BOOK REVIEW: A SONG THAT NEVER ENDS BY MARK A. GIBSON

RATING: 📚📚📚📚📚

This is the story of Walter Hamilton and his family during the Great Depression and World War II era. . I like how the book was written. Each chapter is a certain time period of the Hamilton family’s life, from 1937 to 1967, 30 years.

The book began in 1937, when Walter was eighteen years old. He got married to Margaret “Maggie” Butler, a preacher’s daughter. In the first few chapters, so much had happened. It was back to back tragedies in this book. My poor heart broke the entire book.

Walter was a hard working man. He did right by his country and his family. He had his issues after the war, but he persevered through it the best he could and continued to provide for his family. Maggie, my heart broke for her a lot. I don’t think women get the credit we deserve. We have to carry the child, raise the child, and tend to the house. Now throw in miscarriages or the death of a child, and it just leaves you rattled.

The attack on Pearl Harbor happened, and Walter decided to enlist in WW2. Walter felt it was his duty to fight for his country, but Maggie did not agree. After the loss of a child, she could not handle the thought of losing her husband. War was hard on Walter, he missed home. He often wrote letters that his wife never responded to. And with any war, you expect some casualties, but man, the back to back death is a lot to take in.

One of my favorite things about the book was how each chapter broke down the years covered. It was easy to follow the time line. I loved how we got Maggie’s view from the time Walter was away at war. Turns out she was battling her own war at home. We get a glimpse into the other family members and how they handle day to day. I fell in love with every Hamilton member. I got pissed off (of course I did) a lot, I cried damn near every chapter, and I felt proud when accomplishments were made.

This was a great read. It was not a fun read by any means, but a great read. If you are an emotional reader, I recommend this book. If you love historical fiction, I recommend this book. If you like reading about real life struggles, experiences that you can relate to, and strong foundations, I recommend this book.