Daughter of country hit wonder*. Actress. Songwriter…Lauren Braddock Havey's first book, Journey to the Son, had to be good. I'd never met or heard of Lauren who lives in "my fair city," until she popped up on a social media site for which I'm a paid moderator. Turns out, as I saw in the crowd of her supporters that gathered for a reading and book signing at Davis-Kidd Booksellers last fall, we had a number of kindred spirited friends and acquaintances in common. 

My being there, and others being there were testimony of the power of social media. I learned about Havey on a social media site, but discovered her book signing in a Tweet. And one of the night's attendees was a woman who had recently reunited with Havey via Facebook. They had gone to elementary school together. And through the phenomena of social media, we had all connected and were there to support Havey who also performed with locally based talent Don Henry.  In addition to writing a book, the author exercised her more seasoned talent for songwriting and performing and also previewed her newly released CD of song titles to accompany every chapter of her book. Only in Music City.

In all but a couple of chapters, A Journey to the Son is a gripping read through this local artist's struggle with infertility, a challenging pregnancy and a birth that almost cost Havey her own life. Most women do not survive an amniotic fluid embolism. And rarely is it diagnosed until an autopsy is done. 

A "motherless daughter," Havey's tale is a peek into surprising layers of heartache, fame and stardom, loss and resilience, Nashville back when, glimpses of life in L.A. and New York, all told in a well-crafted fast-paced read. Love books? In the thick of the Motherhood Journey? Or, just want to support a local author, give A Journey to the Son a deserved read. 

*Bobby Braddock, Lauren's father, penned "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today," among others.