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Book Review of All Things New

All Things New
reviewed on + 350 more book reviews


I had a hard time getting into this because at first it just seemed like a pro-slavery story, but that was to just give you a perspective of what Southerners after the Civil War's emotions were like and how they may have seriously felt. It definitely stirred up sorrows in my heart as I read it.

As I went on it became better and better and people were changing and growing. It didn't really get good for me until I got to 250 pages (out of 412 pages in this book). That is not a good thing. After that the story was amazing.

The main characters are as follows:
Josephine goes home after the Civil War is over. She lives down south in Virginia. It is really tough on her family to adjust to having no slaves any longer. Her mother Eugenia is a widow left with two daughters and a son dealing with his hardships of loss. Josephine has a hard time believing in God but she is willing to try to change and finds that doing tasks their slaves once did brings her comfort.

Alexander came from the north and was born a Quaker. He had rebelled against his upbringing and now wants to find peace for his own mistakes and to learn to love his enemies. He also wants to help the Freedmen adjust to a new life away from their slavery they once knew. It has been hard for him, but he trusts that God will see him through.

Otis and Lizzie are a married couple who grew up as slaves on Eugenia's plantation. Lizzie does not want to stick around while her husband does. She has three children to raise and hopes the best for their lives so that they won't have to suffer as she did. She has her own fears and story to tell throughout the book. Her husband Otis has a large trust in God and believes in loving his enemies and doing right by them, which she finds to be ridiculous.

Throughout this book there are relationships of friendships, family, and love that grow. It was very good and I believe speaks much truth for what life back in that time definitely could have seemed to be like. I will give it 3.25 stars.