New Augsburg, Book 3

De: Christa Petzold

Narrado por: Sarah Kramer

"Just because something can't be undone doesn't mean it can't be redeemed."

The year is 2122, and Zachary Barrett has made a habit of running from the disgrace of his family legacy. When offered the opportunity to regain a leadership role and restore his sullied reputation back home in New Augsburg, the temptation is too great to resist. But forces conspire against him. The stain of his own misdeeds, his father’s unexpected release from federal prison, and once-in-a-generation natural disasters threaten to interfere with his dreams of a fresh start.

Nearly four years into married life, Lydia Schaeffer thought she’d learned to trust God’s timing, but the unfulfilled desire to start a family leaves an ache in her heart. When her former nemesis returns to town and begins to spend time with one of Lydia’s dearest friends, past wounds and unforgiveness threaten to compound her grief.

As the residents of New Augsburg reckon with the sins of generations past and present, the challenges of a hostile government, and the unpredictable forces of nature, they must extend Christ-like grace to one another, facing the consequences of the past no matter the cost to the future.

©2025 Christa Petzold (P)2025 Christa Petzold

Wow! Thrilling story and romance!

This book was so good that it left me speechless. It is so much more than a romance. Christa tackles many topics in the world today and somehow put them into a love story flawlessly. I highly recommend the New Augsberg series. I look forward to reading the series over and over!

Amazing Redemption story

If you want a realistic Christian story about redemption and forgiveness. This is it. It's set in the future but feels very present.

A great end to the trilogy!

"Just because something can't be undone doesn't mean it can't be redeemed." This was a quote that stood out to me in this book and goes along with the theme: Christ's redeeming love. This book was a wonderful end to the trilogy! Book three focuses on Zach's story. I didn't think a book written about a character like Zach could move me to tears, but it did!

Christa writes in a way that allows the reader to feel the struggle when a character is facing trials and celebrate as the characters experience joyful times. Christa tackled some really hard subjects and it helped me understand what it would be like to be faced with all of those trials and blessings. The characters have already been so well developed in the first two books and this book digs even deeper into their complex lives, personalities, and relationships.

This was my favorite of the three books! I couldn't put the book down, especially in the second half. I highly recommend it. The narrator does a great job continuing to give so much personality to all of the characters. Reading the book was great but listening to the book made me feel like I knew the characters and was a part of the New Augsburg community.

A beautiful story that soothes the world-weary mind and soul and remind us to look to Jesus for all love, meaning and purpose

I just finished listening to the audiobook and wow. The other two books were great but this was an amazing closing to a fantastic series. The beautiful themes of redemption and forgiveness are masterfully woven in a stunning and captivating way. And the authentic way that Lydia and David’s infertility were discussed brought tears to my eyes. Having gone through 5+ years of infertility myself, I heard my experiences echoed in Lydia’s. Zach and Elizabeth’s story was inspiring. To see how, though his parents only acted the part, Zach was taught the faith and it made all the difference in the end. All in all, a beautiful story that soothes the world-weary mind and soul and remind us to look to Jesus for all love, meaning and purpose. Finishing this story felt like a warm embrace. I cannot adequately put into words how wonderful this story is. I would be remise if I forgot to mention what a wonderful reader Sarah Kramer is. She truly brought these characters to life.

Amazing storyline and Excellent narration

I loved this third book in the New Augsburg series and Sarah Kramer, once again, did a fantastic job embodying all the characters and bringing the story to life. I was so invested in the outcome of this series, and I love that it stayed raw but full of hope. It doesn't wrap all the difficulties up in a tidy package, but allows the challenges to stay, the consequences to vary, and some endings to be bittersweet. The extremely slow burn between Elizabeth and Zachary was so tastefully done. She thinks he is worthy, and he is on a rocky road of redemption that will end in some level of heartbreak. I absolutely adored Zach front and center in this story, and it might just be my favorite of the three. So good!

I listened to this on a long road trip and I was also particularly thankful to listen to something alongside my kids that captivated us all, but I didn't have to stress about content. I always give bonus points when I'm happy to share with my teens.

I received a copy of the audiobook from the author. All thoughts contained here are my own honest opinions.

A great end to a wonderful trilogy

I was not sure how Christa was going to pull it off and wrap up all the ends to all that was going on. She did a wonderful job. Once again I found myself feeling and thinking that I was right there with all the towns people. I was frustrated and sad with them and hanging on every word trying to figure out what was going to happen. Christa is an amazing writer and is definitely worth reading.

Wonderful close to a trilogy

I loved this final book to this wonderful trilogy! Loved how she tackled forgiveness in various people’s situations and acknowledging the hard things but also the goodness of God. Wonderful story! Would recommend the Augsburg series to everyone!