All My Secrets: BOOK REVIEW

  TITLE: All My Secrets

AUTHOR: Lynn Austin 

GENRE: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction

PGS: 400

AUDIO: 13 hours and 15 minutes 

Three generations of women bond while working to figure out their future after Arthur Stanhope III's untimely death and unfortunate will.  Junietta Stanhope, mother of Arther the third and wife of Arthur the second is matriarch of the family and head of the Stanhope Charitable Foundation. She recalls and shares her life experiences and encourages the women to look for a life with purpose, not just riches.  Sylvia Stanhope, wife of Arthur Stanhope III, cannot lose everything she has ever known again and works to find a way to keep their mansion and current way of life. Adalaide Stanhope, daughter of Arther and Sylvia, loves her mother and Mimi Juni (as she calls Junietta) and is stuck in the middle, confused about her future prospects and decisions. 

These women navigate their current trials while sharing their past ones in a multiple POV, time hop novel that highlights strong women and the struggles women faced in the late 1890s. Each woman, especially of their social standing, is expected to represent their family and live a certain way, act a certain way. Each woman in this narrative, both follows those expectations and pushes against them. Each woman travels through their own journey of self-discovery.  Unique women, unique stories, unique purpose, Empowering plot.  

It has been a while since I read Lynn Austin, and I am overjoyed to be reunited to her writing.  This book took me on a journey, as I rooted for each woman as she struggled and triumphed. I shook my head when they made their mistakes and wiped a tear at their redemption.  All my Secrets is beautifully written with a strong and inspiring message of our power to create our own path: a path that He who created us, set before us.  

Scripture this book brought to mind: 

Jeremiah 29: 11 " 'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' "

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance or us to do." 

And my personal takeaway is to seek His will for my life and not let others dictate the path that I am on.  (My mom's favorite verse: Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.")