Helpful Score: 5
So far, every one of Lynn Austin's books that I have read have been 5 stars. I had this book on my shelves for almost a year. Read it in a matter of days and then thought to myself "Why did I wait to read this book? It was great!"
Helpful Score: 5
I absolutely LOVE Lynn Austin! This book was no exception.
A wonderful tale of ancestory and how the life and roles of women have changed dramatically through the years, and across the generations. You will fall in love with Emma, Grace, and Suzanne and all the other many characters in this book. You will cry, you will get mad, you will feel the injustice as if you are actually there. But in the end, you will see that Heavenly grace covers a multitude of sins.
Austin captures you from the first chapter!
A wonderful tale of ancestory and how the life and roles of women have changed dramatically through the years, and across the generations. You will fall in love with Emma, Grace, and Suzanne and all the other many characters in this book. You will cry, you will get mad, you will feel the injustice as if you are actually there. But in the end, you will see that Heavenly grace covers a multitude of sins.
Austin captures you from the first chapter!
Helpful Score: 5
This is an awesome book. It is about Eve Brauer who shares her family's history with her daughter and granddaughter that she has kept secret for 50 years. After seeing the destruction of her granddaughter's marriage, she begins to wonder if secrets that she has kept may have been part of the reason for her granddaughter's unhappiness. This book scans through several generations of a family and shows that no matter what a secret is, or how long it has been secret, it comes to the light. Excellent book that everyone in my opinion would love.
Helpful Score: 2
This started a little slow for me but really grabbed me once it got going! Another Lynn Austin masterpiece that I could not put down.
Helpful Score: 2
"...a compelling story of four unforettable women -- their struggles, their crises of faith, their triumphs."
Helpful Score: 1
Great book. Really makes you think about your actions and how they affect future generations. Wholly recommend.
Helpful Score: 1
I have never read any of Lynn Austin's books before this one. I can happily say that I have added several of her books to my Wish List. This book was absolutely fantastic. It was so much better than I expected it to be. I highly recommend this to anyone but especially mother's and daughters.
Helpful Score: 1
The author has a real winner with this one! It was very hard to put down. Good story, realistic characters, and an ending I wasn't expecting.
I enjoyed this book and the theme that ran through it. It has religious undertones, but I'm not religious and could still appreciate its message.
This was a fantastic book with a wonderful story line. I love Lynn Austin
A very good book! Very touching story about relationships, love, God, and forgiveness.
Loved this book! Had all the elements I enjoy, including history, faith and the struggles of women throughout the years. Lynn Austin is a great writer who knows how to capture the atmosphere of the era she is writing about, regardless of when it is. I hated to see this book come to an end.
You feel as if you are part of the story by the time it ends .
Not my cup of tea
The only fiction I normally ever (and very rarely) read is that which is the most highly esteemed classic literature of the English language. Therefore, I was not at all impressed by the actual writing (grammar, language, style, construction, etc.) of this story. My standards are far too high.
I did enjoy the story overall. The characters became real enough to me that I could share their emotions somewhat--more of the pain than the joys.
The Christian gospel message was not direct/overt enough for my liking, nor was true Biblical doctrine clear enough. Confusion concerning Roman Catholicism is a huge concern-- an unbeliever reading this might wrongly conclude from this book that it is a valid form of Biblically orthodox Christianity.
I did not feel like the dialogue nor the relationships between the women of successive generations were realistic. Intensely emotional, life-transforming conversations seemed to happen far too quickly and be too short, but books can't always be 1000 pages long.
I think it's purpose was to promote extending grace and compassion, especially amongst family members, which is wonderful, but the intensity of the gospel message leading to definite salvation in Christ was lacking. I was left feeling unsure of the conversions of Emma and Suzanne, for example.
So this book was entertaining but I cannot recommend it very highly.
I did enjoy the story overall. The characters became real enough to me that I could share their emotions somewhat--more of the pain than the joys.
The Christian gospel message was not direct/overt enough for my liking, nor was true Biblical doctrine clear enough. Confusion concerning Roman Catholicism is a huge concern-- an unbeliever reading this might wrongly conclude from this book that it is a valid form of Biblically orthodox Christianity.
I did not feel like the dialogue nor the relationships between the women of successive generations were realistic. Intensely emotional, life-transforming conversations seemed to happen far too quickly and be too short, but books can't always be 1000 pages long.
I think it's purpose was to promote extending grace and compassion, especially amongst family members, which is wonderful, but the intensity of the gospel message leading to definite salvation in Christ was lacking. I was left feeling unsure of the conversions of Emma and Suzanne, for example.
So this book was entertaining but I cannot recommend it very highly.
Best book I have read in a long time!
I really enjoyed this book. Kept me guessing throughout!
Great Story
Wonderful character driven book. Lynn Austin never disappoints. I would recommend this to anyone enjoying life stories about forgiveness and redemption. Real people enduring real struggles. I loved it!
A great read about how each generation affects the next. Also a wonderful message of God's grace. Lynn Austin is a favorite authors of mine.
From the cover:
Yearning for love and dignity, four generations of women must come to grips with choices they've made. And those their mothers made before them. but breaking the cycle that has gripped their family over the decades will prove more difficult than they had ever imagined.
There's Louise, who agrees to an arranged marriage to a godly man in pre-war Germany to please her parents. But can she ever learn to avoid the draft - or understand his absolute faith in a loving Father? And there's Louise's daughter, Emma who has carefully guarded a dark secret about her own husband for more than 50 years. Emma's daughter, Grace, still seeks answers to the father who abandoned her - or so she has been led to believe. And Grace's daughter, Suzanne's marriage is falling apart and she doesn't know why - or how to save it.
When Emma is faced with the realization that the lies she told to protect her family had actually poisoned those she loves most, she longs to free them with the truth.
But after more than 50 years, the truth might cause more confusion and suffering than it cures.
Can Emma help Grace and Suzanne break free of a legacy of wrong choices? Or will she take her secret and her broken heart to the grave, leaving her loved ones with shattered lives?
Yearning for love and dignity, four generations of women must come to grips with choices they've made. And those their mothers made before them. but breaking the cycle that has gripped their family over the decades will prove more difficult than they had ever imagined.
There's Louise, who agrees to an arranged marriage to a godly man in pre-war Germany to please her parents. But can she ever learn to avoid the draft - or understand his absolute faith in a loving Father? And there's Louise's daughter, Emma who has carefully guarded a dark secret about her own husband for more than 50 years. Emma's daughter, Grace, still seeks answers to the father who abandoned her - or so she has been led to believe. And Grace's daughter, Suzanne's marriage is falling apart and she doesn't know why - or how to save it.
When Emma is faced with the realization that the lies she told to protect her family had actually poisoned those she loves most, she longs to free them with the truth.
But after more than 50 years, the truth might cause more confusion and suffering than it cures.
Can Emma help Grace and Suzanne break free of a legacy of wrong choices? Or will she take her secret and her broken heart to the grave, leaving her loved ones with shattered lives?
