Writing good songs and writing good books don't always happen, but Mary Gauthier is a good author and songwriter! I wasn't familiar with her before I read this book! Loved using the songs as chapter titles!

This was more memoir than how to, but it was an interesting read. Folks who want to write songs, who have struggled with addiction and anxiety or loved someone who has, or who knew the Boston/Cambridge scene in the 1990s and 2000s will enjoy it.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

One of my favorite memoirs of all time. Beautifully crafted with so much heart - just like the author's musical compositions. The audiobook edition is wonderful with songs in each chapter. Can't wait for her next book!

I love the insights this book gave to the music and songwriting process. As a songwriter myself, I really empathized with the author and really appreciated the transparency. Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this!

There are a lot of memoirs, especially from people suffering from alcoholism but this one from singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier comes with a twist--her take on the mysterious art of writing a song. Although Mary had been playing guitar and singing for a long time, she came to songwriting comparatively late in life. As such, she suffers with that age-old question of all artists. Is she good enough or is she kidding herself? Mary goes to gigs where no one appears but eventually finds herself in a singer circle at Nashville with some heavyweights, where one of them--the late, great Nanci Griffith hands her guitar to Mary and tells her to keep it. It's a rite of passage and a Nashville tradition and it means to Mary that she has arrived, that she is respected.

This is well-written, passionate tale about one's art and the struggle to make it against all odds and who wouldn't be rooting for Mary to make it? Along the way, she breaks down her songs and how they were born and what it took to write them. A satisfying adventure through one's soul.

A beautiful memoir on the power of song - how it can reach you on a personal level and also how it can connect you to other people. Author and folk singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier digs deep into addiction and how Gauthier needed music once becoming sober.

An enlightening book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I think everyone has turned to music at some point in their lives. If not frequently. Those with a heightened appreciation for music will enjoy this. As you would expect, songs are played on the audio version.

Favorite quote: "Storytellers have power; they are not voiceless victims. In a song we are given the authority to be the writer of our story instead of the paper it is written on. We become the narrator instead of the narrated, turning our story into something that might be useful to others."

I was familiar with some of Mary Gauthier’s songs and her work with veterans, so I was excited to learn more about her through this book. Through this telling of her life, she weaves in the stories of songs - both those she wrote and those written by others - as examples of healing, finding understanding, and sharing the truth.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thanks to St. Martin's Essentials for an ARC of Saved by a Song in exchange for an honest review! The description of this book was compelling, and it certainly lived up to the praise!

Singer and songwriter Mary Gauthier pens this memoir about her journey into songwriting and describes the anatomy of a song, yet from an emotional standpoint. Her language throughout the book is poignant and passionate, and is exactly how you would expect to learn about the inner workings of a song. Not only this, but we learn of Gauthier's struggles to find herself when not knowing anything about her birth parents, and battling with addiction. It was a beautiful story with a lot of heart, and I learned so much about music and realized why it is so impactful.

I highly recommend this one!

Part memoir and part how-I-wrote-that-tune, Saved by a Song is a cool look "under the hood." Mary Gauthier walks the reader through her songwriting process; both in terms of word choice as well as the work she's done to uncover the emotions she sings about.

As such, it's a very personal book, though Gauthier takes pains to broaden her experience. She also discusses how songs bring us together -- I really liked her thoughts on the power of music.

If you've ever felt moved by a song, you may well appreciate this book.

The following content warnings are behind a "spoilers" tag just to be safe (knowing these ahead of time wouldn't have spoiled the book for me). If you don't want to know the specifics before reading Saved by a Song, please know that there are many potential triggers included in the book. The author writes of some really hard times in her life and in the lives of others.
Content warnings: <spoiler>Recollection of a drunk driving arrest, reference to loaded gun pointed in her face, "you should kill yourself" (voice to herself), parents' suicidal ideation, overdose, friends dying of AIDS, time in jail, experiences of homophobia, cousin died in Vietnam War, description of a "Transsexual bordello," reference to sex abuse by priests, recollection of adoption and feelings of abandonment, father's death, alcoholism, hospice, PTSD, discussion of soldiers dying by suicide (and one recounting suicidal ideation)</spoiler>

I have to admit when a copy of Nashville singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier’s new book, Saved by a Song, arrived in my email inbox from a publicist, I had no idea who this folk artist was although her work has been nominated for a Grammy Award. And I know a lot about music, having been a music critic for many years. However, I’m being reminded that there is more music out there that you might know about, so it’s always a gift when you stumble across a band or a musician who has been around for a little bit that might be in line with your tastes. While I have yet to hear a lick of Gauthier’s music — and, I know, I know, there’s the Internet and at the very least YouTube to get started as a primer — I feel that I know what Gauthier’s music sounds like just from the lyrics she includes in this book. Billed by the publisher as “[p]art memoir, part philosophy of art, [and] part nuts and bolts of songwriting,” each chapter starts with a song lyric that was written or co-written by Gauthier (or, in two cases, another songwriter) and uses that as a jumping point to talk about her art and personal history.

