Hidden Places by Lynn Austin

Hidden Places Reviews

• 
  Jeannette Garcia

  Hidden Places is incredible. It was such a beautiful portrayal of Biblical truth... I was surprised when I realized how much I learned from this book. Such characters as Aunt Batty and Walter Gibson just exuded so much wisdom in their part of the story. Stories like this make you realize how important relationships are... I've never had that great of a relationship with my own father, but I know that above my earthly father I have a Heavenly Father whose love shows no bounds. Lynn Austin is an excellent writer and I'm very excited to read every other work by her!
• 
  Linnette

  What an incredible read! Lynn's portrayal of the human heart is spot on in every instance!
  
  Hidden Places delved into the hidden places within - healing me in places, challenging me in others, and leaving question for me to answer about myself.
  
  I love Aunt Batty! What an amazing and accurate perspective she has of God. I want to be just like her when I grow up!
  
  Eliza is the woman we so often find ourselves to be - hurt, confused, afraid... Gabe, the wounded hero, is incredible in spite of his misguided ways stemming from his own pain.
  
  I love Matthew. I hurt for Matthew. I wanted Gabe to be Matthew... and yet I didn't.
  
  I found myself wanting to love Sam for the simple fact that he lived so completely unloved.
  
  As to old Mr. Wyatt... how sad to think of the many souls out there just like him... lost, angry, unable to do anything other than hurt those he should love the most.
  
  Poor Lydia. How many women allow themselves to believe they are irredeemable? How many women believe they deserve the ill treatment they receive? How many women take their punishment rather than turn to Christ for cleansing and freedom from their sins?
  
  And Mr. Gibson? He's the greatest hero in the story! If only there were more men like him in the world! And more Aunt Batty's, too!
  
  As to the writing? I can't help but give a writing critique. If a writer is going to write from first person point of view, THIS is the way to do it! I am NOT a fan of first person POV for the simple reason that too many times the author has way too many information dumps and rabbit trails that only frustrate me and make me want to either put the book down or throw it across the room.
  
  But this book? Hidden Places is one to go on my reread shelf. As soon as I get my own copy! Thank you, Lynn, for this incredible story and the incredible way in which you told it!
  
• 
  Loraine

  Lynn Austin's historical fiction has, so far, never failed to please me. With strong, complex everyday characters, a strong faith element, and a good plot line, her stories draw me in and make me feel like I am living right along side of them in their small town, rural setting. My favorite character, by far, was Aunt Batty. She was full of wisdom and faith and had wise words for both Eliza and Gabe.
  She certainly had her own bag of secrets and enjoyed finding them out. Her love of books without a doubt struck a strong chord with me. Definitely an excellent read.
  
  FAVORITE QUOTES: "I feel the same way about books. As I said, for me, these are the bare necessities of life."
  
  "It isn't work when you love someone."
  
  "Home is where your family is--the people you love and who love you."
• 
  Linda Klager

  Lynn Austin does it again! What a wonderful and many faceted story. What took place behind the lives of the Wyatt Family was filled with so much drama. I liked way Lynn divided the book up so that each main character had a chance to tell his or her story and, boy, was there a lot to tell!
  
  My favorite character was Aunt Batty. She was such a loving and caring woman who loved the Lord. I was so very happy to hear her story!
  
  I highly recommend this book.
• 
  Margaret

  Reading a Lynn Austin books is like stepping back a bit in time and sitting down to a home cooked meal, nothing fancy but leaves you satisfied. Her writing about faith and the Lover of our souls always strikes me right to the core. Some parts of the storyline in this book was a bit fanciful but isn't that what reading is all about? An escape, living in a fanciful world? Stories like these always makes me think of my mother who was a farm girl, a devout Christian and who loved to cook. I have noticed that a lot of Lynn Austin's books are geared around country living and cooking. Frankly it can't get any better than that.
• 
  Haley Annabelle

  At first, I didn’t think i would like this book. But it’s one of the better light fluff books I’ve read.
  I wouldn’t consider it “clean” necessarily. But I liked the way many complicated family stories were interwoven.
• 
  Lori Henrich

  Loved this story. This is the first book by this author that I have read and it won't be the last. It flowed well, kept me interested, had the enough faith based info without being to preachy or overdone. Someone could easily read this story and be led to the Lord. What I like the most about the flow of the story was that you weren't given the entire past of the characters all at once. Just when I started to wonder about certain aspects of what happened previously it was shared. At times I wanted more information and it was given but not until later, which made me want to keep reading.
  
