Born to Fly

June 8, 2020
Country music singer Evans (Love Lifted Me) sparkles in this down-home memoir about her career and Midwestern upbringing. Growing up on a farm in tiny New Franklin, Mo., where her high school graduating class numbered 35, and as part of a large family, Evans was a self-declared tomboy and discovered her musical aptitude at age five. Despite being hit by a car as an eight-year-old (with a long, difficult hospital stay in traction from multiple broken bones and a severe concussion) and her parents’ divorce, Evans describes an idyllic childhood. She then explores her life’s high points—her second marriage to NFL player Jay Barker, her platinum-selling albums —and difficult moments, such as her divorce from her first husband, the father of her children. Evans’s girl-next-door tone will charm readers, and her quiet but powerful testament to her religious beliefs makes clear her values, but, commendably, doesn’t pass judgment on those with other views. Evans’s fans will devour this humble yet incredible life story.

July 1, 2020
A popular country singer discusses her life traumas and offers advice about men, marriage, and parenthood. Missouri native Evans was a self-professed "daddy's girl" who bonded with her father over a shared love of singing and showed a special gift for music at an early age. Her mother put together a family band, and soon Evans and her siblings were playing all over Missouri at everything from state fairs to Eagles Lodge dances. Difficulty coping with the stress suffered when Evans sustained injuries from being hit by a car led to familial strife, and her parents divorced just as she reached adolescence. Because her father ignored her, Evans began a long-term pattern of " 'begging' men to love me" and choosing abusive partners. It was her dream of country singer stardom that helped her leave a bad relationship (which she does not discuss in detail) and go to Nashville. A series of lucky breaks led to a seven-record deal with RCA, but the author did not achieve fame until the release of her third album. Sadly, her "fairy tale" life fell apart when she had a "meltdown" and then divorced the husband she neither describes nor names. A second marriage to a divorced father and former University of Alabama quarterback led to a happy blended family Evans dubs the "Barker Bunch." In the second half of the book, the author offers such secrets for a happy marriage as "don't be too needy or clingy [and] have your own friends." Regarding her children, Evan writes about the need for discipline and fostering open lines of communication. Interspersed throughout with personal photographs, the memoir, though neither insightful nor revealing, will likely appeal to the singer's fans and country music lovers. Light, not-especially-memorable reading.

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August 1, 2020
As a child, country music star Evans was hit by a car in front of her family farm. Presumed dead, she spent months hospitalized and more months recovering. From a young age, though, she had a drive to perform and succeed, honed in no small part by hard physical work. A performing family, she and her brothers continued singing engagements even while she was wheelchair-bound. Her parents' divorce and the loss of her father's attention took a toll, but Evans is indomitable even as she grapples with the vicissitudes, past and present, of the music industry. She mourns the rise of "bro-country" and the absence of female singers. While the first half of the book comprises her life story, the second half focuses on her faith and shares Evans' wisdom for making a strong marriage and raising well-adjusted children. She advocates separate his-and-her bathrooms to preserve mystery. A few pet peeves are women who "give up" and use paper plates, and children who don't use napkins. Fans will devour this book, but many readers are likely to enjoy this warm, approachable read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)