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The Sweetest Hallelujah

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The Sweetest Hallelujah

By: Elaine Hussey
Narrated by: Natalie Ross
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An unforgettable story of two courageous women brought together by one extraordinary little girl

Betty Jewel Hughes was once the hottest black jazz singer in Memphis. But when she finds herself pregnant and alone, she gives up her dream of being a star to raise her beautiful daughter, Billie, in Shakerag, Mississippi. Now, ten years later, in 1955, Betty Jewel is dying of cancer and looking for someone to care for Billie when she’s gone. With no one she can count on, Betty Jewel does the unthinkable: she takes out a want ad seeking a loving mother for her daughter.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, recently widowed Cassie Malone is an outspoken housewife insulated by her wealth and privileged white society. Working part-time at a newspaper, she is drawn to Betty Jewel through her mysterious ad. With racial tension in the South brewing, the women forge a bond as deep as it is forbidden. But neither woman could have imagined the gifts they would find in each other, and in the sweet young girl they both love with all their hearts. Deeply moving and richly evocative, The Sweetest Hallelujah is a remarkable tale about finding hope in a time of turmoil, and about the transcendent and transformative power of friendship.

©2013 Peggy Webb (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.
African American Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt
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Would you listen to The Sweetest Hallelujah again? Why?

Yes, I loved the story and found it very easy to listen to.

What did you like best about this story?

The story of the struggles of a single dying mother and her bravery of trying to find someone to look after her daughter when she departs the world

Which character – as performed by Natalie Ross – was your favourite?

My favourite has to be the little girl Billie

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I could easily have done so if I had more free time.

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I found it very easy to read and I found myself engrossed in it. It is a bittersweet story about a lovely and precious little girl named Billie, who is being brought up by her dying single Mother and her Grandma. This story is all about the path her brave mother takes to find someone to look after her daughter when she departs this world. She puts an add in a newspaper and when this particular person reads this advert she is intrigued and then a few shocks and revelations occur - without giving the game away things get resolved, that is all I will say.

A great read!

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