All Things New

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?

Sometimes I hesitate to read Christian Fiction about a subject that I know can be filled with bitterness, hatred, rage, betrayal and pain as I wonder if it will be "sugar coated" to meet certain CF requirements.  No hesitation was needed with this book as the author dealt with it all honestly.  I appreciated that it did not end all neatly tied up, I was left wondering what decision the characters eventually made.   The story is told in the voices of three women, Eugenia, a Southern lady, her daughter, Josephine and Lizzie their former slave, now freed.  The three POVs added dimension to the story and gave a broader perspective to what each was dealing with in the aftermath of the War.   The secondary characters are just as interesting. The message that joy can be found no matter what the circumstances is one that is needed today. 

Author: Lynn Austin
Published:  October 2012
Pages: 412
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Source:  Bethany House
Finished: 12/3/12


This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from Noelle and Bethany House Publishers and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.