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Until We Reach Home | 
 enlarge | Author: Lynn, Austin
Publisher: Bethany House
Category: Book
List Price: $13.99
Buy New: $9.27
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Avg. Customer Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 45489
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 432
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.3
ISBN: 0764204955
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780764204951
ASIN: 0764204955
Publication Date: October 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Brand new Book, ALL days Low Price !
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Product Description
Life in Sweden seems like an endless winter for three sisters after their mother's death and father's suicide. Elin feels the weight of responsibility for her sisters' welfare, and when circumstances become unbearable, she writes to her relatives in Chicago, pleading for help. Joining sixteen million other immigrants who left their homelands for America between 1890 and 1920, Elin, Kirsten, and Sofia begin the long, difficult journey. Enduring the ocean voyage in steerage and detention on Ellis Island, their story is Americas story. And in a journey fraught with hardships, each woman will come to understand her secret longings and the meaning of home.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
Home is where the heart is... December 19, 2008
Elin, Kirsten and Sofia only have one thing in common: they're sisters. The Carlson sisters are Swedish orphans that live with their uncle and his family. Despite their losses, they love each other deeply and rely on one another. Their life looks picturesque on the outside, but their family is ridden with secrets. After their mother died in childbirth, their father suffered from bouts of depression and ended up taking his life. Their older brother abandoned them for the big city. And the uncle and aunt who lives with them, claimed their childhood home and farm as their own. The two oldest sisters each have a secret buried deep in their hearts too. Elin begins to plan for her and her sisters to immigrate to America. Their other uncle in Chicago sends them money and tickets and so begins their journey. When the Carlson sisters reach their uncle and aunt's boarding house in Chicago, they are upset to find that they have been sold off as mail order brides. The girls refuse to marry perfect strangers and find jobs with a wealthy grouch, Mrs. Anderson, in order to pay off the debts. Despite her personality, each girl bonds with the older woman and in the end she treats them better than their own family had.
As the oldest girl in the family, I can easily relate to Elin. Throughout the story you feel as those she's carrying the world on her shoulders. She learns that she's not responsible for another person's evil and that she is deserving of true happiness. Kirsten mellowed, going from a self-centered brat to a self-sacrificing young woman. But it was Sofia's story that left me going, "Aww, that's so sweet!" In my opinion, her outcome was the most satisfying. Some younger audiences should be wary, due to the traumatic experiences that Elin encountered, but there's nothing overtly explicit in there.
http://thestorygurl.blogspot.com
An amazing trip! December 2, 2008
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (12/08)
Lynn Austin has written an exceptional story about three young women who have lost their parents, have no funds and are being taken advantage of by a devious uncle.
Elin, the older of the sister's promised their mother she would watch out for her sisters. Little did she know that she would turn into a mother at such a young age. Her sisters, one a daredevil that trusted everyone and the other, shy and meek, were the joy of her life.
This is a story of their leaving their home in Sweden to live in America, where everyone said it was the "dream world." Elin felt it was her responsibility to get her sisters away from the uncle who would take advantage of them in every way. The trip would be long, hard and scary at times.
Their first stop would be to Ellis Island, a gateway to America for immigrants. There they would be screened and screened for illnesses, and correct documents. While at Ellis Island, Elin becomes very sick with typhoid fever, which she contracted while caring for a sick family on the boat over. Kirsten, the carefree sister, is also isolated as they discover she is pregnant and not married. Their entrance into America is denied for the time being. Sofia, the youngest and shyest sister, is sent to live in a woman's dormitory until a decision is made about her sisters. It is here that Sofia changes into a determined, strong-willed woman.
Having little funds once in Chicago, each of the sisters make arrangements to marry someone they do not love so all three of them can live together. It is not easy for any of them as now the sisters will be split apart; something that has never occurred since they were born. In the end, they discover love and what it means to be home.
"Until We Reach Home" by Lynn Austin is a wonderful, enticing story of growing up, learning to love and appreciate what we have.
Hard to put down romantic historical November 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This story had so much intrigue, suspense, peril, yearning, hope, and faith in the midst of trials that it truly inspired me. The faith journey was SO believeable. The pain they went through made a lot of sense, and I truly felt for them. My heart grieved right along with them. I found myself thinking about the story all the time until I could steal away and read more. That, to me, is the sign of a fabulous read.
I am a real sucker for romance, which is sprinkled generously throughout the book, too. Plus, the heartache and pain resulting from dysfunctional situations and sin is portrayed realistically. While not edgy in regards to the details, Ms. Austin did a magnificent job of making me care about their pain and showing how deeply they hurt. Yet she balance that by showing how that makes them love more deeply as well.
In my opinion Ms. Austin is one of the best historical fiction authors at putting her characters in impossible situations and showing how God provides a way in the midst of heartache. She shows how God allows it to make His children grow in faith, and that He is always there even if He doesn't always take away the hardship and pain. And He can transform even the hardest of hearts when people love Him and each other like the Scriptures say.
The relationship that Sophia developed with Ludwig was so amazing it took my breath away. I NEVER would've thought to draw out the character's faith and introduce them to true love through sharing God's Word the way the author managed to do. And to use the Bible as a tool to communicate between their languages was brilliant. This tender relationship was beautifully developed and one of my favorite parts of the story. It made my heart sing!
I can't say enough good things about this story. I'm definitely putting this book on my list of favorites for 2008!
Epic story of immigration - wonderful! November 10, 2008
This is a fantastic book! It follows 3 sisters as they leave Sweden for different reasons and journey to America before the turn of the century. They each have to figure out who they are and overcome their pasts to become who God made them to be in America. I didn't want to put it down when it was finished and I hope Lynn Austin follows up with these sisters again (but I don't think she is going to). I love these epic kind of stories and though I have never read any of Lynn's other books, I'll be looking for them now. What a beautiful story!
Outstanding historical novel about three sisters and their faith November 10, 2008
Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin is a quietly stunning historical novel about three sisters quest to find a place they can call home. Elin Carlson has always tried to protect her sisters on their small farm in Sweden, especially since the deaths of their parents, but when their Uncle Sven starts making moves toward youngest sister Sofia like he did to her, she knows she needs to act quickly and decisively to break all three of them free from his control. Salvation comes in the form of their Uncle Lars who is living in Chicago and sends them passage to him. Elin, Kirsten, and Sofia leave behind all that they know in hopes of finding a new future. Elin is fearful and constantly on alert to protect those she loves. Kirsten is angry, at first, at leaving behind the man she loves, but when she discovers his duplicity, she embraces the possibility of a new life. Sofia, the youngest at sixteen, is scared to leave her home and falls into a deep depression, until circumstances force her to stand on her own for the first time and in doing so become the strength for all three sisters. Austin puts these three young women through enormous turmoil, but the lessons they learn and faith they acquire makes the story incredibly moving. All three sisters are intriguing characters, and Austin does a terrific job of capturing their sibling dynamic. One of the strongest parts of the book is how Austin portrays how these girls, rather than turning to God for guidance, run ahead of Him making their own rash decisions, and yet God uses even those actions for His own good purpose. It's an excellent story about faith, hope, and trust.
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