Three women, all walking through the same war, but seeing things through very different eyes. The year is 1865 and the American Civil War has taken just about everything from Josephine Weatherly--her family, her home, and perhaps her faith. Now Richmond is burning and the Confederate soldiers are fleeing. Is there any hope?
When the war ends and Josephine, her mother Eugenia, and the free slaves who chose to remain with the Weatherlys return to their Virginia plantation, they resolve to restore White Oak to what it was before the War. That may prove to be pretty difficult task without Josephine's father and brother who were both casualties of the war though through different causes. And the newly declared freedom of the slaves is pretty hard to accept if you were once their owner. Eugenia feels that her slaves should still be waiting on her and that she shouldn't need to change the way she has treated them her entire life. In essence, Eugenia refused to give up her way of life prior to the War even though the entire country has changed and nothing will be the same again.
At the same time, the story of one of their newly freed slaves, Lizzie, is artistically woven into the book. Life is different for her as well but it is hard to trust and move beyond the only thing she has known. What does freedom mean for Lizzie and her children?
While each of these characters view the end of the war a bit differently, their stories are intermingled into one. Each of them must learn to live with the changes the war brought and it affects each of them in a much different way. The fact that this story is written from the perspective of those who totally lost their way of life may open your eyes to how difficult this was for them. Wrong as it was, slavery was a way of life for Southerners that had been passed down for generations. Their livelihood was now gone and they must learn to rebuild both their homes and their way of thinking.
Lynn Austin has written a number of historical fiction novels and I have not been disappointed in any of them. All Things New is a wonderful story of restoration, forgiveness, renewed relationship with the Father, dealing with change, hope, suffering, and faith. Once you pick it up, you won't want to put it down! Ms. Austin always adds enough historical detail to make the reader feel like they are right there in the midst of the story but not so much that it bogs you down.
I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review. As always, two thumbs up for Lynn Austin's newest, All Things New.
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