A story of hope

My rating is 4.5 stars

Anna experienced the painful reality of how inflammatory and painful gossip could be. Ironically, it was shortly after she politely suggested that the women in her social circle were wrong for gossiping about another woman.

Anna, newly introduced to the Bible and living for God, struggled with how to reconcile her life among the wealthy with the teachings of Jesus. Her kindness, compassion, and respect for her adoptive parents were so admirable.

Slowly, the answer to the mystery of her parentage unfolded. As she learned the secrets of her birth, they somehow were being spread among her peers, but in a less than flattering manner. Anna was surprised to learn the source and the reason behind the campaign of slander that was being waged and was hard-pressed to come up with a way of stopping it that wouldn't hurt the people she loved the most.

Geesje, Anna's grandmother, was embroiled in mysteries of her own after opening her home to a troubled young girl with no desire to live. Crossing words with the girl's stoic grandfather, she loved her through the darkness that was choking her and led her into a life of freedom in Christ.

From the drawing rooms of the Chicago elite, to the slums and tenements, and to Holland, Michigan, author Lynn Austin tackled difficult subjects in Legacy of Mercy with grace and aplomb. Grief, guilt, poverty, domestic violence, gossip, and unforgiveness to name just a few. Despite the heavy subject matter, she crafted a story that was full of hope and pointed to Jesus all along the way. The ending was so touching and beautiful.


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I was given a free copy of this item. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.

Picking up one of Lynn Austin’s novels is like being completely transported into someone else’s life. And having read Waves of Mercy when it first came out two years ago, I was very excited to know that, in this case, that meant being transported into Anna Nicholson’s life again.

I’m happy to say this story was everything I could have hoped for, and in some ways more. I found Anna’s story compelling, particularly as I have often felt a bit like a fish out of water, as Anna does among those who form her high-society social circle. It was also one of those wonderful instances of knowing where I wanted the character to end up, but having absolutely no idea how she could believably get there—or even whether she would get there. I became thoroughly invested in her search for information about her birth parents and the twists and turns that story took before finally being laid bare.

Anna finds herself between a rock and a hard place in so many different ways: sincerely wanting to live out her newly deepening faith, but having her light snuffed out at every turn; deeply conscious of the honour, respect, and gratitude owed to her adoptive parents, yet yearning to know the story of her birth parents; and increasingly uncomfortable with the demands that would come with her marriage to William, but unwilling to expose her parents to the disgrace (and financial ruin) of a broken engagement. And time and distance have not dimmed her feelings for Derk Vander Veen, the young man she met in Holland, Michigan. I felt the struggle in every decision and the sense of bewilderment as circumstances either forced her hand or tied both of them behind her back.

In addition to Anna’s story, we meet Cornelia Den Herder, a deeply wounded young girl recently arrived from the Netherlands who comes to stay with Geesje de Jonge. It takes all of Geesje’s wisdom to reach out to her and know how to handle her irascible grandfather. Once again, I cherished the time I spent with this wonderful character. I think I may have said it my review for Waves of Mercy, but oh, that we could all have a Geesje in our lives!

If you’ve read any of Lynn Austin’s books, you probably don’t need any convincing to pick this one up, but in the event that she’s a new author to you, do yourself a favour. You will be completely caught up in whatever story she’s telling, and you’ll collect little nuggets of wisdom along the way that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I don't usually read historical novels that are written in the first person. This book was very good and continues off where the first book left off. So you'll want to read the first book first. It is a small cast of characters, and not your typical historical romance. The historic details make this story come alive.

"Legacy of Mercy" is Christian historical fiction set in 1897 in Chicago and in Holland, Michigan. It's the second book in a series, and it continues the story of Anna and Geesje. While it can be read out of order, you will better understand the story if you read the first book before this one. This book also "spoils" many of the things discovered in the first book.

