Where We Belong by Lynn Austin - REVIEWED

About the Book:
Join Two Incomparable Sisters on Adventures That Span the Decades And Cross the Globe

In the city of Chicago in 1892, the rules and expectations for Victorian women are strict, their roles in life limited. But sisters Rebecca and Flora Hawes are not typical Victorian ladies. Their love of adventure and their desire to use their God-given talents have taken them out of society ballrooms and delivered them to the Sinai Desert--and into the teeth of a sandstorm.

Accompanied by Soren Petersen, their somber young butler, and Kate Rafferty, a plucky street urchin learning to be their ladies' maid, the two women are on a quest across the desert chasing rumors of an important biblical manuscript.


As the expedition becomes ever more dangerous and uncertain, all four travelers sift through memories and adventures of their past, recalling the events that shaped them and the journeys and providence that brought them to this very time and place.

My Thoughts:

Lynn Austin has been able to create fictional worlds that I readily and easily get lost in, and I never regret the journey she takes me on!  I’ve been reading her words for years, and I have to say that Where We Belong may be my favorite!  Rebecca and Flora Hawes are unforgettable heroines who stand up and create live that women only dreamed about in the 1800’s!  Mercy, women still long to live the honest, true-to-yourself kind of life that these two lived! 

And if these two characters don’t satisfy, Soren and Kate are sure to capture your hearts!  Austin has taken these four on such amazing and breathtaking adventures, that you can barely read fast enough!  When I reached the end of the book and discovered that the two Hawes sisters were based on real life people, you can bet I was eager to read more!  Austin seems to discover the most fascinating lives and then builds entire lifetimes around an idea that just never lets go of your heart!

There is danger more often than I expected, but no matter the circumstance the Hawes sister’s faith never wavered.  How I loved their fearlessness and boldness!!  Their faith was as much a part of their lives as the air they breathed.  Austin wove this element very naturally throughout the story, and I was left feeling encouraged and challenged because of their faithfulness!

I can’t begin to recommend this book highly enough!  It is truly a treasure among historical fiction!

About the Author:

Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction. One of those novels, Hidden Places, has also been made into an Original Hallmark Channel movie. Lynn and her husband have raised three children and make their home in western Michigan. Learn more at www.lynnaustin.org.