Book Recommendation - Long Way Home

 

Lynn Austin has been one of my go-to authors for women's fiction as well as historical for many years. Her writing style is fluid, her characters relatable and her story lines intriguing. Her upcoming release is no different. Taking place during and after WWII, this book follows the "long way home" that soldiers took after the war to recover who they were previously. The story surrounds a young soldier named Jimmy. Before the war, he was a veterinarian student, well loved and compassionate. After the war, he finds himself in the VA hospital after trying to kill himself. His friend and neighbor, Peggy, works to piece Jimmy's timeline together in order to find out what happened and discovers his long way home. 

As a recipient of the author's newsletter, I learned a few behind the scenes bits about the book:

This book was written in honor of the author's dad, who joined the navy at age 18 and fought in WWII in the Pacific. While he didn't talk much about his experiences, Ms. Austin noted that he struggled with certain facets of every day life, such as crossing a long bridge which would bring anxiety for him. Psychiatry was in its infancy those days, and some of the treatments prescribed to young Jimmy were actual treatments used on soldiers returning with what we now call PTSD. Here's a picture of the author's dad in his Navy uniform.

One of my favorite characters in the book is a dog named Buster. He plays an important role in Peggy's life and also helps some of the soldiers that Jimmy encounters in an interesting way. Buster was inspired by the author's sister's dog, Franny. Here's a photo of Lynn Austin and Franny along the Hudson River, which is near where Jimmy and Peggy grew up.

Another part of this book that was interesting to me was the journey of a young Jewish German girl named Gisela. She and her family were passengers on a ship fleeing from Germany after Kristallnacht. This element of the story had enough details that I wondered if it was actually true and indeed it was. I found this information on the journey of the St. Louis. How heartbreaking it must have been for those folks to have their journeys follow such a path!

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/voyage-of-the-st-louis

Due to the heavily emotional content of this story and the realism portrayed in how the soldiers and Jews were affected by the war, this book felt a little "heavier" than Ms. Austin's prior novels, but still contained her beautiful writing style and wonderful characters. I would recommend to fans of historical fiction! This book releases on June 21, 2022 wherever books are sold!

For additional information, check out the links below:

Lynn Austin's website: https://lynnaustin.org/

Lynn Austin's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LynnAustinBooks

My full 4.5 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4724319445

Book Recommendation - The Apostle's Sister

 

Angela Hunt has long been a go-to author of mine. She's one of the few I can say I've been reading for decades now and she still releases stellar books! She writes multiple genres, but one of my favorites is Biblical fiction. This book is the 4th book of the Jerusalem Road series, but stands on its own. The other books in the series happen in the same general timeline (during and directly after the life, death and resurrection of Christ), but the story lines don't necessarily cross over. Of the series, I do believe this one was my favorite. Having grown up with a dad, an uncle and a grandpa named Paul (true story!), the apostle by the same name was frequently alluded to in family gatherings. And in studying several of his letters and the book of Acts in Bible quizzing has made me more than a bit familiar with the famous apostle. And though I knew he had a sister and though I knew he hailed from Tarsus, I didn't give either of those facts a passing thought. This book gave me a better understanding both of where Paul came from (and how he was born both a Jew and Roman citizen) and how both his zeal and his conversion may have impacted his family, and in particular his sister. While much of the book is speculation (we don't even know his sister's name), the historical setting and events are rooted in research and taken directly from Scripture itself. I enjoyed learning more about this timeframe and getting wrapped up in a story of the family of the Apostle Paul. 

Here's the back cover blurb for those interested in what the book is truly about:

Aya, daughter of Zebulon of Tarsus, does not want a traditional life. Because she has always lived in the shadow of her brilliant brother, she wants to use her gifts and be something more than a wife and mother. When her traditional father insists she marry Avidan, a Torah student, she reluctantly agrees, but when Avidan leaves for Jerusalem, she seizes an opportunity to fulfill her deepest yearning, realizing she may never have another chance to do so. 

After moving to Jerusalem, she expects to be bored in her role as wife to a Torah student, but is fascinated by her husband’s studies. And when her brother Sha’ul makes a life-altering decision, she finds herself faced with a troubling question: how can she remain true to all she’s been taught and still love her blasphemous brother? 

This book releases June 7, 2022 wherever books are sold. If you need some great reading in the interim, the other 3 books in this series are out and are also absolutely fabulous:

For more information, check out the following links:

Angela Hunt's website: https://www.angelahuntbooks.com/

Angela Hunt's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Angela.e.hunt

My full 5 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4716682798?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1