Anna has grown in her Christian faith. She digs into her past to learn more about her biological parents, but a jealous girl creates a scandal about her potential illegitimacy. Anna needs to marry her rich fiance in order to save her father from financial ruin, but they aren't a well-suited couple due to their different values. The scandal threatens their engagement, and she's conflicted about what to do.

Anna story alternated with Geesje's story. Geesje was asked to take in a young woman from Holland who had moved here with her grandfather after the loss of her family. The young woman is suicidal, and Geesje has to gain her trust and help her grieve her losses. The young woman has turned away from God because she sees him as unforgiving, like a grandfather. Geesje also helps the grandfather, who was a minister, to learn grace and how to show love.

The characters acted realistically, and I cared about what happened to them. Several characters struggled with how to best serve God. The book was written in first person, present tense. There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this novel.

This is book two in the Waves of Mercy series, it is a continuation of Anna's story from book one. So I would recommend reading book one first. Both books are not your typical historical romance novel. they are full of so much more. There are actually a few different stories going on at the same time, however the author does an amazing job at pulling them all together. You are not wondering whom is speaking, even though some chapters are from one characters perspective while another is from another perspective. You know up front whom is doing the speaking and thinking.

There are many different characters in this novel that carry many different personalities, history, struggles and heartache. You will learn a lot from more than one character. How people handle the same circumstances in many different ways and how God is always faithful even when we doubt him.

This novel is full of forgiveness, finding our past, friendship, loyalty, romance and so much more. I look forward to reading more from this series.

First, this cover is absolutely beautiful. It captured me and drew me in.

It took me a while to fully get into the grove of this book. By chapter five I was immersed and very interested in the characters and what was happening in their lives.

There was a lot of mystery surrounding the characters and what was going on with them and their pasts which drove my curiosity.

If you are a Lynn Austin fan I think you will enjoy this book.

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley.com. All opinions are my own.

Lynn Austin writes the most compelling books and I find them engaging and enlightening. In this sequel to Waves of Mercy, Anna has gone back to Chicago with a serious disquiet in her soul about her upcoming wedding and marriage with William Wilkerson. Her parents are struggling financially and her marriage to the banking heir will solve a lot of their issues.

Back in Holland, Michigan, Anna's Oma, Geesje is helping with a new family from the Netherlands--a Dominie, and his granddaughter who'd been orphaned in a fire. The Dominie preaches a fire and brimstone life, even at his granddaughter.

The one thing Anna has in common with the young girl is that she, too, was orphaned when the ship that was carrying her mother and her sank. She was adopted by the man who saved her life and his wife. Her adoption set her apart from the teen.

While Anna's and Corina's stories parallel in the book, there are divergences and set these lovely young women apart. The differences make the book stand out as a great novel to read. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a trip through genealogy to find some answers.

My thanks to Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book.

I requested to read and review this book through Netgalley. The review is my own and freely given.

I have never been disappointed with a Jane Austin novel, and the record holds. Even though this is the second book in the series, it is good as a stand-alone book also.

The characters are very well developed and the story flows very well. The book is written in sections of each character telling their part of the story. It makes the story flow well.

I read an advanced reader copy but even though it wasn't final edition, the editing and grammar were excellent. A poorly edited book can ruin a great story. This is great as both a story and editing. You will not be disappointed.

If you like non-preachy, Christian stories set back in time, you will truly enjoy this book. I give it 5 stars out of 5.

I really have enjoyed Austin's writing style and love how she paints her characters so lifelike. This book is no different. I have never read the first book but I didn't feel at any time that I was lost in the story or that I didn't understand. This book sets us in an immigrant town of Holland, Michigan.
Our main character is Anna who is an orphan girl of humble circumstances that has been adopted by the man that saved her life when 'Ironsides' sank in the dark and murky waters and stole the life of her young mother. The couple is wealthy and raises the child to lack nothing. This story sees her coming of age, a socialite and engaged not for love but for the love of her beloved parents. It is a tale of gossip and finding the truth, of working out one's faith and putting feet to that faith. It is about finding out who you really are and God's purpose for your life.

