Thursday, October 28, 2010

Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin

Social issues are confronted by four generations of women. Hannah hides escaping slaves. Her daughter Beatrice (Bebe), married to an alcoholic, fights Demon Rum (prohibition). Her daughter Lucy fights for woman’s suffrage. And the next generation, Harriet, well, she is a bit lost for a cause. She does know she doesn't ever want to marry until she comes across a childhood schoolmate.

Austin does a great job portraying the mother-daughter relationships of four generations. She weaves their stories around the social issues confronting women of their day. The book is well written and very informative. It helped me understand the concerns women faced a century ago. Discussion questions at the end make it a great choice for reading groups.

Bethany House, 428 pages.

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