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174 ratings, 4.18 average rating, 39 reviews
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published
November 1st 2004
by Bethany House
binding
Paperback, 432 pages
isbn
1556614446
(isbn13: 9781556614446)
description
Refiner's Fire book 3. Kitty, a house slave, always figured it was easiest to do what she'd always done--obey Missy and follow orders. But when word a...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 218)
The third book in the Refiner's Fire series by Lynn Austin. Each book tells the story of the Civil War from a different viewpoint. This book is told through the eyes of Anna and Grady, house slaves on a plantation in South Carolina.
Anna was born into slavery and knows nothing else. She doesn't understand that she is a person in her own right and not a possession. She has always followed orders and obeyed her spoiled, selfish mistress. Grady was born into slavery, but his father was th...more
Anna was born into slavery and knows nothing else. She doesn't understand that she is a person in her own right and not a possession. She has always followed orders and obeyed her spoiled, selfish mistress. Grady was born into slavery, but his father was th...more
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Read in June, 2008
Out of the five or six Lynn Austin books I’ve read, I think this might be my least favorite … but that’s only because the competition is pretty steep as I’ve come to expect great things from this author!
A Light to My Path is the third and final volume in the Refiner’s Fire series chronicling events of the Civil War from various points of view — this time from the perspective of southern slaves. What I particularly enjoy in all of these books is the character growth and developmen...more
A Light to My Path is the third and final volume in the Refiner’s Fire series chronicling events of the Civil War from various points of view — this time from the perspective of southern slaves. What I particularly enjoy in all of these books is the character growth and developmen...more
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Read in April, 2008
This is probably my least favorite Lynn Austin book that I have read so far. It was still good, still interesting...but just didn't quite live up to the others I've read.
This one is told from the point of view of 2 slaves who live through the civil war - one a man, who eventually joins the first african-american Union army unit, and the other a woman, who remains a slave throughout the war. It was very moving to read about their plight and think more deeply about what it must have been lik...more
This one is told from the point of view of 2 slaves who live through the civil war - one a man, who eventually joins the first african-american Union army unit, and the other a woman, who remains a slave throughout the war. It was very moving to read about their plight and think more deeply about what it must have been lik...more
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Read in May, 2008
Lynn Austin continues to amaze me as a writer. This book is no exception. I finished it today, last book in the series. I was disappointed to have it end, and I don't want to read anything else. I'm still in the aura, wanting to savor it. Hoping the pressure upon my soul will be creating some permanent alteration to this lump of clay the Potter is shaping.
Book 3 of the Refiner's Fire Series covers the years of the Civil War from the perspective of slaves in South Carolina. Each installment o...more
Book 3 of the Refiner's Fire Series covers the years of the Civil War from the perspective of slaves in South Carolina. Each installment o...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
everyone
I finished this book today, and what an awesome ending. The book is about 2 special people....the first a young girl named Anna, who pretends to be a cat (even being called "Kitty") so she could work in "the big house" instead of being forced to work the fields. She is treated very poorly by her "Missy Claire" and is often told she has no soul, or that she is useless or stupid. She follows the orders she is given until after meeting Grady, a slave who was taken from...more
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Read in June, 2008
This book was really hard to read sometimes, but really wonderful too. I've always thought of the Civil War as a terrible thing, but a great thing in that it helped end slavery. However, while reading this book, I realized that the end of slavery was really just the beginning of the battle. African American people still had to work to construct new lives and gain an equal footing in this country. It kind of made me sad for the main characters (as if they were real), knowing the struggles and inj...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommends it for:
civil war readers
I could give this book 5 stars! I loved this book, up until last last few pages. I didn't like the ending. yes it was happy ending, but it could have gone about a different way. I guess after reading her first two in the series which were Christy award winners, my expectations were high, and sorely let down.
As for the series: I love the interwoven characters. although I wish Delia could have gotten to see her daughter one last time, her story fit so well. I wish Ted could have met his Grandm...more
As for the series: I love the interwoven characters. although I wish Delia could have gotten to see her daughter one last time, her story fit so well. I wish Ted could have met his Grandm...more
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Read in May, 2008
Despite what other reviewers have said, I actually thought A Light to My Path was the best book of this series. The characters were realistically drawn, both uncompromisingly flawed and vividly sympathetic. I don't know if I'm qualified to judge the portrayal of slavery, but qualified or not, I thought it well done, neither overly melodramatic nor softened to be more palatable. The "preaching moments" in this book also seemed to fit better with the characters than in the previous books...more
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Read in January, 2008
Although this is the third book in this series, they each stand alone. This one was captivating yet very hard at the beginning to read because it is from the slave's perspective of and during the civil war. It is important though if you want to get an accurate picture of the civil war. Once you get beyond the hard part, it is a wonderfully powerful book. Credit goes to the author though, she has a wonderful way of giving you the hard stuff, and then mixes in some relief. It wasn't so hard t...more
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Read in August, 2008
My favorite genre is historical fiction, and Lynn Austin has done a fabulous job portraying slavery during the civil war. She had a great plot during the entire book as well as prime character development. As a reader, I felt I was right there on slave row, enduring the pain the slaves faced. I also love the author's Christian statements throughout the book, and comparrisons.