It was a very good book. I hated to see it end. By the way, I love her grandma.

Legacy of Mercy is the second installment from Lynn Austin's series, Waves of Mercy. I thought it was a good read. I liked catching up with characters from the first book of the series. I enjoyed the vivid and descriptive historical details in the story.
I give Legacy of Mercy four stars. I look forward to seeing where the story goes in the next installment in the Waves of Mercy series.
I recommend Legacy of Mercy.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Lynn Austin does what few writers can do—create a sequel that’s better than the first book. Waves of Mercy, the lyrical first book in the series, chronicles the lives of Geesje de Jonge, one of the first settlers in Holland, MI, and Anna Nicholson, the daughter of wealthy Chicago residents. Legacy of Mercy picks up where the first book left off, with Anna back in Chicago trying to reconcile the outward life of a socialite with the inner life of a Christian.

Anna struggles to make sense of the Bible and how she can live out her faith in a society that seems to shun it. Geesje struggle with her new houseguest, a troubled young woman who recently immigrated from Holland along with her curmudgeonly grandfather.

Despite her adoptive parents’ trepidation, Anna hires Pinkerton agents to help her find out more about her birth parents. Unfortunately, as she digs deeper it appears that someone wants to tarnish her good name. As a good daughter, she struggles between wanting to know about her birth parents and wanting to honor the parents who raised her in their loving home.

Austin keeps the reader entranced with letters between Geesje and Anna, first person accounts of those who knew Anna’s birth mother, and narration from Geesje and Anna. When it seems as if all hope is lost—Austin skillfully shows how mercy and grace have the power to change even the hardest hearts.

In reading this book, I did not realise it was part of a series. I believe it works well as a stand-alone story. I was not confused about any of the characters, or storylines.

I liked Anna as a character. I think her story was compelling, and easy to get sucked into. I am easily frustrated with the idea of snobby rich girls ruining other people's lives, and there was a snobby rich girl in this story. It seems hard to imagine that lifestyle, where the competition for a rich spouse is so fierce that women would ruin each other for the chance at a good marriage.

I did not like how detached Anna's parents seemed from her as a person, and her life in general. Her mother (like all rich mothers back then it seems) was in control of every portion of her life, but there was little to no actual relationship there. For them to have adopted Anna, you would think she would have been more cherished instead of treated like an asset to manage.

I liked Anna's grandmother as well. Her internal struggles were very true-to-life, and she seemed like a real Christian. Not getting everything right, but trying her best to serve the Lord by loving people. Even when one of those people is an awful man like the Dominie. He was a character that made me cringe any time he appeared in a scene. What a selfish beast! For him to have been a pastor, and to overlook what happened to his granddaughter (regardless of other circumstances at the time) just seems crazy to me. I am glad there is redemption in the story for many of the characters.

Overall this was a very enjoyable read. I usually enjoy Lynn Austin's books, and this one was no exception. Recommended!

I loved the prequel to this book, Waves of Mercy. It was such a great read, yet ended in a totally unexpected way. The ending left me with many questions about the future for these characters. That’s why I was excited to learn that Lynn Austin had written a sequel. I really like the two main characters, Anna and Geesje, and was curious as to what happened to them after Waves of Mercy.

As I said before, the characters are my favorite part of this story. Anna is a sweetheart. She’s been raised in such a self-serving society, yet she sees how erroneous the rules of high society are. I respect her for wanting to leave the gossip and greed behind for a simpler life. I was glad to see that she was able to learn more about her biological parents and without giving away any spoilers, I’m happy with the way things turned out for her.

Geesje is a wonderful character as well. She’s a really sweet person and is such a good grandmother to Anna.

