Waiting for Christmas

By: Lynn Austin

Dakota County Library hardcover 272 pages plus discussion questions

Published: 2024

Genre: Christian historical fiction

This sweet little novella surprised me when I realized we were revisiting the Stanhopes after Junietta's passing! (Our book club recently finished Austin's All My Secrets, where we first met this book's main characters.) I liked Addie better in this book than the first one. She and Howard Forsythe are newly married and living in a townhouse. She wants to learn to do the things she always had servants for and he's walking a fine line between wanting to take care of her and supporting her independent choices.

I'm surprised that I put so many post-its into a fluffy little book, but I did enjoy it. Very predictable story, but heart warming nonetheless.

Page 67: He and Addy had experienced both extremes today, from ramshackle tenement to rambling mansion, and he marveled that both were in the same city, on the same 23-square-mile island. 

I think so many of us get used to our own "normal" and forget that there are extremes in both directions. It helps us be better humans, I think, if we're aware of how others live. I struggle to be understanding of those with extreme wealth, though. I'm just being honest.

Page 129: "In case you can't tell, Mrs. Forsythe, I love to cook. I feel like it's what God meant for me to do. When I heard about this position, I thought I heard Him whisper that He wanted me to serve Him here, for some reason."

What a blessing Mrs. Gleason was for Addy and Jack and Polly! I love her down-to-earth attitude and the love she showers onto the children. Also, it's good to find your calling and be tuned in to what God has for you.

Page 132: He needed to pray, not worry. And he tried to pray, really he did. But Howard's mind was too disordered to think clearly, and all that came out was, "Lord, help. Please, help."

That's a fantastic prayer! Lord, please help. Howard wanted to find Polly and find the children's dad. But he couldn't do it on his own. I love how praying this brought him peace and direction. God is so good!

Page 164: "I've prayed some pretty big prayers over the years that seemed to go unanswered. And if I wasn't careful, I could start to believe that God didn't love me because He didn't give me what I'd asked for. I had to learn that my faith shouldn't depend on whether or not God answers my prayers exactly the way I want Him to."

Again, Mrs. Gleason is the rock star / hero in this conversation with Addy about how to help Jack deal with disappointment.

Page 251: "Some people are given the opportunity to do grand things in life, but if we just make a difference in the lives of the people God puts in our paths, I think He's pleased with that. Mrs. Gleason would say she's 'just a cook.' But she has blessed me, and my society friends, and Jack and Polly in more ways than I can count. She would say it wasn't much, but to us it was huge."

The "grand things" are indeed important, but not all of us are called to do them. I like Addy's growing understanding of what God wants her to do. I also like the reminder to not think less of ourselves if we're doing what we do out of love for the Lord.

Page 268-9: "Yet this is what Christmas is truly about, isn't it? Loving our neighbor. Spreading God's love to others. And bringing the lost ones home."

Happy ending! Yes, this is what Christmas is truly about. 

 

I'm sorry I missed book club last night. I hope my immune system can finish the fight against this viral bugger making me sick.

All My Secrets

By: Lynn Austin

Dakota County Library hardcover 369 pages plus author's note, acknowledgements, and discussion questions

Published: 2024

Genre: Christian historical fiction (gilded age)

 

Book club met to discuss this three weeks ago (June 24, 2024), but I was up at the lake and not too worried about finishing it on time. I finally finished it today. Austin is a fantastic author, but I couldn't empathize much with these ultra rich women and their dilemmas. Reading the author's note, I completely agree with the decision to have all three generations "heard" and not just telling the story from Adelaide's point of view.

 

Bouncing between "modern day" 1899 and young Junietta's past (1840s and 50s), young Sylvia's past (1870s), and thereabouts, we get to know three generations of Stanhope women. Junietta seems extremely elderly (ready for the grave), but the math says she's 68 years old. (She was 18 when she gave birth and her son is fifty.) She's interested in helping the less fortunate and steering her granddaughter to avoid the mistakes the older women made. Sylvie is Junietta's daughter-in-law and Adelaide's mother. She also has two older daughters who have married well. She is very reserved and her secrets don't come out until the second half of the story. Adelaide is young, pretty, and torn between doing what her mother wants (marry a rich man and carry on life as it has been) and following her dynamic grandmother's advice (follow your heart and live a life that matters).

 

For a book I didn't really enjoy that much, I'm surprised by how many post-it notes I have sticking out of it! 

