mild day in early September, bracing herself for what she was about to endure.  Drop-off and pickup frustrated the staff on the best of days, but that was nothing compared to the confusion on the first day of school” (3). 

Tonya Perkins taught with Layla for ten years.  When Layla split from Liam, she shut down and could not handle the break-up.  Tonya wrote from time to time, and on occasion brought some food and comfort.  Finally, Layla opened up.  “‘The break was good for me,’  The divorce would be finalized soon and that would feel like another momentous milestone.

In Chapter Two, “Josh climbed back into his truck and stifled a yawn.  The house he bought after he moved out was too close to the school to qualify for bus service, but he didn’t mind.  One of the reasons he enjoyed self-employment so much that it gave him the flexibility to take his daughter to school and pick her up at the end of the day.  He was already used to filling in the gaps when it came to Sasha’s care, and he was happy to do it. // Sasha had awakened at five-am, too excited for the first day of school to stay in bed a minute longer. 

He'd tried to gain another hour of sleep by coxing her back to her room, but Sasha wanted nothing to do with that plan” (10). 

In Chapter Four, “Kimmy brought Sasha back to Josh’s house on Saturday at noon.  ‘She slept in this morning,’ Kimmy said.  ‘I think kindergarten tired her out.’ // ‘Maybe she’ll start sleeping in regularly, Josh said. // ‘well, we can hope.’ // It wasn’t unheard-of to fall madly in love in high school, but it was less likely that two eighteen-year-old kids would take it all the way to the altar” (20).

In Chapter Five, “On Saturday, Layla slept in and then changed into an old pair of jeans and the torn and faded Rolling Stones concert T-shirt she’d been wearing since she’d bought it after their show in two-thousand-two and refused to ever part with it.  Hers was authentic, unlike the current iteration she’d seen on the rack at Target” (25).

Tracey Garvis Graves has an interesting story of love and possibilities for an improved future.  Heard it in a Love Song is a story of overcoming obstacles.  5 Stars!

Likely Stories is a production of KWBU.  I’m Jim McKeown.  Join me again for next time for Likely Stories, and happy reading!

Life-long voracious reader, Jim McKeown, is an English Instructor at McLennan Community College. His "Likely Stories" book review can be heard every Thursday on KWBU-FM! Reviews include fiction, biographies, poetry and non-fiction. Join us for Likely Stories every Thursday featured during Morning Edition and All Things Considered with encore airings Saturday and Sunday during Weekend Edition.