Candle in the Darkness:
By Lynn Austin
Historical / inspirational / romance
Synopsis
Caroline Fletcher is caught in a nation split apart and torn between the ones she loves and a truth she can’t deny
The daughter of a wealthy slave-holding family from Richmond, Virginia, Caroline Fletcher is raised to believe slavery is God-ordained and acceptable. But on awakening to its cruelty and injustice, her eyes are opened to the men and women who have cared tirelessly for her. At the same time, her father and her fiance, Charles St. John, are fighting for the Confederacy and their beloved way of life and traditions.
Where does Caroline’s loyalty lie? Emboldened by her passion to make a difference and her growing faith, will she risk everything she holds dear?
My thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this civil war era book. I love Lynn Austin, and rarely do her books disappoint. This particular civil war story has a strong thread of romance. However, it’s also just as much about Caroline finding herself as it is about the romance between her and Charles. The degree of her inner division is heart-wrenching, and up to the very end, it’s difficult to guess which way her life will end up. Will she be arrested? Will she be abandoned by her family? Or will she concede to the ways of the South and give in?
I thoroughly enjoyed how the author wove historical facts throughout without burdening the reader or dumping too much information on to us. Some historical fiction novels use letters to inform the reader of historical events. While there were a few letters from Charles, the amount of letters was not overbearing.
I also enjoyed the spiritual thread of this story, and the journey of faith Caroline had to embark on. Having ‘faith”, in the South, was so misconstrued and I think it’s a very interesting premise to write from the perspective of such a deeply divided character. Of course she wasn’t always so, but she was always from the beginning a very compassionate and loving person, and so through that nature, she fostered a deep love for her slaves, and from that love emerged a strong and passionate desire to free them and all other slaves.
If you love historical fiction with a thread of romance, you will absolutely love this book.
I’m a huge Lynn Austin fan. Check out my other reviews of books by Lynn Austin
What’s your favorite historical fiction novel?