 

Page 4: "Fear of family disgrace kept Adelaide, her sisters, and all their peers virtuous."

 

Interesting that a fear of family disgrace would be a motivator toward virtue. That's definitely an historic aspect of the book. I don't know that many people worry about disgracing their families any more. Behavior seems to indicate an indifference toward how people will regard them or their family.

 

Page  70: "Junietta was used to charging through life with energy and purpose. Being ill was so frustrating!" 

It is difficult indeed when physical limitations change your life. Junietta had some unspecified heart condition. I was glad when she finally moved from her third floor bedroom suite in the mansion to a first floor room! I couldn't imagine walking up and down all those staircases every day with a bad heart pounding hard!

Page 91: "'Now you can live a forgiven life. I believe Jesus told the woman, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." That's the meaning of the word repentance. We turn and go, walking in a different direction.'"

I love how young Junietta connected with the Reverend Cooper and received his counsel. I love that he spoke life into her. 

Page 108: "'At the moment, not one of them is more important than encouraging Adelaide to think for herself. You only have one life, Addy. The decisions you make today will reap a lifetime of consequences tomorrow. And probably more than a few regrets.'"

Although I probably liked Junietta's character the best of the three women, I did have some sympathy for Sylvia. Can you imagine your mother-in-law living with you and giving your daughter advice contrary to your own?! Not fun.

Page 135 . . . Junietta and Meara found Helmut Steinhaus and learned the truth about Arthur Stanhope's background. It's not really worth quoting here, but I made note of it because secrets were the key theme of the story. Junietta eventually shared the secret with her husband, but he ended up being a ruthless jerk like his dad. Generational awfulness.

Page 138: "'Don't be doing that, Junie. There's no end to hate once it starts growing.'"

This time, it's Meara who offers wise advice. After they learn the truth about the elder Stanhope, Junietta says she hates him even more than before. Hatred is destructive. (I could make a Star Wars "dark side" reference here . . . )

 

Page 148: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whole page . . . is a fantastic testimony from Reverend Cooper to young Junietta. I actually put two post-its in here! "Everyone alive is a sinner." "As long as we have breath, there's hope that repentance will bring forgiveness and lives will be changed." I don't have much to add to this. The absolute heart of the story. (Though Junietta blaming herself for David's suicide was heart breaking.)

Page 274: "What had I done? I remembered a Bible verse I'd heard in church about gaining the world but losing your soul and knew I had done that very thing."

 

Sylvia has determined to entrap young A.B. but realizes that he is NOT like his grandfather. I liked the unfolding of her back story.

 

Page 276: "'He was so handsome when he smiled,' Sylvia said. His face became more blurred in her memory with each passing day, obscured by the darkness of time and grief."

Memory is so interesting. Sometimes there are images that are really old but crystal clear. Other times, there are things one wants to remember vividly but they grow vague. Sylvia seemed to genuinely love A.B. and yet forges ahead.

Page 278: "But the stairs were the last straw. I'll be fine if I don't have to go up and down them anymore."

This was the point where I thought, "finally!" Junietta was struggling with her heart and yet going up and down those giant mansion staircases. Crazy! This was also the point where I calculated her age.

Page 287: "'I don't want to talk about dying, Mimi. And I don't want you to die.' 'I know. But if we remember that death comes to all of us, we'll pay better attention to how we live.'"

Junietta and Adelaide had a lovely relationship. I liked that Junietta was very aware of her mortality.

Page 289: ". . . Addy said, 'I can't help thinking about how many, many people's lives you've touched with your love, Mimi. It seems like a much greater legacy to leave behind than houses and possessions and wealth.'"

 

Yes, Junietta's life choices made a difference in other people's lives.

 

Page 299: "'Up until this year, my life has been so uneventful and routine that I'm finding it educational to visit these small villages and quaint churches. It's easy for me to forget that there's a world full of people who don't live the way I do - and yet are quite happy.'"

 

For much of the story, Adelaide seems so lifeless and pointless. It's nice that she finally starts having opinions and perspectives of her own. There's a big world out there!

Page 302: "'I think prayer is always good advice,' Addy said, then realized it was something she should do before deciding her own future path."

Howard Forsythe, the handsome young lawyer and son of a clergyman, is one of the best characters in this story. (I really liked Neal Galloway, too!) When he and Addy are looking for Junietta's son with Neal, they have some great conversations. Howard confesses that when her mother asked him for advice, he told her to pray. Not very lawyerly advice . . .

