All Things New

Fans of inspirational fiction eagerly devour historical novels from Christy Award winner Lynn Austin. In All Things New, the acclaimed author weaves a tale set in the aftermath of the Civil War. Josephine Weatherly and her mother, Eugenia, return to their Virginia plantation, but their once-grand home has lost its lustre. Jo’s father and brother are dead, and the war has left her remaining brother broken and embittered. Bonding with Lizzie, one of the few remaining servants, Jo struggles to rebuild her life - and her faith in God.

©2012 Lynn Austin (P)2012 Recorded Books

Traveling Nana

I thought this was an excellent book! Especially in the times we are living right now of alleged white privilege and racism. This story helps to reveal the mindset of generational superiority and horrible treatment of Black people. God’s hand is the one who delivered the Black people from slavery with the defeat of the Confederate army. My favorite part of the storyline is that God is the only one who can fully change the mindset of racism when we yield our lives to him and see that HE created all men equally and loves us equally. Forgiveness is a big part of the story. We cannot hold people accountable for the sins of the past.

Excellent post Civil War inspirational

Alls changed in the southern states after the war ends. Many are willing to change but many others are bitter, angry and vengeful. It was a great read to see how two families handle the new way

Very well done handling a tough topic

It's hard hearing about the hatred and racism of the period during and after the civil war but it was handled expertly. The narrator did an excellent job with the southern and slave accents. It made it easy to follow with the characters.

good but

Beautiful and interesting story, Well written and fluid. There is too much faith in God and too little rationality. Or rather, any wise insight of the believing characters is immediately attributed to God who supposedly protects personally. Also, the critical issue of giving blacks their freedom is a bit dim. There were many places where I thought it should have been much more emphasized. For example when one of the characters asks why did we need this terrible war? The answer that should be is because it is intolerable for human beings to be slaves of other human beings. As if they are objects and can be sold and bought. The narration was amazing. The different characters were easily distinguishable and the southern accent was excellent.

Look to the Future

JWright
This was my first experience with a Lynn Austin novel, and I now know that Ms Austin is a wonderful storyteller!
We see the events through the eyes of three characters. One voice is that of a matriarch trying to return life to “the way it used to be.” Another voice is her daughter who knows that life as they knew it has changed forever. The third voice is that of a former slave girl who wants to enjoy her freedom, but is still fearful because of the past. Their voices detail a story of loss, grief, and faith.
My favorite character is Otis who represents the voice of reason and understanding.
The story is well worth the time!