annieb123's Review of Sing, I

by Ethel Rohan

One woman's path to rediscovering herself through music, romance, and a little vigilantism

Inside Half Moon Bay, a sparkling California coastal town, Ester Prynn is dulled and diminished by struggles with work, money, marriage, her senile father, a troubled teenage son, and old guilt she can’t assuage. When a masked gunman robs the convenience store where Ester works, he upends her fraught life and propels her toward passions buried, like singing; desires discovered, like a same-sex infatuation; and wrongs righted, like bringing the violent assailant to justice. But as the armed robber commits new crimes and continues to evade capture, the trauma from the holdup climbs, threatening Ester’s newfound delights and longings and forcing her to contend with her burning regrets and what-ifs. In the reckoning between Ester and these growing, molten upsets, she’s faced with enormous choices and must determine what and who can bring her to her best life.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Sing, I is an often melancholy, well rendered character driven story by Ethel Rohan. Released 15th April 2024 by the Northwestern University Press, it's 320 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.

Readable and engaging, it's too well written to be strictly be classified as Chick-Lit, but it will appeal to readers who enjoy character arcs with female protagonists finding themselves and changing their own lives, as well as the way they interact with the people in their orbit. The prose is very good and the author excels at characterization. There are a fair number of unbelievable situations which pop up throughout the story, and Esther's husband is a saint, but overall it's an interesting story, well told.

Four stars. It would make a good choice for public library acquisition, home use, or a reading club/buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

12 October, 2024: Started reading

12 October, 2024: Finished reading

12 October, 2024: Reviewed