Book Review: All Things New by Lynn Austin

Back Cover: The war is over. The South has lost.

Josephine Weatherly struggles to pick up the pieces of her life when her family returns to their Virginia plantation. But the realities of life after the war cannot be denied: her home and land are but a shell of their previous grandeur; death has claimed her father and brother; and her remaining brother, Daniel, has returned home bitter and broken.

Her life of privilege, a long-ago dream.

Josephine soon realizes that life is now a matter of daily survival--and recognizes that Lizzie, as one of the few remaining servants, is the one she must rely on to teach her all she needs to know. Josephine's mother, too, vows to rebuild White Oak--but a bitter hatred fuels her.

Can hope--and a battered faith in God--survive amid the devastation?

My Review: Lynn Austin takes us through the difficult months after the Civil War. Austin's main character, Josephine, realizes that the war has left holes that can not be filled. Brothers, fathers, and friends have all lost their lives. Property has been stolen, sold, or set free. Nothing is the same, and the old rules and expectations seem artificial and false. The novel shows us an intimate glimpse into the struggle that the Southern aristocracy faced in those days. I found this book to be thought provoking. Having been raised north of the Mason-Dixon line, I can't fully understand the depth of feeling that those in the South have about the war. It is not surprising that bitterness, anger, and  an unwillingness to trust the army that had defeated them would abound. I believe that Austin gives us a honest look into the conflicted emotions and actions of the people in that day.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of historical fiction and fans of Lynn Austin.

All Things New

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

Excerpt: If my life were a book, no one would read it. People would say it was too boring, too predictable. A story told a million times. But I was perfectly content with my life - that is, until the pages of my story were ripped out before I had a chance to live happily ever after. Wonderland Creek, pg 7.

Back Cover: Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But the happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real one. To top it off, Alice loses her beloved library job because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.

Longing to run from small-town gossip, Alice flees to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the tiny coal-mining town of Acorn, a place with no running water, no electricity, and where the librarians ride ornery horses up steep mountain passes to deliver books. When Alice is forced to stay in Acorn far longer than she planned, she discovers that real-life adventure, mystery--and especially romance--may be far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.

My Review: The premise of Wonderland Creek really caught my attention. At the beginning of the novel, Alice's head is full of fluff. She's living in a make-believe world because all she does is read. Alice has the perfect job, as a librarian.  As much as I hate to admit it, I could completely relate to Alice. I love books, especially novels, and too often I find my head stuck in the clouds instead of living in reality. I loved the way that Alice grew as the story continued. She went from only reading about adventures to living one of her own. Many of the adventures were forced upon her, sometimes by gun point, but she learned what it really was to live. Lynn Austin did an amazing job with this novel. Her cast of characters were original and engaging. There were twists and turns along the way, and I was eager as anyone in the book to find out where that buried treasure was located, if it really existed at all. Wonderland Creek is a must read!

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: While We're Far Apart by Lynn Austin

Excerpt: "You would really do it?" Daddy asked. "You'd move in and take care of the kids for me while I'm away?"

"Of course I would. I'd love to help you."

Esther watched him consider the idea. She wanted to elbow Daddy in the ribs and say, Hey! What about me? Why aren't you asking what I think? But something heavy pushed down on her chest again, making it hard to breathe. "Daddy?" she said softly.

"You probably wouldn't need to live there for very long," he continued. "I'm sure Ma will change her mind and let the kids move in with her once she gets used to the idea."

"Daddy?" Esther spoke louder this time.

"And I know you'd still help Ma out anytime she needed it, wouldn't you? Like if she needed a break?"

"Of course. We'll manage just fine. You'll see."

Panic squeezed Esther's ribs. This arrangement was really going to happen, and she didn't know how to stop it. She didn't want Daddy to go away - and she certainly didn't want boring Penny Goodrich to move in with them and take Mama's place. "Daddy!"

"Yes, doll?" He answered absently, gazing at the tiny yard, not at her. He took her and in his and gently caressed it with his thumb, but she knew he wasn't really listening to her. It was as if he were already on board a ship with Uncle Joe or Uncle Steve, sailing miles and miles away.

Esther hesitated to speak her mind, afraid that if she said what she really wanted to say, Daddy would get mad and let go of her hand. And she didn't want to do anything to make him let go.

"Never mind," she mumbled.

Because that was the mistake she had made with Mama. Esther had let go of her hand, thinking she was much too grown-up to hold hands. And now she would never hold Mama's hand again. While We're Far Apart, pg 16-17.

Back Cover: Penny remembered how it had started. She had fallen in love with Eddie Shaffer and had leaped at the chance to become part of his life. It started with the hope that he would love her, too, and maybe marry her someday. But that seed of hope had grown out of control into a sprawling, tangled vine, uprooting secrets and changing her completely...

My Review: Lynn Austin has done an amazing job with this book. While We're Far Apart is filled with drama, mystery, secrets, and budding romance that will keep you turning the pages. I couldn't put the book down! I love the style and tone of this book. The characters are well constructed and the plot believable. I held my breath through parts, and I worried about the characters and what would become of them.

While We're Far Apart takes place on the home front during World War II. One of the things I really like about this book is the cast of characters. The three main characters are all unique and come from completely different places in life. I enjoyed reading each of their thoughts and walking with them as they go through their personal struggles. Most of all, I liked how Austin wove in the spiritual lesson that God works even when it seems He is silent.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I highly recommend this book for lovers of historical fiction and fans of Lynn Austin.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin

"It was ironic.

I lay in my jail cell on a squeaky iron bunk, gazing at the stained mattress above me, and I remembered the day I first understood the meaning of the word ironic. I couldn't help smiling at . . . well, the irony of it. The meaning had become clear to me ten years ago on the day my grandmother, Beatrice Monroe Garner, was arrested."

Though Waters Roar, pg. 7.

Harriet Sherwood wants her life to mean something, just like the courageous women who have come before her. Her efforts to right the wrongs of the world land her in jail, under the watch of her childhood enemy, Tommy O'Reilly. Alone in her cell, Harriet has a lot of time to consider how she came to this place. As she wades through the memory of three generations of her maternal heritage, she comes to understand more about the direction of her own life, and about the God that each of the women serve.

I enjoyed the historical setting of this book. Placed in 1920, just after World War I, the story looks at women's role in the abolition of slavery, prohibition and the suffrage movement. Lynn Austin does a great job showing the intensity that these women had about their cause, and the struggles they endured trying to reach the goal. Austin's characters are real, and easy to identify with. They are heroic, but human at the same time - a wonderful mix of vice and virtue.

Though Waters Roar is another great story by Lynn Austin. I love the way that Austin creates her characters and flushes them out. The more I read of her books, the higher she travels up the list of my favorite authors.

I would highly recommend this book!

(I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of reviewing.)