Toni Morrison famously said, “If there is a book that you want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

When I began writing HER MEMORY OF MUSIC, there wasn’t an abundance of inspirational (“Christian”) novels that compellingly addressed real-life issues, where answers aren’t easy and problems are complex—maybe even scandalous. Fortunately, in the years since I began, more of these have arrived on the scene. I hope readers will find this book to be one of them.

I strive to make my characters mirror real life, where people grapple with eternal issues: of fear, and faith, and forgiveness. I also aim to broaden the typical reader’s awareness of the plight of so many girls and women around the world who are the objects of oppression. I seek to bring together two very different lifestyles—that of the woman in the developed world living in relative comfort but with significant questions of faith and purpose; and that of the woman in the developing world whose basic needs are great but whose voice has so little chance of being heard. I want to show the connection between these different women, bringing their two worlds together and revealing them as one.

I also desire to show how living in fear is no way to live. To show that God is a very big God who sees and cares, who orchestrates events and fights on our behalf. And to celebrate the empowering of women by God’s daily grace.

My hope is that every reader will be encouraged to find her own empowered voice—and in doing so, to give a hand up to other women who still need one.

Quick take:

Life has taught Ally Brennan to stay on her guard—even in quiet Langley-by-the-Sea. A resourceful single mom, she’s content to play her beloved viola for an audience of one, fiercely protective of the stable life she’s created for her young son. She gives no hint of secret fears, a musical career abandoned, or the man she once loved who shadows their happiness.

When a burglary threatens Ally’s peaceful existence, it thrusts her into an unlikely friendship with her neighbor Rees Davies. As their families’ lives entwine, Ally and Rees resist the attraction between them, believing a future together could not possibly work. Then a terrible accident draws her back to the hometown she fled, forcing confrontations with those left behind. If she hopes to reclaim the life she dreams of, Ally must make peace with what she’s sacrificed—and entrust dangerous secrets to those she’s come to love.

Lyrical and layered, Her Memory of Music explores the burden of love and the high stakes of vulnerability.

Kind words:

“For those searching for Christian fiction that brings spiritual themes to the table, but that shows characters wrestling with real-life issues in realistic ways, this is definitely the novel to read. Unusual, satisfying, standout read.” ~ Heather Day Gilbert, bestselling author of God’s Daughter

“Bottom line: Her Memory of Music is a great story, full of authentic relationships and beautiful writing. Highly recommended for fans of Lisa Wingate, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Elizabeth Musser.” ~ Brandy Heineman, author of Whispers in the Branches

“Katherine Scott Jones’s Her Memory of Music beautifully harmonizes intrigue, suspense, romance, and the Christian life; and that mixing of Christianity and adventure is an art few writers compose as well as Katherine. I’m definitely buying copies for my wife and daughter (and I may just sneak in a second read myself). Husbands, your wives and daughters will love it.” ~ Sam Williamson, author of Hearing God’s Voice in Conversation