I loved this beautiful story of faith and healing. It's not often that you read about soldiers suffering from PTSD after World War 2. I found the medicine of the time fascinating and frustrating. Peggy's loyalty towards her friend was the best part of the story. Platonic relationships between men and women are hard to write, but this was really well done. Gisela's story is also compelling, full of heartbreak and hope. I enjoyed both parts equally. I highly recommend this book to readers that enjoy Christian fiction in World War 2 settings.

I received this book for free from Netgalley and the publisher for the purpose of review. I also purchased a copy for myself.

This story is both heartbreaking, yet incredibly inspiring and full of hope. Another wonderful redemption story (I’ve read several as of late) and I’m loving it!

There are so many things about this story that touched me, some because of its beauty, and some because of the overcoming human spirit. I love anything I’ve read by this author. She’s a go-to that I’ve yet to be let down.

I want to give this book more than 5 stars. It is my favorite of the year so far and suspect it may not be surpassed. It was rich in both plot and characters. Lynn Austin is such a talented author. I find her characters are always full of depth and I can't help but get attached as I read. She did not disappoint here. Every character was unique and purposeful. I truly enjoyed them all. The plot will take you through the US and Europe, never allowing the reader to become bored. There are two storylines here. While I like dual plots, I often find myself far more interested in one over the other. But both in this novel were so well done that I was content to switch between the two. This novel does not shy away from biblical truth and I very much appreciate this. There are moments in this book that will draw tears, and others that will bring joy. This is a book that you will feel. I truly recommend this to any and all historical fiction fans. It is a gem.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Inspiring:
What an amazing novel that was equally heartbreaking and inspiring. I appreciated that even though it didn't shy away from tough subject matters, the overall tone of the book wasn't too depressing or heavy, but somehow hope shone through.
I thought it was unique that the dual timelines were close together, one set during WWII and the other just afterwards but it all interconnected and unravelled perfectly. I found it fascinating learning more about the plight of Jewish refugees during the war. It was also quite shocking discovering how veterans with battle fatigue/PTSD were treated back then.
I loved the message of reconciling faith when faced with terrible evil and suffering and thought the different character's faith journeys felt authentic. I fell in love with all of the characters and felt like they had become my friends by the end of the book!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

“Death never had the last word – life would always triumph.“

RATING: 4.8 stars

The first World War story that I heard (well, in this case, saw), was with the movie The Boy In Stripped Pajamas. I watched it so many years ago yet I still remember the horror that happened.

Before reading Lynn Austin’s new book, Long Way Home, I already prepared my heart on what will be told. She write the characters so well that when you are reading about their situation, even though they are fictitious, I always caught myself praying for them. Ha ha. Praying that they will have that happy ending.

This is unique story exploring the aftermath of WW2 on friends and family coping with helping their loved ones through the trauma they witnessed. I thought it was very well done, coming at it from different points of view, with different characters. I say unique in that often WW2 books are focused on a romance, or they are targeting the atrocities of the war, which this one touches on, but is neither of those things.

It was not one that I would say to pick up to read to feel uplifted in the sense that it would be light reading, but pick it up to be encouraged at the tenacity and bravery that many went through to survive and help others. The treatment of PTSD and trauma related injuries after the war is clearly portrayed in this novel, where you keenly feel it.

I obtained this book from the publisher. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Lynn Austin’s latest book Long Way Home is an amazing tale of love and hope in the midst of darkness and deep woundings. This book weaves the tale of two women, Peggy and Gisela, both affected by war and devastation. Peggy fighting to revive a dear friend’s desire to live after coming home from being a medic in World War 2 and Gisela fighting to live in freedom with her loved ones in the midst of hostility due to being a Jew in a Nazi occupied land. How their stories merge together will take you on a adventure of emotions and thrills. Truly a book that will reach into your heart and leave you with hope. For anyone who feels insignificant or has a desire to help someone in a devastated place this book is for you. This book is a treasure for any reader. It is an inspiration and a journey you won’t want to miss!!

