Review of Lynn Austin's All Things New

In Lynn Austin’s most recent novel, All Things New, a young woman returns to what had been her antebellum home at White Oak Plantation in Virginia. The difficulties surrounding the reconstruction years of the Old South are brought to light as a family tries to cope with the bitterness of having enemies who so violently ravaged what the family had loved. The war of northern aggression had turned what was once beautiful and opulent into a tattered remembrance of its former glory. The land wasn’t the only casualty though; the family has to deal with a war that has claimed the lives of the father by pneumonia and one of the sons in battle. The other son, Daniel, has emotionally changed as well from what he has seen in the war. Lizzie, a freed slave, stays on with the family to help them rebuild the plantation.
The young woman, Josephine, feels bitterness against God who has seemed to ignore her prayers. Only when a young man, Alexander, enters into her life with his vibrant faith and commitment to the Word of God does she begin to heal.
Austin does a tremendous job in contrasting the old with the new just as Rev. 21:4-5 say in the opening pages of the book. The artistic description of the Old South beauty juxtaposed against the devastation of the current reality of having to rebuild into something new is interwoven with a faith journey that compels the reader to feel what Josephine felt, to cry with her in her loss, and to ultimately come to peace with her God.
I was given this book by Bethany House in order to provide a reader’s review. I received no compensation and all opinions are my own.

Happy Holidays '12 from the Burches!

Happy Holidays '12 from the Burches!

The World Behind Me is finally in print. I will have three books in the Cross Over Me Collection. In this first one, I share about our experiences during the first four years on the mission field. A transformation took place in me as I lived overseas. I lead you down my spiritual journey and share about various stages that I went through while serving in another culture. "To my surprise I experienced some vivid spiritual road blocks on this journey. I concluded that God places barriers, U-turns, or closed paths in our lives for reasons that we are incapable of understanding at times which may be for our own protection." (page 11)

"When I left my small South Georgia town for Russia, I knew little about other peoples and nations...The word diverse was not on my vocabulary list as a relevant term. Today it is though. The amount of various people groups living in America is rising...I am not sure if I could relate to others as comfortably today if I had not lived cross-culturally...My worldview once was limited, but now my eyes have been opened." (p. 87) I put these notes together as soon as possible in hopes to help others moving through similar stages share the Gospel more boldly.

Soon I will use the Cross Over Me Collection blog to post small group application questions that correspond with each section/chapter.   I hope that groups can use these as they venture on new mission work in their communities. Contact me at lesburch@gmail.com for speaking engagements. I would love to set up a time when we can sit down together and share. Blessings.

In His Love,
Les