  Eliza is on her own now raising her three young children on her own. One night a strange man appears at her doorstep needing help. Is he the angel that she needs to help her or a devil in disguise. Eliza came to Deer Springs trying to escape her past. She wanted to find a nice house to live in and a family. Eliza was working at the diner when she met Sam Wyatt. When she was told that Sam's family owned Wyatt Orchards and lived in the beautiful home right outside of town, Eliza set her cap to make Sam fall in love with her. She lied about her past to get what she wanted. Eliza cared for Sam, but not the way she should have. Frank Wyatt, Sam's father, was an unlovable man who treated his son and everyone else with anger and disdain. Eliza hates Frank with a passion, especially when he allowed Sam to die as a result of a cut on his foot. Sam could have been saved if he would have seen a doctor but Frank wouldn't allow it. There was no love lost or grief for Frank when he died. In fact if anything there was a sigh of relief.
  
  Now Eliza has an orchard to run and a family to care for on her own. More trouble is on the horizon for Eliza but with the help of Gabe and Aunt Batty there just might be a silver lining.
  
  Great read!!
• 
  Katie Hanna

  DNF.
  
  I don't think this author is for me, really.
• 
  Nicole

  Listening to a good historical romance is always a pleasure
• 
  Julie Klassen

  One of my all time favorite books.
• 
  Ann-Sofie

  3.5*
• 
  Donna

  This is Historical Fiction and it takes place after WWI. I like this author, Lynn Austin. One of my favorite books was written by her. She is one of my favorite Christian/Fiction writers.
  
  I liked this one. The MC was fun to get to know...as were the other characters...especially Aunt Batty. Aunt Batty was the a great anchor for the whole story. And I liked the romance which is really saying something since Romance, as a genre, is never a favorite. Gabe was a great character as his wrinkles were smoothed out. Overall, I liked this one....4 stars.
  
  
  
• 
  Nora Wolfenbarger

  A wonderful story of the long term internal conflicts created by a child's interpretation of adult decisions. The challenges of the depression and what it took to survive are also strong elements of the book. I loved the portrayal of strong women, sacrifice, and determination. There is plenty of conniving and secret keeping to be entertaining. And how could a reader not love a character named Aunt Batty.
  A great read for sure.
• 
  steph

  4.5 stars
  
  SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE MOVIE.
• 
  Morgan

  Really enjoyed this story even though it seemed a tad far-fetched to me.
  I loved Aunt Batty simply because she came across as being just that - a bit `batty'.
  Eliza's character showed a strength that we all would wish for at difficult times in our lives and I especially loved the idea of everyone having a `guardian angel' which permeated throughout.
  The Christian theme was certainly present but not blatant or overpowering.
  The story has some twists and turns and kept me guessing.
• 
  Sidonia

  Mi-a plăcut mult, mult de tot! Ce carte frumoasa! Ce ma bucur ca am dat peste ea. E o poveste de viata superb creionata, despre iertare, regăsire de sine si despre puterea de a o lua de la capat in ciuda tuturor dezamagirilor. Va rog cititi-o.
• 
  Joleen

  These days I don't seem to read many 5-star books. This one changed that track record.
  
  Hidden Places is an odd title for this book. I'm sure there's more significance in it than I care to delve into, but not enough to make me remember the title. But I will never forget this story. All anyone has to do is mention Aunt Batty and it will all come flooding back.
  
  This is a different book from typical Historical Romances. The writing is much more like it's written by a seasoned writer with a unique ability... a true ability to put a story together in a memorable way. Oh, Ms. Austin can write.
  
  Another thing different about this book for me is the main character, Eliza. She was not a favorite for me. In fact I kept thinking I wouldn't like her if I knew her. She often got mad and flew off at the handle. She often didn't seem capable of being calm and finding out how to view something without anger.
  But, as the story goes on, you will see why.
  
  Seems everyone is this story had huge hurdles to get over. Eliza for the way she was raised... twice... once by her mother and later by her father. A very odd childhood I don't want to give away.
  
  Gabe, her love interest also had a childhood that was sad.
  
  Aunt Batty (hands down the best character) had an overbearing father who decided for her what she should do. But ended up having the richest life of them all because of circumstances that God brought into her life. Wise and fun. That's Aunt Batty.
  
  Lydia was Batty's sister, who she loved unconditionally. Lydia made one of the most unexpected sacrifices Batty (then Betsy) could ever believe.
  
  We get background during conversations, but the real background of each character is when each one's story is told, like mini separate books... but it always comes back to the main story after a while. All are fascinating... all endear you to them.
  
  Eliza wants to be loved, and find a home and be normal. She finds it in a little town she drops herself into. She needs to keep her past to herself and just be normal. But with this normal life comes father-in-law from hell (Frank). One of the most miserable people you will ever care to know. We never really know why he's so miserable... but we sure do get the stories of all the people he affected in this miserable life. Some survive and come out better, some don't fair so well.
  
