Customer Reviews

Eve's Daughters

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
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Eve's Daughters chronicles the lives of four women over a span of 100 years, beginning in Germany in the late 1800s as a husband and wife immigrate to the U.S. Each woman in this novel as a powerful story, and each life reflects the generation before, yet all women are bound by a mysterious curse (hence the title). I have never read anything written by Lynn Austin before this novel, but this book was wonderful. From the moment I began the prologue, I knew I would like this book. All four women chronicled in the chapters face similar things that every woman encounters. Austin does not candy-coat life either or preach at the reader, like so many other Christian writers do. Her characters live realistic lives with ups and downs, laughter and tragedy, just like we all do. I was pleased to see that. I loved these characters, and I did not want the book to end. I look forward to reading more novels by Lynn Austin.

This is a wonderful book. There are stories within stories in this book. The main constants are Emma, Grace and Suzanne, who are packing Emma's belongings to move her into a new home. Through the move, by finding items, the bits of the past come out. Suzanne runs with these bits, obsessed with putting the complete picture together. Through this, she learns of her great-grandmother Louise, who left Germany with her husband, because he wanted to avoid serving in WW1; she learns of Emma, who lived an unconventional life due to her choices, and she learns of her mother Grace, whose crusade for her real father gives her 5 fathers and a faith in God that is constant. Suzanne also tells her story of a youthful passion that waned and led to the beginnings of her divorce.

Throughout, the role of wives plays a huge part. Louise left all that she knew because her father forced her to leave to join her husband in America. Emma, seeing the role her mother played in her house, determined that she was going to be different. After multiple tragedies in the family, she gave in and tried to follow her mother's role, but did not succeed. Grace, seeing the way her mother was treated, gave up her career to marry Steven and run the house. Suzanne, seeing her parent's relationship, vows to be different.

The stories in this book are powerful. The underlying mystery is solved by the end of the book. After the answer is revealed, the reader then can understand the clues left throughout the book. I would recommend this book to anyone. A great story!

I was recommended this book by my grandmother. She and I often enjoy the same books (though there are some exceptions to this!). When she gave me Eve's Daughters, I was skeptical I admit. I tucked it away for a few weeks and didn't bother reading until one Saturday when I had to wait for the cableman to show up at my apartment. I settled down, opened the book (which started out a little slow, causing much apprehension), and that same Saturday I finished. I laughed, I cried, I reread certain parts, and I was hooked. I think I spent the next three days thinking of little except how incredible the read had been and how I wished all books could be like that. I could relate to the characters, I felt their heartaches, and I saw why they made the decisions they did even though I would've done differently in their positions. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone, young or old! I can now safely say that Eve's Daughters has become my favorite book.. it's simply the best.

Eve's Daughter's is by far the best book I have ever read. It is touching and a very hard to put down. And by far it is the only book I have ever read that has made me cry.
Lynn Austin takes us on a journey starting in the late 1800's to 1980 and weaves together a story of 4 woman who share their life expereinces of love, acceptance, and forgivness.
I must say Emma and Patrick's story is what truly brought tears to my eyes. You could clearly see the love they have for each other but how they were trying to keep apart. Especially Emma, since she had to let the man she loved go free in order to pursue his dream.
Eve's Daughter's is a book any woman should read whether young or old. It's a tale which weaves together what womanhood is about and in order to gain true peace and acceptance we must first find forgiveness from Christ.
The book took me 5 days to read. It is pretty long...450+ pages my copy was and the print is fairly small. But the entire story was beautifully written and well worth the hours I spent reading it. Lynn Austin has now become my fav. author. I have read many of her other books before (this one being the latest) and I look forward to the books she will release in the future!

This is the first of Austin's books that I've read. I expected typical "Christian Fiction", where the characters main role is to preach the gospel ad nauseum. However, I was happily surprised to find something much better. Indeed, the gospel is presented, but in terms, I think, most anyone would find palatable. The story is developed through the lives of four generations of women. Louise leaves her German homeland to follow a pacifist husband to the United States. Emma marries a man chosen by her parents, and finds herself in an abusive relationship. Grace becomes the proper wife, mother and socialite her mother never was. Susan leaves her husband because their ideals have grown apart. The characters are rich. They struggle with faith and the lack of it, and readers become aware of how faith affects living. These are real people in spite of their fictional origin. Readers will ponder and long remember what they read in this book.