Page 303: "That's a wrestling match sometimes. I never experienced that struggle until I faced this decision between the law firm and the foundation. But the process of asking and listening and waiting often draws us closer to God. And I think that's what He's really after."

Adelaide is asking about how to know what God wants. Howard has a great answer!

Page 359: "'But one lesson that I had to learn, and that I hope you'll see as well, is that we shouldn't do our work because we pity the poor, or because we feel guilty for being privileged, and certainly not because we want to feel good about ourselves when we go to sleep at night. We must do it because our heart overflows with love for God. And because He asks us to love our neighbors.'"

Yes! Thank you, Grandma Junietta. I needed to hear this. Don't serve out of pity, guilt, or self-congratulations. Serve out of love for and obedience to God.

My goodness. It took me almost two months to read this book and several days to blog about it. The July book club meeting is in less than two weeks and none of my libraries has a copy to check out. (It was just published seventeen days ago . . . ) This does not bode well for my participation again this month. Donna Mumma's The Women of Wynton's sounds good, but between my desire to not spend money AND decrease my possessions, I don't anticipate buying a copy. (Though I could buy it and gift it to a public library . . . with my spending money.)

Long Way Home

by Lynn Austin

Hennepin County Library hardcover  371 pages

Published: 2022

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction (WWII)

We had a wonderful book club meeting about this book last week. I was late because I had to finish reading it! Such a good book! It alternated between Peggy's story in 1946 and Gisela in 1938 (both stories moved forward from that point in time and connected, of course, by the end of the book). I marked a LOT of pages and I need to get this back to the library.

Page 29: a conversation between a young Peggy and her neighbor Jimmy

"The minister prays for sick people every Sunday and asks God to heal them, right? But some of them die anyway. My mama went to Mass every week and lit candles when she prayed, yet she and our baby both died. Why do people pray if God doesn't answer them?"

Jimmy let out a long whistle. He took off his cap and scratched his head. "I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer that," he'd replied, "but I'll tell you what I do know." He settled his cap on his head again. "Praying isn't only about asking for a bunch of things on a list. It's about talking to God the same way you talk to someone you love, telling Him what's bothering you and thanking Him for the good things He gives us. God really likes hearing what we have to say. And we feel better after talking with Him."

There's more to this conversation, but I love how Austin brings up ideas that people genuinely struggle with and shines a light on what prayer is. 

Page 109: Peggy's thoughts as her dad's girlfriend tries to insinuate that Peggy should go with Joe.

I opened my mouth to explain that we were trying to help Jimmy get well, then closed it again. Why bother? Donna was writing her own version of this story and probably envisioned us riding off into the sunset on Joe's motorcycle. I wanted to tell her that Joe Fiore might be charming and good-looking, but he drank too much. And I'd spent a lifetime with people who drank too much.

I'm glad that Peggy had open eyes and a good idea of what she wanted out of life. The Bennetts had a huge impact on this neighbor girl's life!

Page 121: Although I preferred Peggy's storyline to Gisela's, both women were fantastic characters. In this scene, Gisela and Sam are commiserating as Belgium is in danger of being overrun with Nazis. 

"All we have is today, Sam. That's true whether there's a war or not. We have our families and each other and we're together. We have enough food to eat and a roof over our heads, and that's all that we need for now. It isn't up to you or Vati or anyone else to figure out a way to save us. God was the One who parted the Red Sea, not Moses and not us."

 

Her faith in God was definitely shaken by what she experienced in being persecuted, but she and Sam bolstered one another throughout their ordeal. (Side note: thinking of a young Jewish girl's sixteenth birthday in Berlin on Kristallnacht . . . how horrifying!)

 

 

Page  181: When Gisela met with Sister Veronica to help her little sister Ruthie go into hiding.

"If there's anything else we can do to help you," Sister Veronica told Sam, "I hope you won't hesitate to ask."

"I don't have words to tell you how deeply grateful I am," Sam replied. "I don't know anything about the Christian faith, but the Christians I've met have been unfailingly kind to us in our time of crisis, taking great risks to hide us, giving us money and food, even when both have been scarce."

"It's what our Savior taught us to do," the nun said with a smile. "You can come to me anytime. . . . "

I love Sister Veronica! Yes, that's what our Savior teaches - to help those in need!

Page 192: When Peggy goes to help the horse Persephone give birth and has to get her hands inside to turn the foal . . . I thought of my daughter-in-law! It made me smile. People who love animals are often very kind and loving people.

