Hidden Places: A Novel (Paperback)

by Lynn Austin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This successful follow-up to Wings of Refuge and Eve's Daughters combines a strong spiritual story line with endearing, believable characters during the Great Depression. "How's a scrawny young thing like you, with three little kids to raise, ever going to run a big outfit like Wyatt Orchards?" the widowed Eliza Rose Wyatt is asked. She's desperate to hold on to the only real home she has ever known, but Eliza believes it will take a guardian angel to help her succeed. When the handsome hobo, Gabriel Harper, comes into her life, Eliza at first holds him at arm's length, wondering whether the aptly named mysterious stranger could be the guardian angel she's been waiting for. The strength of this beautifully descriptive book is its characters, from the whimsical, eccentric "Aunt Batty" to the one-eyed dog, "Winky." Austin incorporates subtle allusions to the angel theme throughout the text in everything from a Christmas tree ornament to the birth of a calf. Underlying layers of the story deal with the impact a father has on future generations and the importance of following one's dreams in spite of opposition. Throughout, readers are teased with misconceptions about Gabriel that are resolved in an unexpected manner. The flashbacks to the past can feel somewhat jarring, but Austin's writing is strong enough to take the reader through them with only a few difficulties. If Christian fiction fans haven't discovered Austin before, this appealing book will send them to her backlist, wanting more.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
"A wonderful fictional memoir with many twists and turns. Written with an overwhelming joyful approach, this story sparkles with life." -- Romantic Times, Aug. 2001

"I found this story... to be a tale of wonder. I can hardly wait for Ms. Austin's next story." -- Rendezvous, June 2001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 429 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764221973
• ISBN-13: 978-0764221972
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #77,651 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book, June 25, 2004

By	lor369 (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This book focuses on a widow and her family, while they are struggling through the Great Depression and trying to hold onto
the family orchard. After Eliza is widowed, 2 very important people come into her life. First, there is Aunt Batty, a
seemingly eccentric old woman, who is also very wise and Godly. Then there is Gabe, a "hobo" who she nurses back to health.

I thought this was a very interesting book to read. I loved the characters and how well developed they were. I loved Aunt
Batty and her love story with Walter. She initially came across as eccentric, but ended up to be a very wise, loving woman.

She helped Eliza to realize that her family, although flawed, loved her very much and urged her to forgive them and become
close to God. Gabe was such a wonderful, loving character, as well. It was very easy to hate Frank Wyatt for the way he
abused his family. And I pitied Lydia, who seemed to be such a weak person, for not standing up to Frank when he was abusing
the kids and for other things that happened in the book, which I won't reveal for fear of spoiling the ending. Lynn Austin
also did a good job of not sugar coating the Great Depression.

This was a great story of love, family, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Lynn Austin is a gifted writer.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another "Christie" Winner, October 22, 2002

By	Gregory Nyman (Winchendon, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book won the North American Historical Fiction prize recently, and it deals with a Depression-era romance which finds its heroine, widow Eliza Wyatt, afraid to trust.

Eliza never loved her husband, it seemed, but he seemed to offer her security and she was faithful in return for this. Her father-in-law never liked her and terrorized the family to no end. Now that he's dead, she is in danger of losing the farm that symbolizes the security she always craved. The story goes on and we discover that through the help of a hobo and her husband's aunt, Eliza learns to trust God and others.

A Truly charming and wonderful book. Highly recommended!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Family Story of Reconciliation, October 19, 2001

By	Jennifer Grant "jgrant73" (Stouffville, ON Canada) - See all my reviews

I absolutely loved this book! This is the second book by Lynn Austin that I have read and she definitely is an author I will buy in the future. Austin adds many twists and turns to her stories (to keep you guessing) and also spreads a message of hope and reconciliation. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a family story and loves the historical slant. Definitely check out Eve's Daughters as well by the same author.