Jed King is a singer/songwriter, trying to find his place in the music industry. His father was the legendary David King, but Jed wants to be recognized for his own talent and make a name for himself. The songs he writes are heartfelt, and the lyrics express his faith in God. As he is working his way up to bigger venues, Jed gets a small gig performing at a vineyard harvest festival. There, he meets the vineyard owner’s daughter, Rose. Practically from the first moment he sees her, he falls in love with this down-to-earth girl with a beautiful smile, a big heart, and a faith that matches his own. He courts her while trying to prove to Rose’s father that he is sincere, trustworthy, and can be the loving and devoted husband Rose deserves.

Jed and Rose marry on the vineyard in the half-finished chapel Jed is building for his bride. Rose is just the inspiration Jed needs to take his music to the next level, and a ballad he writes for her is an instant hit. When Rose gets pregnant and delivers a baby boy, Jed promises that his family will always come first. But Jed is gaining stardom, and while Rose is supportive, it isn’t long before she feels that she and their son are taking a back seat to his career. It is then that things start falling apart. Rose feels like when Jed comes home from a tour, it’s only for one thing: sex. She pulls away, and Jed ends up feeling rejected and unappreciated.

"THE SONG is poignant, engaging and relevant.... You may find some portions of the novel difficult to read at times because of how profoundly the message hits home and reminds us of our own human weaknesses. But that is also what makes it such a wonderful read."

Then spitfire rocker Shelby Bales comes aboard Jed’s tour as an opening act. Shelby has a definite agenda that includes doing everything she can to have Jed as her own, no matter the consequences. Even though Jed’s marriage is already on shaky ground, he doesn’t give in to Shelby’s advances at first. But over time, the temptation becomes too much to resist.  Jed falls into not only adultery, but also alcohol and drugs. His faith takes a nosedive, and his life is soon spiraling out of control.

Meanwhile, Rose knows her marriage is crumbling and wants to do whatever she can to save it, but doesn’t know how. As much as she wants to blame it all on Jed, she wisely realizes that it takes two to make a marriage and two to break it.

THE SONG is poignant, engaging and relevant. Based on the biblical story of King Solomon, the comparisons are obvious. Jed’s initial good intentions and strong faith are overcome with the lure of fame, fortune and pleasure. This story shows how easy it is to fall into temptation, and how tightly the enemy can entangle us in his web and take us much farther than we want to go. It also shows how our poor choices can destroy us --- physically, emotionally, financially and relationally --- and that the result is often much worse than we expect.

As Solomon cautioned all those years ago, chasing after the things of this world is not what brings happiness or fulfillment. But, despite our ability to resist or flee temptation, the main message of this story is one of grace and redemption. No matter what we do or how deep we fall, God is always there to welcome us back, even if we are left to pick up the pieces of the aftermath we leave in our wake.

You may find some portions of the novel difficult to read at times because of how profoundly the message hits home and reminds us of our own human weaknesses. But that is also what makes it such a wonderful read.

THE SONG is based on the motion picture screenplay by Richard L. Ramsey, now available on DVD.