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9th out of 114 books
—
69 voters
Hidden Places
by
Lynn Austin (Goodreads Author)
A deep yearning for home had led Eliza to Wyatt Orchards ten years ago. Now widowed with three young
children, she faces mounting debts and the realization it is all up to her. But she has no idea how to run an orchard alone. When a stranger appears at her doorstep, Eliza guesses he is no different than the other out-of-luck characters searching for work during the Depress...more
children, she faces mounting debts and the realization it is all up to her. But she has no idea how to run an orchard alone. When a stranger appears at her doorstep, Eliza guesses he is no different than the other out-of-luck characters searching for work during the Depress...more
Paperback, 429 pages
Published
July 1st 2001
by Bethany House Publishers
(first published 2001)
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Hidden Places is incredible. It was such a beautiful portrayal of Biblical truth... I was surprised when I realized how much I learned from this book. Such characters as Aunt Batty and Walter Gibson just exuded so much wisdom in their part of the story. Stories like this make you realize how important relationships are... I've never had that great of a relationship with my own father, but I know that above my earthly father I have a Heavenly Father whose love shows no bounds. Lynn Austin is an e...more
This book is definitely a Keeper, meaning I'll listen to it again...but not too soon, as it's not an easy read. The difficulties the characters face are very real, in the context of each of their lives, and given their depth, the going was sometimes quite painful, even disturbing, particularly the unremittingness of the abuse various characters endured. I've sat with enough women living in abusive marriages to know just how trapped they can become, so I can totally see how Lillian ended up takin...more
Heartwarming stories of family, forgiveness, healing, and miracles get me every time. Lynn Austin does a wonderful job in Hidden Places where secrets, anger, and hate find a way to heal with God’s power.
Set during the Great Depression, a young woman finds herself alone raising three children and attempting to manage an apple orchard. Bitterness from her own past as well as the pain inflicted on those around her cause Eliza to turn her back on God. In her eyes, God is punishing her for the many w...more
Set during the Great Depression, a young woman finds herself alone raising three children and attempting to manage an apple orchard. Bitterness from her own past as well as the pain inflicted on those around her cause Eliza to turn her back on God. In her eyes, God is punishing her for the many w...more
What an incredible read! Lynn's portrayal of the human heart is spot on in every instance!
Hidden Places delved into the hidden places within - healing me in places, challenging me in others, and leaving question for me to answer about myself.
I love Aunt Batty! What an amazing and accurate perspective she has of God. I want to be just like her when I grow up!
Eliza is the woman we so often find ourselves to be - hurt, confused, afraid... Gabe, the wounded hero, is incredible in spite of his mis...more
Hidden Places delved into the hidden places within - healing me in places, challenging me in others, and leaving question for me to answer about myself.
I love Aunt Batty! What an amazing and accurate perspective she has of God. I want to be just like her when I grow up!
Eliza is the woman we so often find ourselves to be - hurt, confused, afraid... Gabe, the wounded hero, is incredible in spite of his mis...more
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I liked how the author went from the present to the past and back to the present in order to help the reader get to know each character better. Part of the message I got from this book was that, as imperfect as we are as humans, God is aware of each of us and despite the mistakes we make (which can sometimes be life-altering)He loves us still and has a plan for us that includes those mistakes if we but turn to Him for help.
Lynn Austin's writing style really app...more
Lynn Austin's writing style really app...more
This is the second Austin novel I've read and found the style in which it was written, very similar to her other novel 'Eve's Daughters'. I enjoy this author's style and was just as captivated by this Historical Fiction as I was the other. Lynn Austin is a wonderful Christian author who has the talent of intertwining the morals and values of Christianity into her novels without at all being preachy or in your face with religion. These are just nice, clean, works of fiction.
Hidden Places begins a...more
Hidden Places begins a...more
I really enjoyed this book. Good "chick flick" in written form :)! Like the other Lynn Austen books, the subject matter is somewhat depressing in a way, but somewhat uplifting at the same time, if that makes any sense. All’s well that ends well :) haha!
