All She Ever Wanted [Paperback]

Lynn Austin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2005

All She Ever Wanted is the emotion-packed story of three generations of women: Kathleen, her mother, Eleanor, and her grandmother, Fiona. Each woman left home to escape her family's past and to start a new life. Kathleen has been estranged from her family for 35 years, and she is torn between the need to forgive and the urge to forget. Hoping to find answers that will patch the wounds of her tattered heart and salvage her relationship with her daughter, Kathleen embarks on a journey into her family's mysterious past.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

One of Christian fiction's favorite authors pens an engaging story about family secrets that begins powerfully, but eventually loses steam. Kathleen Seymour's carefully constructed world starts to collapse when her teenage daughter, Joelle, is caught shoplifting and a row with her boss leaves Kathleen unemployed. After a few sessions with a therapist, Kathleen tries reconnecting with her daughter by taking her to a party hosted by the estranged family members Kathleen left years ago. Through multiple points of view and rich, detailed flashbacks to previous generations, Austin convincingly illustrates how shame and bad choices can affect families for years. The fairy-tale ending is less convincing, as it's replete with former delinquents spouting pat phrases; it's also implausible that painful relationships between family members are easily repaired with a single trip back home. But the three-time Christy Award winner offers the surprising plot twists and fresh language that keep her fans coming back to the bookstores for each new novel. (Oct.)
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Review

"I found her style to be an easy read--her story is compelling and draws me into her characters." -- Marty Medley, Armchair Interviews.com

"Lynn Austin is one of the most engaging authors I have ever had the privilege to read. Highly recommended!" -- Sherri Myers, Christian Library Journal

"[A] brilliant novel about love, forgiveness, [and] suffering... perfect for women who have seen hard times... I recommend it...." -- Andrea Burns, Christian Book Previews.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; Reprinted edition (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764228897
• ISBN-13: 978-0764228896
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lynn Austin, a former teacher who now writes and speaks full time, has won four Christy Awards for her historical fiction. One of those novels, Hidden Places, has also been made into a Hallmark Channel movie. Lynn and her husband have raised three children and make their home near Chicago, Illinois.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Story Anyone Can Relate To!, October 16, 2005

By 

Kristi Ahlers (Illinois) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: All She Ever Wanted (Paperback)

Ms. Austin has again penned another emotional and heart gripping read with her latest effort "All She Ever Wanted." This is a story that just about everyone can relate to at some point in their lives, and it aptly demonstates how family truly influences future relationships.

This story opens with the strained relationship between Kathleen and her daughter Joelle. Mother and daughter are on the way to see family that Kathleen has not seen in over thirty-five years. Along the way Kathleen begins to relive her troubled past in hopes that she will be able to reach her daughter. From there we travel back in time to see how three generations of women who have left their troubles behind truly effect the future generations that had yet come.

This was an awe inspiring read, one that will truly amaze the reader as they set off on an emotional journey of highs and lows. Joelle, Kathleen, Elenore, and Fiona are all dynamic characters and the reader will feel as if they have been drawn into the drama that created these women for better or worse. The use of faith in this story is subtle yet strong for the small role it plays again, in forming these ladies. This is one read that I highly recommend.

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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking read!, November 14, 2005

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All She Ever Wanted (Paperback)

All she ever wanted was a loving husband, a close family, and a beautiful house in the suburbs. And Kathleen is living out her dream, or so she believes, when her daughter Joelle is arrested for shoplifting. As a part of her reconciliation with Joelle, Kathleen finds she must let go of her current dream life and face the reality of her past. Even as a Christian, she finds this too painful to bear.

Kathleen receives a homecoming invitation from her sister, and encouraged by her husband and daughter, she agrees to revisit her hometown. Kathleen and Joelle take the trip together, and together they begin to understand the mysteries of the past--not only Kathleen's but also her mother Eleanor and her grandmother Fiona. In this light, Kathleen is able to truly forgive and live anew.

All She Ever Wanted is the first book that I have read by Lynn Austin, but I will go back and read her previous releases. I found her style to be an easy read--her story is compelling and draws me into her characters. Her message about understanding and forgiveness makes me to consider my own life.

"Let what we suffer teach us to be merciful--let our sins teach us to forgive."

Armchair Interviews says: Lynn Austin provides a thought-provoking yet entertaining read for everyone.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lynn Austin- talented author, March 9, 2006

By 

S. Eby (Illinois) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: All She Ever Wanted (Paperback)

All She Ever Wanted is one of those books you can't put down. The characters are engaging, the settings well-described and the stories believable and insightful. This author is immensely talented at bringing others' realities to light in ways that help us understand human existence and experiences with God.