Series ✦ Penny’s Take
Songs in Ordinary Time
Mary McGarry Morris · 2017
84/100
👍 Worth It
This Oprah's Book Club pick is literary fiction at its most richly drawn — a harrowing portrait of a struggling Vermont family in 1960 that pulls no punches about addiction, manipulation, and the quiet cruelties communities inflict on each other. Morris's characterization is masterful and the atmosphere is unforgettable, though the unrelenting darkness and length make it a commitment. For adult readers who can handle a heavy, absorbing story, it is genuinely worth the time.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety65
substance88
craft90
originality78
accuracy85
hype72
age-fit80
human-eye90
Penny’s verdict84
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