If you’re looking for a book that will tell you how to write a hit song, you would best be served by looking elsewhere — primarily because Gauthier, as an artist, isn’t interested in that with her art. She views herself more as a troubadour, a person who speaks truth in their music. The result is that Saved by a Song is a marvelous look at how Gauthier’s life has imitated her art, and sometimes vice-versa. Gauthier has lived a hard life: she was born in an infant asylum in New Orleans in March 1962 and adopted by an Italian family some 11 months later. (Even Gauthier is unsure of her exact birth date.) Her adoptive parents had an abusive relationship and often fought, with the police sometimes getting involved. As a teenager, Gauthier was a bit of a delinquent, stealing a car in one instance and stealing prescription medication at the car wash where she worked all before turning 18. She soon turned to drug and alcohol abuse (but now has been sober for decades). However, she eventually kicked her addictions, she turned to making music by writing her own songs and performing at open mics around the U.S. upper Eastern seaboard, where she was living at the time. Today, her success may be somewhat modest (after all, I haven’t heard of her) but she has a fanbase and, with this book, will probably expand it.

Of course, you don’t need to know Gauthier’s personal history to enjoy Saved by a Song, which is a short read that can be consumed in the course of a single afternoon (which is how fast I read the book). It is simply an illuminating read into the process of creating art from whatever inspiration one might have personally or gleaning it from the shared insights of other people. (For instance, Gauthier has worked with recent U.S. Army veterans who have been traumatized in combat to tell their tales in song, as recounted here.) Gauthier’s stories of living as a recovering addict and an openly gay person are mesmerizing and interesting, and she has a knack for revealing not only about things in her personal life but how she goes about creating her art. She uses revisions of her song lyrics to show how a song opens up and matures with constant editing and boiling the subject matter down to its essence to both capture a truth about a subject or theme and captivate an everyman audience. The book is a fascinating inside look at the writing process — even if the writing here is about music and not necessarily the craft of, say, writing a book. For that reason alone, Saved by a Song is worth the price of admission.

But what particularly makes this volume a commendable read is the fact that Gauthier tells the unvarnished truth about her personal life. She opens herself up. That’s a very hard and brave thing to do because you get the sense that she has done things that she regrets and it must not be easy to admit to others that, say, you attended a recovery centre for 30 days to overcome a problem with addictive romantic relationships — which she also recounts here. Thus, Saved by a Song is a fearless book, making it addictive to read. Even though Mary Gauthier isn’t exactly a household name (at least, not yet), it is refreshing to read of an artist whose raison d’être isn’t necessarily to write a song that will be played on the radio or to have the kind of sex appeal that puts you on the cover of magazines. This is a raw and unflinching account of a life lived as a musician — including stories about her time on the road. To that end, it was gratifying to me to see that Gauthier namechecks touring to the small “blink and you’ll miss it” burg of Maynooth, Ontario, Canada, which is an about 40-minute drive southwest of the slightly bigger small town where I grew up. (It’s nice to see the local area getting a mention in an American mass-market book because I used to live in the literal middle of nowhere!)

All in all, Saved by a Song is also a powerful, life-affirming volume. No matter what travails Gauthier found herself in, she displays a candid, yet can-do attitude that doesn’t dwell on the negativity, but how she funnelled that negativity into producing art that might speak to the ordinary person on the street. For that, the book is enthralling. There’s very little, if anything, that can be said that’s negative about the book — except those who might have a churlish mindset may complain that Gauthier could be a little bit too in love with some of her creations. (But why not? She is very proud of the work she’s done and has every right to be.) Saved by a Song rarely hits a discordant note — it does jump around a little and her life history isn’t always presented chronologically, per se. But, despite that minor criticism, this is a powerful, intriguing, and marvellous piece by a natural raconteur, and I know now that I need to check out this folksy powerhouse of a singer-songwriter and, now, book writer a lot more closely.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this new musical memoir.

In the epilogue of her memoir Saved by a Song:The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting, singer-songwriter-survivor Mary Gauthier calls herself a troubadour. To her, "True Troubadours tell true stories, true to feeling not to fact." Ms. Gauthier's book is loaded with facts, feelings and is one of the best artist memoirs I have read in a long time. You don't sense a pampered star speaking into a ghost writers recording device about their sads. This is a memoir written on napkins, hotel stationery anything that could hold ink about her life and travails. True stories of tough times, and a tougher soul who was burned and hurt and nearly broken, but made it through with a few songs to tell the tale.