  But anyone who gets to know Batty (Frank's sister-in-law) is better for having known her...except Frank, who hated everyone. She's a sweet woman who enters Eliza's life just when she needed her.
  
  Then along comes Gabe, a hobo who needed a wound tended. Eliza helps him to heal and he stays on at her orchard to pay her back.
  
  The rest is history.
  
  Great book I can unreservedly recommend.
• 
  Beth

  Generally speaking, I like Lynn Austin books — really like Lynn Austin books! But this one wasn’t at all my favorite. In fact, when assigning a rating to it on Goodreads, I had to go with “it was okay” — a lowly 2-star rating.
  
  I can’t figure out what made this one so mediocre. It’s Austin’s first novel, so maybe with her improved writing in her later books I’ve come to expect more. Maybe it’s because this didn’t delve deep enough into the historical aspects of this book, which is something I’ve come to love about my favorite Austin books (particularly the Candle in the Darkness series). Maybe it’s because I felt like the most interesting plot pieces were revealed in the middle of the book rather than the end (this has a few “twists” in the plot, but by the end, everything seemed to fit too neatly into place). Maybe it’s because I never felt especially connected to the main character, not really understanding her backstory (she makes it a point to drop hints about her past to the reader, but doesn’t reveal her past until the very last “flashback” sequence in the book). Maybe it’s because I enjoyed the whole subplot with Betsy and Walter (which wrapped itself up halfway through the book) so much more than the main plot with Eliza and Gabe. (Or maybe it’s because I could hardly even remember Eliza’s name just now, though she’s the main character … seems like she’s referred to as “Toots” or “Sugarbaby” or “Mrs. Wyatt” throughout the bulk of the story. :-P )
  
  Maybe it’s all those things added together. Not a bad read (and certainly a light, fluffy one — which is just what I was in the mood for), but this author has done much, much better.
• 
  Paula Shreckhise

  Wonderful tale full of heartache and promise. Eliza is looking for a permanent home, not the rambling one she has growing up in a traveling circus. What she finds is a harsh father-in-Law and a marriage that she perceives as a sham. But when death takes both her husband and then her father-in-Law she prays to God to send her an angel. The person who is sent to her to help her work the orchard is not an angel but Gabe, a writer, wounded physically and spiritually. With the help of her husband’s aunt Betty, aka Batty, and God, they are able to heal and become a real family . Eliza realizes she has a lot to be thankful for. This is hard subject matter of physical and mental abuse and how it can affect families. But it was artfully done and offers hope. It has lots of godly wisdom through the character of Aunt Batty. It was very interesting story about the difficult times in the thirties.
• 
  Alicia

  This was a wonderful story- I was spellbound the whole way through. The book takes place in parts that describe the present at some points and the stories of different characters at other points, much like Lynn Austin's other books. She does it so seamlessly that you don't miss a beat.
  
  I really liked the theme of God watching over us in the good times and the bad, and I loved reading about the main character Eliza's path to forgiveness. I also really loved Aunt Batty! She was such a cute and (very) wise elderly lady who had quite a story to tell.
  
  One of my new favourite books by this author!
• 
  Maria

  O poveste captivanta despre vieti in care se impletesc nevoi si circumstante, familie si dragoste.
  O carte foarte frumoasa. Am ras, am plâns, m am emoționat și la final mi-a lăsat o stare de bine. Povestea este scrisa bine și structurată în asa maniera, incat este imposibil sa nu o îndrăgesti din primele pagini. Am dat dintr-o greșeală peste ea, dar ma bucur ca am citit-o. Merita 5 stele și chiar mai mult.
• 
  Pam