Page 197: Peggy talks with Dr. Greenberg, who knew Jimmy during the war. 

"May I ask you one more question? You saw the same things that Jimmy did day after day - how were you able to get past the war and resume your life again? Because Jimmy hasn't been able to do that."

Again, he took a moment to reply. "It helped that I had a job and a family waiting for me back home. Both required my full attention and didn't leave me much time to contemplate the horrors I'd seen. I'd also had the unfortunate experience of losing patients before the war. It never gets easy, but it destroys any illusions one has about the permanence of life and the finality of death. Jim may not have been prepared for those lessons."

"Any illusions one has about the permanence of life and the finality of death" - this line really grabbed me. So often, we drift along in a cloud of blissful ignorance about how precious and short life is.

Page 243: Peggy met with Art Davis, who served as a medic with Jimmy as they liberated a concentration camp.

"We eventually set up a hospital in the former SS barracks and attended to the survivors who were closest to death. Jim would look each person in the eye, and he would ask their name. He would remember them all, too, and call everyone by name whenever he took care of them. They had been treated like animals for so long, Jim said, that he wanted to let them know they were still living people with names and a soul. He said we needed to restore their dignity and humanity as much as we needed to restore their bodies."

Oh my. Dignity and humanity. As precious as food and rest.

Page 266: It was easy to dislike Donna! Peggy is an amazing young woman. She's talking to her dog, Buster (aka "Tripod").

"This is only temporary. I'll find us a place to live - I promise." I heard him whine as I hurried away and tried with all my heart not to hate Donna. A desert began to grow inside me as I drove across town to my lonely room in the guesthouse. Grief howled through my heart like a savage wind. I hadn't felt this bad since Mama and our baby died. It was one thing to leave home voluntarily and quite another to be pushed out of the only home I'd ever known. I felt unloved. Unworthy of love.

Austin is such a good writer! She evokes moods and inspires ideas.

Page 319: the whole page . . . Jim explaining to Gisela about losing his faith in God. 

"I can't shake off the darkness that I've experienced over here, and I don't want to bring that darkness home with me. I love them (his parents) too much to contaminate their idyllic world with the world of my nightmares. I'll go home for a visit and see them briefly, but I don't want to stay there and poison them."

If you haven't read this book, you really should! It is full of heartbreak and joy, doubt and faith.

Page 349: Peggy has a heart to heart with Jimmy. Again, this whole section is great and I'm just sharing a tiny excerpt. Go, Peggy!

"What if every Christian had written a letter to the president, offering to take one of those families on that ship home with them?"

She's talking about the real life event when a ship filled with 900 refugees escaped Nazis, only to be turned away from Cuba and the United States. She's talking about each one of us doing what we can to make a difference. She's talking about the importance of caring and not turning aside in indifference. It makes me think about a lot of recent historical events . . . what am I doing to make a difference?

Page 350: Still Peggy and Jimmy talking.

"The people wanted Hitler as their leader and they got him. Americans chose to turn our backs on Hitler's evil until one day it was out of control. If we learn anything at all from this horrible war, it's that followers of Jesus need to speak up and to act."

Yes! Amen, sister!

Page 353: Bill, Jimmy, and Peggy went up into the mountains for a view, fresh air, and a chance to talk. This time Bill brought it!

"Of course, the spiritual realm is invisible. God's actions behind the scenes are invisible. So all we had to rely on was what we were seeing. But our enemy wasn't just the Nazis. Satan's ploy is to spread evil throughout the world and let it drive a wedge between us and God. His evil is most painful and most dangerous when it seems purposeless to us. When we can't see how God can possibly bring anything good from it."

I almost dislike using these excerpts because there's so much more context and detail in the book!

Page 370: Jimmy shares with Peggy the slip of paper Bill had given him in that big mountaintop conversation.

"I've always wondered. What was written on that paper Chaplain Bill gave you to carry in your pocket? I remember that he told you to use it like a splint for your broken spirit."

Jimmy stopped walking and reached into his shirt pocket, then handed me the wrinkled, tattered page. "I still carry it and read it every day."

It was Romans 8:38-39! Scripture has power!

The Wish Book Christmas: a novella

by Lynn Austin

Carver County Library hardcover 273 pages

Published: 2021

Genre: Christian fiction

 

We're discussing this in book club tonight. It was pleasant, but not very impactful (to me). I was on page 29 before I remembered that it's a kind of sequel to Austin's book If I Were You, which we read last year.  Oh yes! Eve was the servant girl who impersonated Audrey, the rich girl, when WWII ended. 

