She's the most popular resident of Sovereign, Maine yet no one in this rural farming community of 1,048 souls has ever known the story behind Miss Hastings' seven decades of dedication to schoolchildren. Now, Maggie the town's minister sets out on a quest to plumb the mystery of Miss Hastings' past before the retired music teacher — nearing her 89th birthday and in failing health — departs this world forever.

Much like a tapestry the novel weaves from the 1940s to the present day revealing the story of Jana Hastings, a child musical prodigy who once graced the stages of New York. When an illness cuts short her career, Jana is sent to Windmere Sanatorium in central Maine for the treatment of TB. While at Windmere various events — including first love, first loss, and the thundering approach of WWII — catapult the self-centered teenager into mature womanhood.

A poignant, standalone novel, The Songbird of Sovereign is Jennifer Wixson's best effort yet. You won't want to miss a minute in this mythical Maine town.