As a creative memoir it is engaging also, as she starts off the chapters with song lyrics she has written, with the chapter describing what went into the song physically, and how the song came to be written. To see the creative process, drop this character, change the voice, sing from this perspective, and how she works with collaborators is well described. Plus her stories about her persistence in performing over stage fright is inspiring for anybody who wants to try something new.

I must admit I was unfamiliar with Ms. Gauthier's work, but now I am a fan. I feel bad for not being aware of such an artist for so long. I am very glad to have learned of her and read her story. There have been many musical memoirs out recently, this is one of the best I have read. I can't wait to recommend these to others.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.


I requested this memoir on impulse and I am so glad that I did because it was very enjoyable. Music is a daily part of my life and so many of my own memories are tied into certain ones. Mary Gauthier explores the music hers and others that have been part of her life story. Gauthier writes in such a personable way I felt we were lingering over a cup of coffee and she had her guitar.


Lines that I like

"Songs ask this of the songwriter: Be vulnerable. Be brave. Be true. There is a benevolent force trying to push the truth to the surface so that the writer (and the world) can see it. When songwriters are willing to bravely reveal the deeper truths cowering behind walls of self-protection, their songs begin to resonate. Songs are where we can safely tell secrets. A form of self-expression, yes, but even more importantly, a form of emotional communication."

"Storytellers have power; they are not voiceless victims. In a song we are given the authority to be the writer of the story instead of the paper it is written on. We become the narrator instead of the narrated, turning our story into something that might be useful for others. The empathy the song generates connects the songwriter to their own pain in a new way, a way that is reparative, rewiring broken circuits. Also, and this is very important, the storyteller can shape the ending, moving the story forward in a brave new way."

Goodreads review published 16/06/21

Expected Publication Date 06/07/21

* Quotes are taken from the ARC*

The highest praise I can give Mary Gauthier's Saved By a Song is that it has inspired me to start writing songs. On the application for workshops at the Fur Peace Ranch music and guitar camp, the final question is, Are you interested in songwriting? I've always answered, no, there is not one original bone in my body. But now Mary has me wanting to start writing my own songs.

I have to add the caveat that, even though I don't know Mary personally, I know a number of people who do know her, who have studied songwriting with her, who have been fellow teachers with her at Fur Peace Ranch, where I have been what they call a repeat offender as a student, closing in on twenty visits over the past eight years. So I may be a little biased -- we Ranch hands tend to stick together.

But it's not loyalty to a fellow Ranch hand that moves me to give Mary's book a resounding 5 stars -- it's objectively a 5-star read by any measure, as both memoir and songwriting treatise. Devoting each chapter to a single song, mostly but not exclusively her own compositions (one chapter each are based on songs by John Prine and John Lennon), Mary connects her life experience and songwriting process to each song.

The songwriting advice is not technical -- unlike those Swedish guys who can't even play any instrument, she doesn't have a hitmaking formula that will help you churn out commercial pap. She explains how you bare your emotions, strip down your feelings, connect with yourself via song -- ideally, save yourself with a song -- and thereby connect with your audience.

That approach dovetails perfectly with examples from her songs and her life, making her memoir as important and instructive as anything else. Her battle with addiction, her search for her birth mother, her coming out, her road from restaurateur to accomplished and respected songwriter, her work with veterans, whom she literally helps save with songs, co-writing pieces based on their experiences.

What gets a little lost in the shuffle is the musical side of her songwriting, with almost all the focus on the lyrics. But even though they have relatively simple folk or country musical structure, Mary is a fingerpicker, which adds a richness to even the most basic composition, the simplicity itself adding depth on a musical level to her already rich lyrical storytelling. As a fingerpicker myself, I would've liked a little more insight into that aspect of her songwriting.

Coincidentally, I listened to an audiobook concurrently with reading the advance copy of this book (graciously provided to me by Mary and her publisher via NetGalley) that was also a memoir connecting one's life to one's music. The big difference is that that guy is a fan, his memories tied to listening to songs, following certain artists and genres, buying and selling records, and (in the major conceit of the book) searching for his old vinyl LPs that he had traded away.

He is also clearly the beneficiary of a highly privileged life that allowed him to center his coming of age on music and allowed him to craft a career as a writer writing about music. His book rang hollow -- Mary's memoir is about dealing with the real challenges of life, as sad as they may be, and finding ways to heal yourself through song. There is no posturing here.

I've been a huge fan of Leonard Cohen since 1970, when people dismissed him as too depressing. I always argued that the sadness in his music was uplifting, restorative. Mary Gauthier writes often about sadness and emotion, and she argues too that they can ultimately be uplifting. Her book, as much as her songs, is as uplifting and inspirational a read as I've experienced in a long long time.