This book by Lynn Austin is about a woman who is grieving because she just lost her husband and then a homeless man comes to her house with the name of Gabe Harper. Everyone thinks it is her husband's brother using a fake name, but her children think that he is an angel. this tells the stories of Eliza, Aunt Batty, and Lydia. All leading up to an unexpected ending. this is a pretty good book.
i think that you should read it if you like books by this author or you like books about farm people with...more
i think that you should read it if you like books by this author or you like books about farm people with...more
This book is about a widowed women who has three children and lives alone. She owns an orhcard all by herself that has a lot of debts that need to be paid. she doesn't even know how she can do this all on her own. Until a man knocks on her front porch asking if there is any work to be done in exchange for food. with a kind heart she brings Gabe into the family until he can get on his feet. Except through out this experience she finds herself drawn to Gabes gentle ways and learns a lot about him...more
I thought it was a good book. I loved aunt batty from the beginning. It was worth the read . Very serious though and predictable and surprising at times. There could have been more romance.
1 like · like · see review
A book to read in the bath tube or being sick in bed. Quick read, predictable story with some nice characters in it. Liked the quotes from Thoreau (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Da...),
Here one from Walden ( in German as I did read the book in German)
("Jeder soll sich um seine eigenen Angelegenheiten bekuemmern und danach streben zu sein, wozu er geschaffen wurde. Warum sollten wir in solch grosse Eile sein, Erfolg zu erringen und wozu solch dringliche Geschaefte machen? Wenn jemand mit se...more
Here one from Walden ( in German as I did read the book in German)
("Jeder soll sich um seine eigenen Angelegenheiten bekuemmern und danach streben zu sein, wozu er geschaffen wurde. Warum sollten wir in solch grosse Eile sein, Erfolg zu erringen und wozu solch dringliche Geschaefte machen? Wenn jemand mit se...more
Eliza Wyatt is widowed, has three young children to raise on her own and an orchard to run. Gabe comes into her life and appears to know quite a lot about the orchard and her deceased father-in-law. Eliza is fighting to hold onto the orchard for her childrens' future and accepts Gabe's offer of help. Eliza has many secrets from her past that her husband and family never knew. Secrets she must deal with. Gabe also has secrets that Eliza feels may jeopardize her tenuous hold on the orchard.
Eliza'...more
Eliza'...more
This book was a page turner. I was captivated by every character, but especially Aunt Batty. Her warmth and understanding kept me smiling. I enjoyed how the story was told. I'm not sure I've ever read another book where the story unfolded like it did in this book. Each character's story revealing yet another layer of the whole plot without any regard to a chronological timeline. So interesting and creative.
I chose to give the book only 4 stars because the characters had far fetched lives. Autho...more
I chose to give the book only 4 stars because the characters had far fetched lives. Autho...more
If you liked Cold Sassy Tree or These is my Words, you'll like this book. I loved it!! Didn't get much done around the house till I was done reading it.
1 like · like · see review
I loved this book. The plot was really intricate. The story takes place in the early 1930s- Depression America. Eliza has just burried a husband and a father-in-law. It's the story of life's lessons learned- how our experiences shape us into what God wants us to become. It's about finding strength and comfort in God when no comfort or strength can be found in left in ourselves. It is also about what love and a family are really all about. I love the images of the seasons- winter- depression, los...more
Aug 14, 2012
Cali
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who loves a good romance
Shelves:
historical-romance,
romance
This book is basically your typical romance because you know there's going to be a happy ending, but it did keep me guessing until the end. Throughout the book the characters' pasts are revealed one by one and you learn a little more each time.
I, like most readers, try to figure out where the story is going before it actually gets there. And with this book I would think I had it figured out, but would learn something new about a character and have to change my opinion. So, I had a few ideas abo...more
I, like most readers, try to figure out where the story is going before it actually gets there. And with this book I would think I had it figured out, but would learn something new about a character and have to change my opinion. So, I had a few ideas abo...more
Excellent book. Set in Great Depression (I do not usualy read historical fiction).
The writing is unique in that an entire chapter of back story for five characters: mother, father, aunt, uncle, and son's stories were told by the the Aunt explaining the stories to the heroine (actually the aunt and uncle was one chapter). Each was packaged as story within the story.
Pieces of several mysteries were revealed in each back story. It flowed and transitioned really well. I lke it much better than fla...more
The writing is unique in that an entire chapter of back story for five characters: mother, father, aunt, uncle, and son's stories were told by the the Aunt explaining the stories to the heroine (actually the aunt and uncle was one chapter). Each was packaged as story within the story.
