Sound of My Song

The prose and poems in this book tell the story of young SusanneStephenson, growing up on the land in central Iowa, where early Europeansettlers brought their Christian faith along with their need for land, achurch, and a school. She marries her like-minded love, and after herhusband earns advanced degrees in an Iowa university, they move theirfamily to Virginia for her husband's work and for school for Susanne andthe children. Susanne learns in the early years that she carries the defective gene fordepression, but with specialty doctors providing the proper medication,she earns her degree, cares for her family, and teaches in the Virginiaschools. The passion for writing becomes a catharsis that she uses toresearch the family's history. Susanne openly talks to God throughout her life, believing that the Creatorwalks with her through each of life's events. As she grieves through herhusband's early death and the tragedy of the death of her sister's child, itbecomes clear that depression is striking someone in each of the sibling'sfamily, tragically - one by one. The poems listed in the book, follow hergrief and gradual recovery - evident in the world of her words. As a single person wanting to marry again, she meets people of differentcultures, religions, and values, but now, would God send this man to herdoor? This could not be possible, and she faces a diffcult decision. Afterchanges from her earlier life, she is still talking to her God.