  Hidden Places is by Lynn Austin. This novel is about family. It is about deciding who is family, how to deal with difficult families, how to deal with being set aside by your family, combining families, keeping secrets in families. The story takes place in 1930-32 so the makeup of families was different from those of today. The man was in charge of his family and the family did what he said without question. He decided what occupation the boys would pursue and what the women would do.
  Lydia and Betty (or Batty) were sisters being brought up in a family that did not show love or caring for one another. Their father was very strict and decided their futures for them. Betty was to be a teacher and Lydia a wife and mother. Fine, except Betty wanted to be a writer like Nelly Bly. She was most comfortable with her writing and books and she wasn’t the prettiest girl in town. Lydia was working in the hardware store (mainly to entice men into the store) and loved it. She could practice her flirting without upsetting her father. She was gorgeous and everyone loved her. She and Betty had a very close relationship that caused them to swear to take care of each other as they couldn’t trust their parents to. Their father arranged for Betty to marry Frank Wyatt next door. In return, Frank would get their property to join with his. Betty didn’t want to marry Frank. She had met a writer who had come to stay in their cottage by the lake. Gilbert Harper was engaged to a socialite in Chicago and was marrying because his father told him to. However, Lydia ends up marrying Frank and having three sons. They continued to live next door to each other. When Gilbert’s engagement was broken due to his health, he came back to the cottage and ended up marrying Betty.
  Frank was very hard on his oldest sons and adored his youngest. Willie got whatever he wanted. The boys went sledding one winter day and Sam, the middle boy, went home. As Matthew started home, Willie started throwing a fit and the sled ended up in the middle of the pond. Willie wanted Matthew to get his sled; but Matthew had enough and told Willie to get it himself. Willie was scared; but he started slowly on the ice. As he was almost to the sled, the ice broke and Willie went into the water. There was nothing Matthew could do except watch his brother drown. Frank blames the older boys. Matthew leaves for the army after he learns a family secret. Sam stays to help run the orchard; but never goes against his father’s will except for his marriage.
  The story keeps getting more and more complicated as more secrets are divulged or kept. No one seems to be who or what they say. When the ownership of the orchard comes into question and a loan is called at the bank, people really get on edge. Who can they trust? Who is who they say they are?
  
• 
  Katie

  I LOVE this book! A solid 5-star all the way.
  I was pulled in from the first sentence and had a hard time putting it down. I loved all the characters, their pasts, and the sadness and tragedy that touched their lives. The writing was superb. When they were in pain, I was in pain. I cried over the selflessness of Lydia and was horrified over the cruelty of Frank.
  
  When I came to the first flash-back, I thought the book was going to go downhill fast since I typically don't like flash-backs or split-time novels. But I was pleasantly surprised! I loved all of the stories and wished each of them was longer (except Eliza's, I personally didn't care for her story at all, but it was still written well). I truly couldn't get enough of this book. Love it!!! Wish there were more like this. :)
• 
  Michelle Hofacker

  Excellent story about the effects of lies and bitterness. Every character had a story that was a complete surprise.
• 
  M.E. Tudor

  I loved this book. It's a tales full of secrets that are revealed to a happy ending. I loved all the characters, especially Aunt Batty. I listened to the audio book and discussed this with my reading group. It's a very believable tale from the early 20th century America that deals with the hardships of sudden death and the Great Depression and the World War taking place during that time period. This is a wonderful story for historical fiction fans of all ages.
• 
  Rebecca Graf

  Heartwarming stories of family, forgiveness, healing, and miracles get me every time. Lynn Austin does a wonderful job in Hidden Places where secrets, anger, and hate find a way to heal with God’s power.
  
  Set during the Great Depression, a young woman finds herself alone raising three children and attempting to manage an apple orchard. Bitterness from her own past as well as the pain inflicted on those around her cause Eliza to turn her back on God. In her eyes, God is punishing her for the many wrong decisions in her life.
  
  Through the telling of each person’s story, whether dead or alive, Eliza discovers there is more in hidden places than what appears to the naked eye. But is the appearance of a hobo who flirts with death that puts Eliza’s already topsy turvy world into a complete tail spin.
  
  What did I like about this story? I’ll have to list a few for you as there are so many.
  
  · Christian story –This is a story of God’s love and forgiveness and how to apply His Word to our lives no matter how bad it is. There is no foul language. There is no sex. There is love but it is shown as being part of God’s plan and pure. References to sexual sin are ….. references.
  
  · Discusses real pain – I am always saddened when a book either glosses over the pain a person can experience or minimizes the full effect of it. Ms. Austin explores the pain of betrayal, child abuse, hate, rejection, and the absence of love. As a reader, I could feel the pain with the characters.
  
  · Shows how good people can sin – There is a big misconception that good people don’t sin. Ms. Austin shows many good people in her book who sin through lies, omission, and deception. They believe they are doing the right thing but don’t realize they are relying on others or themselves and not on God.
  
  · Forgiveness is not explained as being easy – Too many stories in print or in the movies make forgiveness appear to be easy. The truth is that forgiveness can be hard and painful. It is equivalent to slicing open a severely infected wound and cleaning it out. It has to be done to heal but it can be the worst pain ever felt.
  
  · The characters are endearing – I fell in love with the characters. Eliza is raw in her feelings yet strong and determined. Gabe is full of love for those around him but wants to learn how to reach out to others. My all-time is Aunt Batty who seems a little off her rocker but has more wisdom in her crazy pinky than anyone else around including all the “good” people in town.
  
  This is not a thin book. At 429 pages, it has 19 chapters which means each one is long. There are many breaks within the story in the chapter. You might tear up a few times, but you won’t be bawling. You’ll be feeling so much empathy.
  
  Make this one of your summer reads. You’ll be glad you did.
  
  Note: I purchased this book with my own funds.