There is no moon tonight; my room is dark as a dungeon.

I am holding the CD in trembling hands.

What have you done to yourself? What have you done to me?
I slam the door closed.

“You betrayed me, that’s what you did,” I cry-moan into the dark, empty room.

My whole body is quivering now. With injustice, with fury, with pity for myself — and somewhere, somewhere, for you too.

*******

Music is in Naomi’s blood. She’s grown up with song. But why is the masterpiece she created together with Dad driving them ever further apart?

While researching a science report, Naomi discovers that whales in the ocean make underwater “music” to find and connect with members of their family. But her own family’s music is discordant, off-key. Even as she tries to find Dad, to find herself, even as she feels like a lost whale trying to connect…

And what is she left with when she turns away from the music she cannot bear to listen to? A new school with a confusing social scene; fledgling, half-hearted relationships. A home emptier of everything but questions.

But also… a vivacious teacher trying to bring an eclectic group of girls together. A brother who understands. And maybe others, more than she cares to admit, who do too…

Can Naomi learn to forgive her father for his betrayal? Can she build a deeper relationship with her mother, allow herself to connect with her peers? Can she show her rich inner self to the world?

Song of the Sea is the poignant story of an introverted teen and the challenges and misjudgments she faces. It is a beautifully written and thought-provoking novel that will move you to find the song in the great sea of different people. To hear the song within yourself.

By Rivky Streicher