Legacy of Mercy

I have waited two years for this book and it is truly wonderful. Once again Lynn Austin has taken these genuine characters and woven together an engrossing story, which historical fiction fans will love. Set in 1897, the story takes place in Holland, MI and Chicago, IL, following the life of Dutch immigrants and their descendants. I kept turning pages as these characters learned to trust and depend on God. Austin’s characters are flawed and struggle and that makes it easy for me to relate to them. Although this book is a sequel to Waves of Mercy, it certainly can be read by itself. But like me, you might enjoy these characters and their lives and want to read more. I actually hope that she writes another book and turns this into a series. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are mine.

Loved how easily I was swept away with every aspect of this book! The characters were very realistic. Story line and descriptive text flowed together very well. Saddened only by how fast the read ended as I couldn't put it down.

Format: Paperback
Legacy of Mercy by Lynn Austin continues the story of the early Dutch immigrants that settled in Holland, MI that were introduced in book one in the series, Waves of Mercy. The book can stand alone but you really don’t want to miss the great story in the first book. Lynn Austin is so good at weaving well-researched historical fact with lovely, interesting characters and not predictable story lines. I LOVED everything about this book except turning the last page. I have quite a list of favorite Lynn Austin books. Legacy of Mercy is one more for the list.

Legacy of Mercy
by Lynn Austin

Bethany House

Bethany House Publishers

Christian

Pub Date 02 Oct 2018

I am reviewing a copy of Legacy of Mercy through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:

Young Socialite Anna Nicholson can’t seem to focus on her upcoming marriage after returning to Chicago. She has learned new information about her birth Mother and that has continued to pull at her so she hires the Pinkerton detective agent to find the truth about her Mother. Meeting some of the people her Mother knew Anna soon comes to the realization that some secrets are better left hidden.

As this happening someone who wants to see Anna disgraced is going around spreading unflattering stories, determined to hurt her and to make sure her engagement is broken. As Anna begins to share her Faith with her friends in society she begins to see that her choice to seek God’s purpose in her life isn’t as simple as she hoped it would be.

At the darkest moments Anna knows that she can turn to her grandmother Geesje de Jonge, back in Holland, Michigan. Geesje has been helping Dutch Immigrants including a teen who is haunted by her past adjust to life in America. She hopes that her wisdom can help these people as well!

I give Legacy of Mercy five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Not having read the first book, Waves of Mercy, I was glad to see the author easily place me into the story. Even without the pertinent information from book one, I was able to follow the story of Anna, who is searching for her mother.
There are several aspects of Legacy of Mercy that I appreciated. One of them is forgiveness. Several characters had a lot they needed to be forgiven for, and even more they needed to forgive themselves for. My heart ached for Cornelia, and every time Geesje lit into the grandfather, I cheered. Geesje kept saying she should not lose her temper, and she would ask for his forgiveness for speaking so harshly, but I think she did the right thing.
Anna's story takes several turns from beginning to end. She's never loved William, but she is willing to marry him anyway for her parents' sake. Her selflessness is one of the reasons she finds herself trying to help others, and one of the lines of contention between her and William. Another is her faith.
As a new Christian, Anna is struggling to find her way in the socialite life. Things the other women do, Anna knows are wrong, but how can she stop them without putting her own family at risk of scandal?
It seems insane to be so worried over one's social standing, but this is consistent with the way of life for Anna. The world revolved around reputation and social standing.
I thought the author did a marvelous job with setting and characters. Nothing was overly done, and the balance between characters as we switch between Anna and Geesje feels natural. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would happily read others by this author. If you're a fan of historical fiction, I think you'll enjoy it too.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book. I was not required to leave a review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Legacy of Mercy follows Waves of Mercy and it continues the story of Gessje and Anna. If you loved the first book then you will love this one also.  This is a great conclusion to the first book.                                                                                        
Austin continues with everyone's story,  plus introduces us to some new characters.  Then we go back and visit Geesje in Holland Michigan as Anna turns to her grandmother for advice and balm to her hurting heart. I loved how much the characters grew in faith and how they leaned on their faith when they faced trials and difficulties.......Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this great book.

Lynn Austin book Legacy of Mercy did not disappoint. As a follow up to Waves of Mercy I find Anna and Geesje story pulled me in once again. As Anna seeks out her past and sees the effect it has in shaping her future I was encouraged by her heartfelt emotions, struggles in her own faith and desire to live for God even if she’s not sure what that looks like. Watching Geesje witness while submitting to the authority of a harsh man was also encouraging. It was a reminder that when waiting on God, and submitting to Him (no matter how imperfectly) can truly bring about answered prayers. If you are looking for an engaging story that also builds up your faith in God and helps you to contemplate the truths in these pages outside of this fictional story then Lynn Austin is definitely your author! This book was a delight to read, and nourishing for the soul.

I loved this partner book to Waves of Mercy.

There is something about a Lynn Austin book: I just immediately fall into the story and her warm narrative and the way she slowly unravels each thread of her well-researched historical inclusion holds me close until I am completely immersed and transported. Often, it is several hours before I look up and realize that I am not in Anna and Geesje's world but in my own.


I found this duology was a welcome insight into Austin's obvious passion for her home of Holland, Michigan and while each of her historical offerings is resplendent in its own way, the heart-tie and connection were especially welcome in this soft character piece.


The soft romance of Anna and Derk spoke to my love-story heart and Geesje's salt of the earth wisdom was so refreshing and speaks to a common thread of Austin's older generations serving at once as pragmatic and humorous.

Lynn Austin is a perennial favourite: she deals with fledgling faith in a non-judgmental and delicate way and there are few authors who delve so wonderfully into the complexity of flawed humanity.

There is simply no historical era she cannot wrap around her finger and we readers are so privileged for this unparalleled gift.

I adore Lynn Austin and Legacy of Mercy does not disappoint! Austin has an uncanny ability to create the most lovely and real characters who find a way into your heart. By the end of the book, you can not bear to leave Anna, Geesje, Dirk or any of the other exquisite characters. Austin does not shy away from hard things in life and also doesn't sugar coat any struggles that her characters go through. She has a depth of wisdom that shines through in her writing and comes out in almost every page of this page turning novel. This is book 2 of the series.

“Legacy of Mercy” gave me the satisfying end that I’ve been waiting for since its prequel, “Waves of Mercy,” left me hanging. I’d love to read them both all over again as one complete story and re-embark on Geesje and Anna’s intertwining journeys of faith and love. Once I started reading “Legacy” I couldn’t put it down, as I wondered how Anna would be able to stay loyal to her family while seeking answers about her past. Whether Anna would end up marrying for love or noble reasons may seem obvious, Austin presented her dilemma in such a real and tangible way that I felt the struggle myself and couldn’t figure out how it would all wrap up. “Legacy” brought out all the feels and kept me in suspense from start to finish.