Today, CFBA is introducing All Things New by Lynn Austin.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the aftermath of the Civil War, Josephine Weatherly and her mother, Eugenia, struggle to pick up the pieces of their lives when they return to their Virginia plantation. But the bitter realities of life after the war cannot be denied: their home and land are but shells of their previous grandeur; death has claimed her father and brother; and her remaining brother, Daniel, has returned home bitter and broken. The privileged childhood Josephine enjoyed now seems like a long-ago dream. And the God who failed to answer any of her prayers during the war is lost to her as well.
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.
With skill and emotion, Lynn Austin brings to life the difficult years of the Reconstruction era by interweaving the stories of three women--daughter, mother, and freed slave--in a riveting tale.
Lynn’s books are always well-researched and written, and I have enjoyed each one I’ve read.
Although I’d have to say that Wonderland Creek tops my favorite list, All Things New was no exception to Lynn’s deeply historic, yet easy, style.
The epic saga tells of a mother, daughter, and freed slave in the days following the Civil War. Lynn’s careful descriptions of the landscape, ruined plantations, and even tattered clothing, brought to mind vivid scenes of Gone With the Wind.
The post-war emotions of bitterness, grief, and fear, as well as the struggles to overcome them with hope, are palpable and page-turning to the reader. So much so that my only disappointment was that the story did not continue. Loose ends were tied up adequately, but the epic style (and setting) lends itself to continuing the stories of the characters.
Good cozy-up-under-a-blanket-on-a-gray-day type of read.
AND FOR YOU, a peek into the book:
All Things New
Thank you to Lynn and Bethany House through CFBA for sending me a copy to read and review!
Also reviewed on Amazon and Christianbook.
**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**