Overall, I thought Legacy of Mercy was a great sequel to a lovely book.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Oh my! When I finished the first book “Waves of Mercy” I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this second book. This book also touched me deeply. And I couldn’t wait to see how it ended. Ms Austin had me that anxious.
Anna is so confused about what she should do with her life. Since she is adopted she feels the need to find her birth parents history. Everyone is not trustworthy as she soon finds out. Before long she is the talk of her so called society friends.
Geesje de Jonge has learned a lot in her lifetime and hopes to help Anna and the other young people in her life. I loved the faith of this wonderful lady. She learned the hard way how to trust God.
This was another wonderful read from Lynn Austin. This book has it all, love, heartache and faith and some joy along the way. An intriguing story with many twists and turns you will not want to miss.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher Bethany House but was not required to write a review. All opinions are my own.

Legacy of Mercy
By Lynn Austin
This story is part of a series featuring a Dutch family finding itself over generations. I don't want to give all the details away, nor would I do them justice so I will simply give you my honest opinion of the work. I started this book not liking the POV used to tell the story. As I read though Lynn had me holding my eyes open at bedtime to find out what happened next. Each section was perfectly organized to keep you on the edge of your seat... In a good way, I promise.
I admire Lynns writing because of the content of what she writes. She truly writes authentic struggles and life into her stories and because of that, she writes authentic God experiences and responses as well. I glean so much wisdom from her books. I enjoyed this book far more then I imagined I would when I started it. I highly recommend the whole series however as it makes much more sense together.
I received this book in exchange from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

What I Loved: If you’ve read Waves of Mercy, you might have felt like there was more to the story. I’ll be honest with you, I was one of those rare human beings that was actually completely satisfied with the ending as it was. But that doesn’t mean, I wasn’t thrilled to get my hands on the “new ending!” And, boy, was it worth it! This was even better than the first one!
What Austin does so well, is that she brings a historical setting to life with well-developed characters and a rich spiritual message. Legacy of Mercy was a powerful story on dealing with grief and forgiveness. The story picks up right where Waves of Mercy leaves off and brings over the same lessons we were learning in the first novel and re-emphasizes their importance and adds to them in a beautiful way. I’ve read some continuations that felt like an extended epilogue but this was not that sort of novel at all! It was a fantastic ride that didn’t end until the very last chapter.

Rating and Recommendations: I give Legacy of Mercy 5 full stars and recommend it to those who enjoy historical Christian fiction. While it’s possible to read the books out of order and understand them, you’d appreciate Legacy of Mercy more if you read them in order.

~ I received a copy from Bethany House. I was not compensated for this review or required to give a favorable one.

I was very excited when Lynn Austin announced she would be writing a follow up to Waves of Mercy. This was a great conclusion to the first story. She wraps up everyone's story, and even brings in some new characters to fall in love with. I could go back and visit Holland Michigan again and again. I loved how much the characters grew in there faith and how much they leaned on that faith when they faced trials and difficulties. I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction. Just make sure you start with Waves of Mercy. Thank you Netgalley for the review copy.

Legacy of Mercy (2018) by Lynn Austin is the second novel in her Waves of Mercy series. This book comes in all forms including eBook, and is 400 pages in length. With a full-time job and a very busy six-year old at home, this novel took me three days to read. I received a copy of this book in paperback form from the publisher, Bethany House Publishers. In no way has this influenced my opinion of the story. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give Legacy of Mercy 5+++++ STARS. This story is a Christian Historical novel.

There is so much I love about Legacy of Mercy that I cannot possibly fit it all into one review. This book is just SO deep and exquisite! The plot of this story is excellent — once I started I could barely put the book down. I was so thoroughly engrossed in the story that pages flew by and hours passed and I didn’t even realize it. The characters are well crafted, and they all endeared themselves to my heart in one unique way or another, but my two favorite characters are Judge Blackwell and Dominie Den Herder. Judge Blackwell is sweet and heroic, and his story ripped my heart into pieces. And Dominie Den Herder is tough, stubborn, and all-around awful, but his transformation from lost to found (Biblically speaking) is so excellently done that I cried tears of joy! Oh! And the settings are remarkably written. Each place is so vividly described I felt like I was with Anna and Derk in a Chicago slum, like I was with Anna and her parents at a party in one of Chicago’s elite family’s mansions, and like I was with Oma Geesje in her warm, friendly home in Holland, Michigan enjoying a cup of tea and much-needed advice. This book definitely took me on an adventure!

