Customer Reviews

Though Waters Roar

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As twenty-year old Harriet Sherwood sits in jail, she ponders the irony that she has been arrested for transporting liquor at the advent of Prohibition, the very cause her grandmother has advocated for more than forty years.

Lynn Austin skillfully weaves a multi-generational tale set between 1848-1920 introducing us to Hannah, Beatrice, Lucy & Harriet, their choices and the resulting challenges facing them throughout their lives. Set amidst the national themes of Anti-slavery, Civil War, the Temperance movement, and finally Women's Suffrage, the attitudes and expectations of men toward women may surprise those unstudied in America's history. Each woman's attitude and reaction toward their situation is compelling and varied.

The book is particularly powerful in its faith message of turning to and trusting in God during desperate times of trial. When Beatrice leaves her husband, her mother firmly counsels her to return to her husband and fight for him through prayer for God to help her husband overcome his weakness. That their bond was a vow made before God for better and worse, and that times of trial do not mean quitting and giving up. In today's casualness of marriage and vows, Lynn Austin's characters demonstrate to the modern woman how to turn to God for strength in seemingly impossible moments. The rest of the counsel might surprise and anger you, as it did Beatrice, but in following Beatrice through her journey, we recognize the strength and power within ourselves by allowing God to work within us to change our circumstances through His will. As each character discovers this is not an easy choice, but a difficult, daily, conscience decision worth making.

Other themes include the relationship between mother and daughter, social classes, marriage, love, business. Characters demonstrate that making the right decision is often the more difficult path to follow. The author does not ignore her characters weaknesses, but allows them to learn from their mistakes. The reader shares their love, frustration, anger, and other emotions as they share their lives. The trials faced by each character are similar to current situations we all face today.

I have read all of Lynn's other books and loved them tremendously. They're very catchy and full of historical facts that make you feel like you're a part of action. I have recommended all of her books to many of my friends and family because they were so well written and captivating.

When I started reading Though Waters Roar, I had all this in mind. However, I found this book to be very slow in the beginning and kind of confusing if you are trying to follow the story line (she starts in present time and jumps back to the past without giving hardly any explanation in the beginning). Personally, I think there were too many characters stories to keep track of throughout the whole book.

Despite the slow and confusing start to the story, it does liven up a bit in the middle and last part of the story. This wasn't one of Lynn's better books, but it will not deter me from reading her new books in the years to come.

"As I said before, Grandma Bebe never did tell a story in a straight line like the chapters in a book. Following the thread of her sagas was like chasing a startled rabbit through the woods -- you never knew when it was going to turn and head in a new direction."

This novel's main character, Harriet, spends the majority of the story reflecting from a jail cell on conversations she's had throughout her life with her mother and grandmother (whom she feels will be particularly disappointed in her reasons for being incarcerated). As she states later in the book, Harriet comes from a long line of heroines that have fought for various causes. She harbors the desire to be a heroine herself, but feels like all the battles have been won by the generations before her.

Covering the topics of slavery, the underground railroad, the civil war, alcoholism, depression, prohibition, women's suffrage ... and more, this book spans four generations of women and the struggles they faced in their society and in their marriages. Masterfully woven into their lives is the analogy of water. The beauty of a waterfall reflects the "swept away" feeling of a young couple from two very different lives caught up in love. Unfortunately, the destructive force of water breaking apart a dam - long been beaten against by too much rain ... seems to greatly match the turmoil within the civil war veteran husband. Beautifully done!

Along the way, the three generations of women before her have found peace with their circumstances by trusting God to lead them in the right way to help others, and to face their own fears whenever bucking the system became necessary. Harriet has the desire to follow in their footsteps, but does she have the right motivation? And will Tommy O'Reilly help to change her mind about men? (I won't spoil the fun of finding out on your own.)

This is a wonderfully written book, and one I would highly recommend to others!

Lynn Austin has a particular skill that leaves me in love with her characters. I usually read her books and can't wait to read what happens next. However, this book did not endear me to the characters; they seemed to lack personality for me. Much more focus was placed on events than on the feelings of the characters. I still think that Lynn Austin is a wonderful writer, but I wouldn't recommend this book if I wanted to get someone hooked.