To tell the truth, the only reason I even read this book was because my best friend had given it to me for my birthday. I picked it up thinking it would be one of those books I'd struggle with and let out a sigh of relief when it was over. I couldn't have been more wrong. . .

The beginning started out a little slow for me, mostly because I was sure it was going to be a contemporary novel. I like historicals a lot better. And I figured out the mystery of the book in the first five pages. To me, it wasn't that big of a mystery, but I'm a great observer, so it was easy to spot. As soon as I started Louise's story, I was hooked. I knew that I had been wrong about the book. Her story made my heart ache and caused tears to sting my eyes.

At first I wasn't sure why they were telling Louise's story, but I soon figured out that Emma told her mother's story, to try to salvage her granddaughter, Suzanne's marriage. Through the book all three women tell their own stories. All wonderful stories within itself, but my favorite of them all was Emma's story. She carries a deep secret that makes her heart burn and ache. She committed a sin that she can't forgive herself for, so she's sure her daughter, Grace won't either. Let alone God....

This is a story about love, loss, triumphs, and the forgiveness and grace of God. "God can turn a sin, into a blessing." I think that we tend to forget that sometimes. God cannot forgive us until we forgive ourselves. . .

You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll smile while reading this book. This book has a lot of meaning and touches the innermost places of your heart. It did mine, as long as I live, I'll, never, never forget this book or the strong, realistic characters.

I read this book from a suggestion from my mother's friend who thought I might enjoy. I was a bit slow to read it because I thought it would be dull and slow. But when I did finally get a hold of "Eve's Daughters" and started to read it, I was immediately hooked on it. It was as though I felt every heartache and joy with the four women (Louise, Emma, Grace, and Suzanne). It shows that even *one* sin can tear a family apart, no matter how hard you try to keep it hidden. This book is beautifully written and put together and I recommend it to anyone.

Initially, I thought that Eve's Daughters would be about, well, Eve's Daughters, ". . .four unforgettable women [Louise, Emma, Grace and Suzanne]--their struggles, their crises of faith, their triumphs." And it is. But, Eve's Daughters is so much more than this. It is also a story about how the consequences of sin (specifically the sins of our earthly fathers and mothers;)* can drive us into the arms of our heavenly father. A father who loves us; yet, who hates sin because it, ". . .hurts the innocent people we love the most." [p. 405] As Father O'Duggan explains to Gracie:

"I'm trying to help you understand that earthly fathers and mothers are human beings-that every last person on this earth is a sinner. Even the most loving parent will disappoint us at times in one way or another. And sometimes the poor example our father sets gets in our way when we try to understand what our heavenly Father is like. . .I've counseled people whose view of God has been twisted by their experiences. They can't accept that God loves them unconditionally because their own father didn't love them. They don't believe that God will never leave them or forsake them because their own father abandoned them. They don't think God will forgive them because their own father wouldn't forgive them. . .I understand your longing for a father. . . .Your real father is God. He's the only Father who will never disappoint you." [p. 236]

Lynn Austin writes with a thought-provoking grace and style that elicits profound reader response. And, these responses often come in the form of a delayed reaction that slaps the reader upside the head, two, three or even ten pages down the road. In joining these four "unforgettable women," this reader found herself learning a little bit more about the "jealous God," who shows his love to, "a thousand generations." * Eve's Daughters is a tale that entwines several love stories which point the reader to the ultimate love story: a Father's purposeful sacrifice to draw us into his loving arms.

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*The author refers to this scripture reference(Exodus 20:5-6)from The Bible throughout her story.

What an incredible story! Austin's masterful weaving of four women's stories touched me deeply and left me with the wonderfully hopeful message that it is never too late for the Lord to redeem the sorrow and sin of our lives. His grace is timeless and spans the generations. I've discovered a new "favorite" author!

I read this book for the first time this past summer and it is excellent!! For me, it was a bit difficult to keep all the characters straight towards the beginning but once I started to see the 'big picture' of the book, the characters fell into place. It was a very easy read, but very thought-provoking and well written. I definitely recommend this book since it has become one of my absolute favorites!!