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
ANYONE!
Im reading the last of this series and its by far the hardest. Set during the Civle War the first book takes place from the souths side, the second is from the norths side and the last is from the slaves. ITs made me cry so many times already. Its amazing her wrighting, you feel like you are right there.
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Read in January, 2008
This was a nice conclusion to the three part series. It was about the slaves side and experience of the civil war. The main character is the slave Grady who was the half brother of Caroline Fletcher (from the 1st boook) and after he got sold and how he found his love and wife Ana through slavery and the war.
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Read in April, 2008
This was a enlightening book about the other side of slavery: From the standpoint of the slaves.
I loved the comparison between our life without Christ, a slave to sin and a life in bondage, and a life with Christ, freedom and forgiveness.
I loved the comparison between our life without Christ, a slave to sin and a life in bondage, and a life with Christ, freedom and forgiveness.
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Read in May, 2008
I liked the story and the author did a good job of following the timeline of the Civil War. Definitely fiction as far as the story - a few "coincidental meetings" that were a stretch. But I liked the characters. Simply written. A good quick read.
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Read in October, 2008
recommended to Amanda by:
Holly
This is the last in the Refiner's Fire series and it follows two slaves through the Civil War. Parts of it were so sad, other parts were very predictable and it seemed to take me forever to read. This was my least favorite in the series.
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Read in October, 2008
It was interesting to see this period of history from two different slaves' point of views. I still can't believe people could think of another human as property and sell them as such. I also liked how different owner's styles were portrayed.
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Read in March, 2006
From the perspective of a slave during the Civil War. My least favorite in the series probably because it's not as happy as the others (and I like happy books). But what did I expect, they treated the slaves pretty darn awfully.
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Read in January, 2007
recommended to June by:
My sister in law Marilynrecommends it for: Everyone
I loved this book and want to read more of Lynn Austin. This story is set in Civil War times and is a story of slavery with Christian emphesis. A good love story between two slaves and their struggle for freedom.
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Read in September, 2008
I liked this book but I was sort of hoping that it would tie all the books together. It did a little bit but I felt like they all just ended in the middle of the story just when it was getting really good.
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Read in July, 2007
Great story - hard to put down. It really takes you back to that time and helps you understand what was happening back then. Touching! Again, depressing and uplifting at the same time :)!
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quotes from this book
""People are always thinking they can use the Lord to get their own way-- all they have to do is pray and God's gonna take away all their suffering and give them what they whatever they ask for. But it don't work that way. God's doing His business, and it's up to us to be serving Him, not the other way around."
"Then why do people pray at all? My papa asked Jesus to help him escape with me when I was just a little girl. But Jesus didn't help us."
"Praying ain't about asking for your own way. It's all about talking things over with God, just like you and me are talking things over. In the end, you have to be trusting the Lord to do what's best."
"So the Lord thought it was best that my papa died and my mama was sold?"
Delia slowly shook her head. "I don't know, honey, I just don't know. The hardest thing of all to understand is why a loving God keeps letting us suffer... I don't know all the answers myself. I seen my share of suffering, believe me. But there two things I do know for sure. One is that God loves us... And the second thing is that God's always in control of everything that happens. When bad things come our way and it starts looking like He don't love us, all I can say is that maybe we ain't knowing everything He knows."
Kitty's tears started falling again. "I still don't understand."
"Remember what you told me about the fighting up in Charleston? How you was standing on that porch, not able to see what's going on? This here's the same thing. We're standing in the smoke, hearing the noise [of the battle] all around us, and we don't know what God's doing because we can't see things clearly as He sees them. But He's gonna make everything turn our okay when the smoke clears. When it does, God's gonna be the winner and all our suffering here on earth is gonna finall make sense. We're gonna look in Jesus' face and say, 'O Lord, it was worth it all.'""
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