Three generations of remarkable women she so much light on the changes in women's roles, expectations and reality. Lynn is one of best authors in recreating a time and place within plausible characters and a captivating fiction story. She and Jack Cavenaugh are my favorite.

This novel just didn't grab me like I thought it would. The story of women's suffrage and the Prohibition was really interesting, and Austin does a wonderful job of putting the reader into the history, with many rich details.

My issue with the novel is that, while the main character is Harriet, we get more of her grandmother's story than hers. I do like flashbacks and stories that span generations, but I didn't connect with Bebe (the grandmother), like I did with Harriet. Bebe's portion of the story is told in 3rd person, which could have something to do with it. Harriet's was in 1st person, and it was so much better. The novel was okay, but I was disappointed with that because I have heard that Austin's novel are very good. I'm willing to give another of her's a try, but I'm passing this one along to a friend.

Lynn Austin weaves a generational tale with deft skill in Though Waters Roar, which opens with young Harriot Sherwood in jail for a crime which would break her grandmother's heart. As the book discloses Harriot's secrets, it also uncovers the stories of Grandma Bebe and Lucy, Harriot's mother. But this book is not just about the lives of three women who share a blood bond. Rather, it embodies in its three protagonist's lives the struggles of all women in America as they fought for the right to vote and to abolish Demon Rum from the bars and speakeasies.

I enjoyed this book for its believable characters and sense of place and time, which transported me between the second half of the 19th-Century and the 1920's. Some of the decisions made by the book's characters seem a bit foreign in light of today's sensibilities, but they were true to the times. A thread of faith in God and the acceptance of life's hardships wended through the story like a bright stream. The transition between time periods sometimes came too fast for me, and one or two plot points could have flowed more naturally, but Though Waters Roar is worth reading. I recommend it for women who enjoy historical fiction, and for their teenage daughters.

(Note: A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for purposes of review.)

I have always enjoyed Lynn Austin's books and Though Waters Roar is no exception. I would agree with another reviewer, that the story started out slowly. Yet I feel that Austin was setting the background for the book and showing the strength of the main character, Harriet. Harriet stuck to her marriage althought enduring difficult circumstances. Would a young woman in today's society, show such strenth to stay with her marriage? In doing so, it gave Harriet the strength to deal with another love in her life. The story shares a great relationship with Grandmother, Beatrice and grandmother passes along her strengths and relationships within her life. Yes, it does flop back and forth between generations, but in my opinion, it is not at all confusing. Well worth reading and recommended for church libraries.

Once again Lynn Austin has written a great historical novel. Though Waters Roar covers the span of four generations and each is magically woven into the next. Harriet, her mother Lucy, grandmother Bebe, and great grandmother Hannah overcome circumstances and become strong women and fight against different social injustices. Each character is distinct and the emotions, attitudes, and actions greatly vary in how they respond to situations.

Though I initially struggled to follow the characters (because it jumps from year to year), I quickly was brought into the story and could not put it down. It begins with Harriet in jail pondering over the irony of how she got there. As she thinks back over her past, she recalls not only her past, but also the stories that have been told to her. It all relates to how this young woman found herself in a jail cell.

This book is well worth the many late nights I had when I could not put it down. I do recommend it!

I gave four stars only because of the initial problems following the story. Really, I would give it 4.5 if I could.

Bethany House provided me the book to review.

Lynn Austin's newest novel, Though Waters Roar, tells the stories of four generations of women and their quests to find meaning and purpose in their lives. Set in Pennsylvania and spanning from 1848 to 1920, this novel captures these four women's struggles and triumphs during several significant events in history, including the Underground Railroad movement, the Civil War, the Woman's Suffrage campaign, War World I, and Prohibition.

Within the first few pages of this book, I knew I was reading a novel crafted by a talented, veteran writer. The story's beautiful prose, profound and diverse characters, and rich historical landscape immediately captured my attention and kept my curiosity throughout. With Austin's careful pacing and the twists and turns she sprinkles throughout this novel, I found myself drawn more and more into the story as it developed. What I especially liked about this book was the reflective, spiritual messages Austin weaves in the characters' actions and dialogue, encouraging me to further grow in my walk with Christ.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing it.