Lynn Austin is a favorite author of mine because I enjoy the richness of her historical settings and the depth of her characters.  Books that I've enjoyed by Austin include her Refiner's Fire trilogy, Hidden Places, and All She Every Wanted (I'll tell you more about these books later on in this post, so keep reading!)


Biographical Information:

According to her official website, Lynn is a former school teacher who began to write while living in Winnipeg, Manitoba with her husband and children.  She decided to dedicate a few hours each day to working at her typewriter while at home during the long Canadian winters.  You can read more about Lynn, how she got started with writing, and the challenges that she faces on the biographical page and the FAQ page of her website.

FaithfulReader.com has also done an interview with Lynn, where I found it interesting that she has been influenced by the work of Chiam Potok and enjoys reading books by Maeve Binchy and Connie Willis.  To read the complete interview click here.  And for another inteview with Lynn check out this page at the Sword Review website.


Writing Style and Books:

In the FaithfulReader.com interview, Lynn says that “He (Chiam Potok) inspired me to try to write Christian fiction the way he writes "Jewish fiction" --- to set out to tell a compelling story, yet to weave my Christian worldview and my own spiritual wrestling into the story in a way that is seamless and glorifying to God.”   Only her readers can be the judge of how well Austin achieves this goal, however after winning three Christy awards and earning two starred reviews in Library Journal it is clear that her storytelling ability has earned her an appreciative audience.  
Here are some highlights from our collection, for a complete list of the books we have by Austin click here.


Eve's Daughters 
Austin was inspired to write this book about four generations of women in the same family by a conversation she had with her grandmother, mother, and daughter.

Hidden Places
This book set during the depression was made into a movie for the Hallmark Channel, starring actress Shirley Jones. Ms Jones received a 2006 Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Aunt Batty in the film.


The Refiner's Fire trilogy, which includes Candle in the Darkness, Fire By Night, and A Light to My Path.
These books take you into the time of the American Civil war, where the reader experiences the heartaches, joys, romances and tragedies of abolitionists, slave owners, slaves, and soldiers.


All She Ever Wanted
In this contemporary novel, a mother attempts to recconnect with her troubled teenaged daughter by taking her along on a trip to visit her family.  Through flashbacks the reader learns about the mother's own troubled past, a past that will make this family visit anything but easy.

Photo of Lynn Austin is courtesy of her website, www.lynnaustin.org