Wow! What an incredibly moving, beautiful, open and touching memoir!

A strong 5 ⭐️

I really enjoy listening to music and I also enjoy memoirs so I picked up this book without knowing much of the author prior. And what a shame that I didn’t know about Mary before because her music is so real and captivating.

She is a talented songwriter and that talent translated wonderfully over into this novel.

Each chapter starts off with the lyrics of one of her songs and then the rest of the chapter delves into the parts of her life that inspired that song.

It truly felt like an episode of MTV’s Behind the Music.

Mary was very open with her struggle with drugs and alcohol, being adopted, experiences she faced due to being gay, coping with friends who lost their lives from AIDS and her interactions with military veterans.

Parts of the novel had me tearing up because they “hit me right in the feels.”

The chapters flowed effortlessly and I was glued to the page.

I cannot recommend this book enough!

Saved By A Song
The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting
by: Mary Gauthier
reviewer: Jennifer S. Smith

Acclaimed musical artist and singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier has written a powerfully poignant memoir about her personal journeys through both life and the process of songwriting. As a lover of music, I was immediately captured in her prologue, as she simply, yet eloquently and profoundly described what songwriting means to her. Her honesty in revealing details about herself was quickly apparent as she mentioned that she did not finish high or college, and that she was not a student of music. I could see, however, that she was profoundly passionate about her craft and wanted to share it through intimate stories about songwriting, performing and pivotal times in her life. Her music could be described as Folk or Americana, but whatever the label, her songs are filled with truth, hurt, honesty, and redemption. Mary always writes about subjects that matter to her, covering topics such as Aids and diversity.
The book is divided into thirteen units, each beginning with lyrics to songs written by Mary, her songwriting partners, or those who have influenced her, such as John Prine. After each song, Mary then ties each one in to time periods in her life and career, many of which along the way were filled with turmoil, confusion, and doubt. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, she was adopted from an orphanage as an infant. Just as her songs are real and raw, so are her descriptions of family life, arrest, addiction, rehab, recovery, the search for her birth mother, and research about adoption. Her life story touches on her early career in the food industry and her early appearances at open mics in coffee houses as she began writing songs, performing, and making connections with other songwriters. Her accomplished career eventually led her to make connections with wounded warriors, through projects pairing them with songwriters, thus showing firsthand the transformational effect of songs on lives.
Mary's insight and descriptions of the power of lyrics, words, and songs make this a five-star book for me. I appreciated her truthfulness in telling her life stories. She pushed through life's challenges until she found her voice. Now she shares and gives back through teaching and encouraging. Music lovers, as well as songwriters and musical artists of all genres will find inspiration and support through Mary's writing, and in her belief that songs truly can heal, repair, and save us.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Essentials for the Advanced Reader Copy of this insightful memoir by Mary Gauthier.
#NetGalley

SAVED BY A SONG is a gritty, raw, honest account of one women’s quest to let art heal her. This is both memoir and how-to, with real examples of different versions her songs went through as she wrestled to make them as simple and clear as they needed to be. She keeps the story going at breakneck pace, and you can feel the urgency coming off the page. I’ve never read a book quite like this before. This is a story of someone fighting to live in absolute truth, even when she wasn’t always sure what that was.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Saved by a Song, the author shares the songs and the stories behind them. A memoir of her life with tips on writing songs and making them the best they can be. I enjoyed reading her stories and her processes. The layout was fabulous.

Gauthier's desire to share a raw and honest experience of healing through the power of songwriting is quite honorable and fitting, in a world of humans so desperate to find a release for emotional ease. As a veteran, I'm especially moved by her regard for attending to the needs of former military, an audience comprised of far too many who go the way of suicide. More attention should be placed on the arts in primary and secondary school; perhaps a book like this will help in that way.

Although I never met Mary Gauthier, I ate many meals at her Boston restaurant Dixie Kitchen. Then, years after I’d moved away from Boston, I learned she had become a songwriter and I became a big fan of her Mercy Now release. Months ago, I happened to find her doing a livestream performance. I sent a note that I still missed my favorite meal, and she knew all the sides which came as part of it. Fun.

Those were my reasons for reading her memoir, and the chapters which discussed that period of her life and how songs which I knew were written were my favorite parts of the book. I hadn’t realized she’d had such a tough life, but she seems to have overcome her troubled past and addictions well. Good for those seeking inspiration, both for songwriting and dealing with personal issues.

Thanks to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

As a music lover, I thought I'd long known the power of music and how it can affect one's life. it turns out that I had no idea how truly powerful music is until I read this book. Stunningly good.