Pieces of several mysteries were revealed in each back story. It flowed and transitioned really well. I lke it much better than fla...more
I'm always amazed at the depth Lynn Austin's books hold. The richness of her characters, the way a story line anyone could write becomes a heartfelt journey for the reader, and how you feel you've learned something when you shut the book. "Hidden Places" does every one of those things. Despite the unique situations of the story, Eliza's struggles are so easy to relate to, and the wisdom of Aunt Batty and Walter Gibson are like cool drinks of water in July. I always feel like my walk with God has...more
has it really been that long since I read a book? Shame...well having a kid will do that to you. I really emjoyed this book. It is about a woman who is struggling internally within herself and her past. It had a lot of Christian themes in it, a little romance, some mystery, and a lot of drama. The story isn't just about one character, it takes a couple chapters on about three different characters and you get to see how their lives all intertwine within each other. There was a lot of reference to...more
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Generally speaking, I like Lynn Austin books — really like Lynn Austin books! But this one wasn’t at all my favorite. In fact, when assigning a rating to it on Goodreads, I had to go with “it was okay” — a lowly 2-star rating.
I can’t figure out what made this one so mediocre. It’s Austin’s first novel, so maybe with her improved writing in her later books I’ve come to expect more. Maybe it’s because this didn’t delve deep enough into the historical aspects of this book, which is something I’ve c...more
I can’t figure out what made this one so mediocre. It’s Austin’s first novel, so maybe with her improved writing in her later books I’ve come to expect more. Maybe it’s because this didn’t delve deep enough into the historical aspects of this book, which is something I’ve c...more
Apr 02, 2010
Kasi Lou
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone who loves a good book
Shelves:
2010
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I almost never read fiction and I'd never read a book by a "Christian author" before and wasn't sure what to expect as far as that goes. But I couldn't put this book down. I thought the protagonist was irritating in that she complained so often about God taking things from her which hadn't actually been taken yet. But there were so many fascinating characters besides her to think about, it really didn't matter. I loved Aunt Batty the best...more
Love this book! I've read it twice. It's one of those that are perfect for curling up by the fire with a blanket. Its one of the rather rare good Christian books- its romantic, but it also deals with many other things and is actually good literature as well as being inspirational! The characters are believable, and the use of many different story lines- past and present- means you never lose interest. I definitely recommend it.
Austin is a Christian author and most of her books are historical pieces. This is a long book and takes a while to get all the story told. It is a nice read because there is no foul language or descriptive sex scenes. The people are real and if you changed a few details, this could be a family in todays world. If you have not read any of her books, I would recommend some of her other shorter ones first.
My Mom gave me this book to read and I thought it was very enjoyable - I especially like that while it technically falls under the category of Christian fiction, the author didn't blast the reader with a school-marm, holier-than-thou main character who is beautiful and pure as the driven snow. It was a real-life, believable story with a likeable main character with flaws and doubts just like the rest of us.
Practically everyone in this book has a secret past. It was interesting to guess and then discover what life stories were being hidden and protected. A very interesting study in human nature and how we respond to the tragedies of our upbringings.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. After reading 'Eve's Daughters", I wanted to read more of Lynn Austin's books and I wasn't disappointed.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. After reading 'Eve's Daughters", I wanted to read more of Lynn Austin's books and I wasn't disappointed.
This book really caught my interest for the first two thirds, then she started to lose me a little. By the end I really just wanted things to reveal themselves. It takes a while, but I like how things worked out. I like the lesson she is teaching, that God is aware of us always, and He has a plan for us. Even though we often have to take a lot of detours to figure out what that plan is.
I doubted that I was going to like this book. "Christian fluff", as I call it, really does very little for me. In fact I am such a snob I would go so far as to say it "hurts my soul". I only read this at the insistence of others and it surprised me. It is actually well-developed and even profound. I am glad I read it and I have even recommended it myself to others! Quite shocking :)
Another win from Lynn Austin! I probably would have given this 5 stars but the last 1/4 of the book felt disjointed and lost my attention. I loved the characters and felt like they were my friends. It's a story of struggle and love and while historic, the same issues exist today. Austin's writing just has a way of pulling you into the story and making you feel like you are there.
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For many years, Lynn Austin nurtured a desire to write but frequent travels and the demands of her growing family postponed her career. When her husband's work took Lynn to Bogota, Colombia, for two years, she used the B.A. she'd earned at Southern Connecticut State University to become a teacher. After returning to the U.S., the Austins moved to Anderson, Indiana, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and later...more
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“I've seen spring come to the orchard every year as far back as I can remember and I've never grown tired of it. Oh, the wonder of it! The outrageous beauty! God didn't have to give us cherry blossoms you know. He didn't have to make apple trees and peach trees burst into flower and fragrance. But God just loves to splurge. He gives us all this magnificence and then, if that isn't enough, He provides fruit from such extravagance.”
—
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Aug 19, 2012 11:27pm