Page 45 - "I'm afraid my words are coming out all wrong, and I'm giving the impression that I'm judging the Barretts and condemning the way they live. If so, please forgive me. That's not at all what I intended. It's just that I want to make my own choices, and this is what I've chosen to do."

Audrey shouldn't have to justify why she wants a loan to go back to school. And sometimes wealth can just make people live so differently than regular people who don't have the proverbial silver spoon. The fact that she's experienced a change in circumstances and is trying to do what she believes is right - go Audrey!

Page 55 - "If only Eve could fully forgive herself and forget ohw she had hurt the people who meant the most to her."

Sometimes forgiving ourselves is the absolute hardest thing to do . . . that said, this theme got old fast. She was so busy punishing herself that she didn't seem to consider the collateral damage she was doing to Tom, Harry, etc.

Page 101 - (Audrey) "When I lost Robert, I wanted to die. I don't ever want to feel that much pain again." (Eve): "Then you'll have to stop living, because life is going to bring pain. It's a certainty."

Seriously, human relationships provide plenty of joy, but pain is part of life, too.

Page 151 - This whole conversation between Audrey and Tom. Duh. Eve loves him but refuses to accept his love . . . gag. (Yet she's trying to set up Audrey with the Harrison guy.)

Page 229 - Okay, I got a little teary by the end. When the two women went to the store and bought the airplanes and all the Scriptural lessons were learned, my hard heart softened.

"It would have brought him joy. Audreys' father had just shown his love for her by giving her an extravagant gift. And it reminded Audrey that her heavenly Father had shown His extravagant love by giving Jesus to the world at Christmas."

I liked the neighbor lady with the dog, the kids getting to practice being "smart kings," and the goodness of Tom and his parents.

If I Were You

 by Lynn Austin

Scott County Library paperback 430 pages

Genre: Christian historical fiction

Published: 2020

Set in England during WWII, wealthy Audrey Clarkson and serving girl Eve Dawson develop an unlikely friendship. Alternating between "current day" 1950 in America and their past in the early 1940s, I definitely preferred the earlier era in their lives. The book was enjoyable, but not one of my favorites by Austin. Book club discussion was excellent!

Page 28 - "Granny kept house, cooked Eve's meals, darned her socks, mended her clothes, took Eve to church, and made sure the cottage was warm all winter long. Granny told Eve how much she loved her every day of her life." 

I loved Granny Maud! That's the character I most want to be like.

Page 70 - "Eve remembered a snippet of the psalm Granny Maud had taught her - 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want' - and she smiled at this reminder of the Good Shepherd's care. She wasn't alone after all."

There were many, many references to shepherds and sheep. It was a nice thematic thread running through the story. (But perhaps a little bit cheesy toward the end . . . with Tom and the lost lamb. Still, I love cheese!)

Page 156 - I love that Audrey wonders how to comfort someone and remembers back to Eve offering her some strawberries. Acts of kindness make a difference! (It also makes me think of Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory offering tea.)

Page 184 / 5 - "Eve had never known such terror. She was going to die, and she didn't want to. She wanted to live, get married, have children, grow old. She closed her eyes as she hunched in place, silently pleading with God to spare her life." 

I can't imagine what it felt like to cower in a shelter during the Blitz, but Austin writes of the experience very convincingly!

Page 191 - "Pray about it. Please, love. I know you're angry with God, but talk to Him. This isn't a good time to walk away from Him."

Words of wisdom from her mother, but Eve's anger and loss is so very deep.

Page 217 - "She was still thinking about her daddy as the train chugged into Victoria Station in London, and mourning the loss of his photograph in the rubble of the town house. Granny Maud's picture of the Good Shepherd had also been destroyed along wiht any faith Eve might have had in Him."

This made me so sad! I totally understand how this character (and real people in real life) can get discouraged and give up on God, but that's when they need Him most of all!

Page 255 - "Because the pull of family is even stronger than the force of gravity . . ."

I like how she worded this.

Page 256 - "After I enlisted, the Army was passing out Bibles to anyone who wanted one, so I took it, even though religion has been little more than a formality for most of my life. Inside the cover was a letter from President Roosevelt. I'll have to show it to you sometime. He recommended that everyone in the armed services read the Bible, said it has offered wisdom and strength and inspiration to people throughout the ages. I've been reading it ever since."

