In the aftermath of the Civil War, Josephine Weatherly and her mother, Eugenia, struggle to pick up the pieces of their lives when they return to their Virginia plantation. But the bitter realities of life after the war cannot be denied: their home and land are but shells of their previous grandeur; death has claimed her father and brother; and her remaining brother, Daniel, has returned home bitter and broken. The privileged childhood Josephine enjoyed now seems like a long-ago dream. And the God who failed to answer any of her prayers during the war is lost to her as well.
Josephine soon realizes that life is now a matter of daily survival--and recognizes that Lizzie, as one of the few remaining servants, is the one she must rely on to teach her all she needs to know. Josephine's mother, too, vows to rebuild White Oak... but a bitter hatred fuels her.
With skill and emotion, Lynn Austin brings to life the difficult years of the Reconstruction era by interweaving the stories of three women--daughter, mother, and freed slave--in a riveting tale.

ia/allthingsnew0000aust_v1h8.pdf

Lynn N. Austin

Center Point Pub

Thorndike Press

CenterPoint large print, Waterville, ME, 2012

United States, United States of America

In the aftermath of the Civil War, Josephine Weatherly and her mother, Eugenia, struggle to pick up the pieces of their lives when they return to their Virginia plantation. But the bitter realities of life after the war cannot be denied: their home and land are but shells of their previous grandeur; death has claimed her father and brother; and her remaining brother, Daniel, has returned home bitter and broken. The privileged childhood Josephine enjoyed now seems like a long-ago dream. And the God who failed to answer any of her prayers during the war seems lost to her as well. Josephine soon realizes that life is now a matter of daily survival and recognizes that Lizzie, as one of the few remaining servants, is the one she must rely on to teach her all she needs to know. Josephine's mother, too, vows to rebuild, though it's a bitter hatred that fuels her. With skill and emotion, Lynn Austin brings to life the difficult years of the Reconstruction era by interweaving the stories of of three women - daughter, mother, and freed slave - in a riveting tale

In the aftermath of the Civil War, Josephine Weatherly vows to rebuild her family's once-grand Virginia plantation, but her privileged life has now turned into a daily struggle for survival

2023-06-28