
It's not our publication, but we feel like bragging anyway because the author, Louis Greenstein, is a long-time member of the Working Writers Group, the organization behind New Door Books.
You may recognize the title, The Song of Life, as a play on the name of the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu holy scripture. But this is a novel. But this is also a spiritual book. But this is also a book about violence and murder. But this is primarily a book about love, friendship, and peace.
The story begins when Margaret, the chief protagonist, is sitting among the stacks in her town library. For no reason on earth, a copy of the Bhagavad Gita falls off a shelf and bonks her in the head. She leaves the library with a lump on her skull and her life changed forever.
Those who've read Greenstein's Mr. Boardwalk will recognize his goofy humor, which surprises and delights throughout the book, especially through the character of Elliott Fenwick, the world's nerdiest nerd who somehow wins every reader's heart.
Much less funny is Margaret's relationship with an abusive minister, "Pastor Gary," who takes advantage of his religious authority. The Gita's influence helps her recover from this trauma. As Janet Mason, one of the early reviewers puts it, the book "explores the underbelly of religion and the upside of spirituality."
Check it out. The Song of Life will create a lump in your throat, if not on your head.