When Robert says this to Audrey, my research bring pinged. Is this true or fiction? So cool! Read more here: www.museumofthebible.org/book/minutes/275

 

Page 400 - "That was the destructive power of sin and lies - they harmed the innocent along with the guilty." 

'Nuff said.

Page 410 - "I told him he should confess to God but not to Jean. God would forgive him, but Jean might never get over his betrayal. I don't think it's right to unburden your own heart by laying the load on someone else's. Some secrets are better left untold."

Wow! We had a LOT of discussion on this one . . . I'm usually in favor of "honesty is the best policy" but confessing an infidelity can cause more pain and suspicion. Getting something off your own guilty conscience can end up burdening someone else. Others were convinced that keeping this secret from his wife was almost worse than committing adultery in the first place. This is what I love about book club - the discussion, the give and take of ideas and perspectives. It was a great conversation.

Page 427 - "If you have confessed your sins and laid them at Jesus' feet and asked for forgiveness, then it is done. Finished. You are a new woman in Christ. The old is gone. It's as if you've swapped places with Jesus, and God sees His righteousness whenever He looks at you. You get to start all over again, and you don't need to feel ashamed anymore."

Mrs. Vandenberg is so lovely! Wouldn't it be great if all Christians believed and acted in accordance with what Scripture says? (I'm including myself in that!)

All Things New

by Lynn Austin
Hennepin County Library hardcover 412 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

Josephine Weatherly (Jo, Missy Jo, Missy, . . . )

I just can't blog right now. Here's the back of the book: "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?"

We discussed it on Monday. Good story. 

Wonderland Creek

by Lynn Austin
Hennepin County Library hardcover
genre: Christian historical fiction

Fun, but very predictable. The young woman was much too namby-pamby for me, but it did make her transformation more effective. Mack was clearly going to end up with her, so Ike was a pleasant diversion. Light fun.

Young librarian loses her job during the Depression, then she loses her undertaker boyfriend because her head's in the clouds. (Or was it vice-versa - loses Gordon, then job?) Anyhow, she takes a road trip with her aunt and uncle to deliver some books in the Appalachians and ends up staying. She is drawn into the poverty, feuds, and lives of the people in the little town and along the trails.

Some of the library / book stuff was delightful. Good discussion at book club!

Just saw an old unpublished post of this book:
by Lynn Austin
Hennepin COunty LIbrary hardcover 385 pages
genre: historical Christian fiction

No time!

Librarian / Great Depression / goes to Appalachia w/ bks she collected
Mack. Lillie. packhorses. coal scandal book
Ike
love

Candle in the Darkness

by Lynn Austin
Hennepin County Library paperback 420 pages
genre: Christian romance, hist fic

Sigh. I like Austin's writing, but I was really, really, really NOT in the mood for another Civil War book. Told from Caroline Fletcher's perspective from 1853 until shortly after the war, this felt too long and drawn-out. I loved Eli's faith and strength. In fact, I liked all the slaves. Caroline's spying seemed too far-fetched. Austin obviously did lots of research.

I don't remember who in book club recommended this one . . . not sure if I even bring it up at our next meeting. I just wasn't in the mood for this book.

While We’re Far Apart

By Lynn Austin
Dakota County Library, paperback, 408 pages
Genre: Christian and Jewish relationships, family, and some mystery

Set during WWII, this book covers a lot of ground for its main characters. Young Esther and Peter don’t want their father to join the military (and their mom died a year earlier when hit by a car). Penny offers to watch the children because she’s really in love with Eddie, their father, and hopes to get into his good graces. Mr. Mendel hasn’t prayed or been to synagogue since his wife was killed alongside Eddie’s wife. Throw in the anti-Jewish sentiment, Penny’s elderly and overprotective parents, and a half-dozen other threads, and this is a very good story. I especially liked Mr. Mendel’s relationship with the children and with God. His bitterness and anger turns soft – toward redemption and renewal. Beautiful.

Though Waters Roar

by Lynn Austin
Hennepin County library, hardcover, 428 pages
genre: Christian / historical fiction

This generational story stretched from Hannah helping with the Underground Railroad to Bebe and the temperance movement through Lucy and the women's right to vote, and was framed by Harriet's struggle with her identity and cause. Each of these women, and the men in their lives, have an interesting story to tell.

I thought there was a bit too much time-hopping at the start of the story, but it became clearer as the story went on. Enjoyable. Good discussion at the Fish Tale! I love my book club.