HETTY'S SONG, THE DEATH OF THE SKYLARK --Released

READERS ARE TALKING* --

--This is as entertaining a book as I’ve ever read.  
The story itself is captivating, drawing the reader 
into the struggles,  triumphs, and tragedies of Hetty’s 
life.  She is a charming, lovable, frustrating

young woman.  My heart was touched in so many 
ways by her journey.  -- Grannylin, Richmond, TX.

--Haunting, redemptive story that never dilutes its 
strength in faddish fantasy.  Realism and grit integrate 
with deep caring for lovely things of the heart. 
--Carol Menges, Boise, Idaho

--The themes of overcoming adversity, struggling 
with mental illness, and enhancing and using a 
God-given talent, provide the reader  with not only 
enjoyment, but thoughtful reflection.  – Meg E. Lewis

--The descriptions of the characters are so vivid 
that each of them comes to life for the reader.  Hetty’s 
trusting nature and her desire to attain her goal as 
a singer are so heart-warming that the reader is

aching for her to succeed.  -- Tutor

--Really like the setting of the story.  Hetty was a very 
sheltered girl and the world just overwhelmed her.  
In today’s society, this happens. I would recommend 
this book very highly.  –Farmer’s Wife.

--I am not usually a fan of historical fiction, but 
had read one of Mrs. Andrews other books.  The prologue 
was a little airy for me (probably because I’m a guy).  
I really didn’t know if I was going to get into this one.  
Within two pages of chapter one, I was sucked in and

by the time I had to stop for dinner on page 50 I didn’t 
want to put it down.  –Louis Epstein

--In Hetty’s Song, author Barbara  Andrews tells the 
story of a young girl’s journey from sheltered backwoods 
innocence to urban womanhood in late-18^th-century 
America.  The book is full of vivid characters and

evocative settings so rich in detail that it feels almost 
as though the author is giving us an eyewitness account. 
– GayCee

--Ms.  Andrews develops the ideas of human frailty, 
courage, and self fulfillment through believable, well 
defined characters whose choices and motives drive the 
storyline.  Her vibrant descriptions of rural Virginia and
the cities of Cincinnati and Omaha add authenticity to the

story, and her use of imagery, particularly the evil skylark, 
enriches the reader’s understanding of Hetty’s struggles.   
This is an engrossing, fast-paced book which engages the
reader throughout.  I highly recommend it.  –thosmw

__________

*Representative Amazon reviews.  October, 2013

Plain, in gray homespun and prayer cap, gifted teenaged Hetty has one desire in life. To sing. But the Brethren tradition in the mountain village of Singer’s Glen, Virginia, forbids a girl to perform in public.

Tragedy forces Hetty to live with her austere grandmother until catastrophe pushes her to run away and seek shelter with an eclectic group of Christian ladies living in a former Madam’s house in Ohio. Under the tutelage of a noted maestro she becomes a famous singer, the new Nightingale of Cincinnati.

Naïve and vulnerable to the ways of the world, Hetty fears the curse of an ancient evil skylark which is ever present, ever threatening to send her into a spiral of illness and disorder.  She falls under the spell of a man, finds herself pregnant, and at his mercy. She must decide whether to marry this man, the father of her unborn child.

The skylark sings as her tormentor cruelly forces her into his life of lies, gambling, and crime. At the breaking point, to avoid succumbing to his evil, she fights with her one last weapon:  she wills her voice to silence. Will the skylark’s curse triumph or will she be the greatest singer to come from the Shenandoah Mountains?

Editorial - Hetty's Song, the Death of the Skylark

There are many aspects to writing a story from the
Shenandoah Valley, particularly Singer’s Glen.  The
area is a beautiful spot in the American landscape
and the traditions and uniqueness of Singer’s

Glen something to not be forgotten.

I’ve received a number of responses to the advanced
reading copies made available from the publisher
and have been astounded by the many individuals
who relate to similar circumstances in their own
lives or found in those of their kin. In a contemporary
sense, although Hetty’s Song is a fictional historical
novel, many of her experiences are mirrored in life
today. 

More important than the commercial side of writing a book, I wanted readers to get to know Hetty for her talent and courage set in a time when women’s achievements may have been discouraged and/or 

hidden from proper acknowledgement.

As one of my friends related after reading the book, “I’ve met Hetty, and I like her.”