Legacy of Mercy is full of excellent Truth moments. I feel exceptionally encouraged after having read this book! Of the many excellent messages delivered, my most favorite is a lesson from Oma Geesje. There is a moment where Geesje contemplates a new move, but the idea isn’t initially pleasant. She is 67 and quite comfortable where she is at. But then she realizes that “perhaps God doesn’t want [her] to get too comfortable. Maybe change is His favorite tool to make sure [His people] keep growing closer to Him” (389). What a wonderful perspective! I’ve always looked at change as a negative inconvenience. I am ashamed to admit that I’ve never really seen change in a positive light. Oma Geesje’s epiphany has convicted me to change my outlook — instead of seeing it as a burden, I need to see change, both good and bad, as yet another opportunity to be closer to my Heavenly Father. I need to stop being a complainer and whiner when changes in my life occur. I need to be more like Oma Geesje!

Anna, the heroine of Legacy of Mercy, is lovely. She is everything a well-written heroine should be, but what I appreciated the most about her character is her faith in God. Anna, as a new follower in Christ, has the kind of faith that moves mountains. She isn’t too sure about all the things she’s reading in her Bible, but she is a fighter for God. I love that she is desperate to be the woman God wants her to be in the place God has put her. My favorite moments in the book come right after Anna has read her Bible. In these moments, she questions what God means in order to understand, and then always tries to put God’s Words into action no matter what. Her upper-class social sphere does not include too many women of faith like her, so when she begins to make changes to her life and sticks to her guns about living for God’s purpose some of her “friends” become catty and rude. Regardless, Anna suffers the stings of her friends’ disdain because she has given her life to God and not to her society. Anna’s strength in her faith and her drive to understand God’s purpose for her forced me to self reflect and question the depth of my faith. Do I stand up to my friends and politely ask them to stop gossiping about others, or do I join in? Do I appreciate all of my blessings, or do I constantly find things to complain about? Do I represent Jesus well even if that means going against the tide? I have to admit that I came up short and had to make an apology to God for my laxity in faith. I adore when a novel forces me to look within, and then make appropriate change in order to better my walk with God.

Legacy of Mercy is brilliant! This is a story that will stick with me long after the final page has been read, and will go onto my re-read pile immediately. Legacy of Mercy is highly engaging, the characters are multifaceted, endearing, and unique, and the lessons in this book are invaluable — several have breathed new life into Biblical principals I thought I knew well already. I highly, highly recommend this book! Purchase a copy today. You will NOT be disappointed.

Is who you are and where you are from the same thing? That's the question Anna must answer. Saved from a shipwreck when she was three, adopted by the Man who saved her, Anna has no idea who she started out to be. A socialite, from a prominent family, Anna is set to marry a "catch" A bachelor who's money for her dowry will save her family from financial ruin. As she starts to learn where she came from, she has to decide. A fascinating read!

The book follows Chicago socialite Anna Nicholson's journey to the altar as she balances the search for her birth parents. Anna knows that she will have to confront members of her social circle when the Pinkerton agents unearth unfavourable information that could jeopardize her engagement. She also inwardly battles sharing her renewed faith which leads her refuge with her grandmother Geesje de Jonge. Geesje is also facing her own challenges with Christina, a Dutch teenager with a haunted past and her grandfather adjusted to life in America.

The well-developed characters made it difficult to know that Legacy of Mercy is the second part of a duology (which I did not know until I finished it). The story is told from multiple perspectives which enriches the storylines and moves the plot forward. Austin addresses issues of parenting and abuse in a sensitive way which would make this book ideal for book club discussions. Overall, Legacy of Mercy is a story of seeking and extending grace to one's community. This would be an ideal read for a cosy reading night.