All Things New

September 3, 2012
In this latest historical novel from the multiple Christy Award–winning author (Hidden Places), Josephine Weatherly, her family, their Virginia neighbors, and their former slaves must find a way to adopt a new way of thinking to survive after the Civil War. Josephine willingly embraces the opportunity to work with her hands and to get to know former slaves Lizzie and Otis, who stay on to work at the plantation to give their children an opportunity to attend school. Josephine’s widowed mother, Eugenia, is horrified, however. Slaves, whom she must now call “servants,” should know their place. She dreams instead of rebuilding the South just as it was and of finding husbands for her daughters. Along the way, Josephine helps a neighbor who has lost the will to live after being crippled in battle and starts to question her brother Daniel’s involvement in some unpleasant activities. She also strikes up a friendship with Freedman’s Bureau agent Alexander Chandler. Can this Yankee Quaker help her rediscover the faith she lost in a God who cares? The Reconstruction-era South is realistically recreated, but a detached narrative style and a predictable plot hinder fuller character development.

August 1, 2012

After the Civil War, Josephine Weatherly and her mother return home to a ravaged plantation. Josephine's father and brother have been killed, and her other brother, Daniel, has been broken by the horrors he witnessed. The women, along with their faithful servant, Lizzie, vow to rebuild their home. But can Josephine's faith be restored as well? VERDICT Seven-time Christy winner Austin (Wonderland Creek) deftly weaves this story about the Reconstruction era. Strong heroines with depth make this a sure bet not only for CF fans, but mainstream fiction readers as well. Recommend it to readers of Lynn Morris and Sandra Byrd.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.