From the moment you start this book, you know it is going to stay with you for a very long time. It takes place after WWII and the aftermath that the war wreaked on the entire world. These men and women survived the war physically, but mentally and emotionally were torn apart. This story broaches the taboo topic of mental health and the tactics they used to fight them. The ways people coped. The way they healed. This book is beautifully written!

I have loved all of Lynn Austin's books, and this was no exception. I love how she makes history come to life and draws you in right away. Yes, her books are long, but I've never had a problem finishing them quickly!

So good!!!! Peggy stops at nothing to help her best friend, Jimmy. Every time a new obstacle appears, she finds another angle. I love how she keeps trying despite her limited knowledge of PTSD. The manner Author Lynn Austin brings attention to depression is skillful despite the distasteful methods used when not enough was known about mental health and PTSD.
I enjoyed Gisela's story the most. The bravery of many Jews when faced with horrific inhumanity, is captured in her POV. I felt her sorrow of every loss, bit my nails in her fearful steps, and cheered her boldness in every page turn.
This gem is packed with twists and turns. I honestly expected a different ending! How Lynn brings these two women together to tie the novel up is mind-blowing. You won't want to miss this historical romance that took me on a roller coaster ride. I fought tears of joy, sorrow, and relief, at gut-wrenching injustice and touching moments like when Americans rescued Gisela's concentration camp and a soldier tearfully described a bunch of skeletons coming out to kiss their feet.
A moving novel that honors men and women who have fought in a war and then continue to battle at home with PTSD. It offers hope and light in this broken world.

Long Way Home by Lynn Austin...
Once again Lynn strikes the perfect balance by creating a book that is both historically accurate, educational, and entertaining! Between being heart wrenching and heart touching! She seemlessly weaves a story that goes back-and-forth between War and Postwar times. Between countries & families. A story of family relationships, friendships, love, loss, and love again. A story of patience and faith. " Why is this happening to us, Sam?? Only God knows he whispered." Haven't most of us asked this question at some point in our lives? Faith. " I think if we keep holding all the poison inside us, it will kill us. An infected wound has to be lanced and cleansed or it will never heal. That's a very painful process, but you know how necessary it is." Friendship. That special someone who is the balm to help heal your wounds. Long Way Home is the story about the distance traveled; both physical distance, and the emotional distance from the edge of the precipice back to the safe comfort and familiarity of that special place called home. I loved this beautiful story!

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.
Lynn Austin is one of my favorite authors, and this story did not disappoint. This is the story of a soldier, Jimmy, who returns from WWII. When he returns, he is suffering from battle fatigue and just wants to die. He ends up in a military hospital. His friend Peggy is helping his parents try to figure out how they can help Jimmy. This is a heavy story with lots of pain. I liked it, but it was not a book I could read before I went to bed. I know this time in history was very painful for many people, and I think author Lynn Austin did a fantastic job writing a really heartfelt story!

Long Way Home is by Lynn Austin. Lynn earned a B.A from Hope College and South Connecticut University. She wrote full after after resigning from full time teaching in 1992. Eight of her novels won the Christy award.The novels which won the Christy award are : Hidden Places, Candle in the Darkness, A Proper Pursuit, Until we reach Home, Through Waters Roar, While We are War Apart, Wonderland Creek. She was inducted in the Christy hall of fame in 2013. She is a very talented writer. Long Way Home is a time split novel after World War 11 and 7 years before. The book gives the reader the full spectrum of during and after the war. This story helps the reader understand the post traumatic stress of the war through Jimmy Barnett's eyes, who suffered from the damaging affects of the war. He was admitted to the VA hospital after showing symptoms of horrible depression. The struggles of his post traumatic stress are very clearly described so the reader understands how real the problem can be. The story also follows the story of character 7 years earlier like Gisela Wolff. She became a nurse right in the midst of the difficult circumstances of the persecutions of the Jews. The treatment she received was very heart breaking to read. The themes of the book are antisemitism, genocide, suicide , post traumatic stress after the war, suffering. This book is well. written and I highly recommend this wonderful book. Thank you to netgalley, the publisher , the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

First sentence: "I know it looks hopeless," I told Jimmy Barnett's father. "But we can't give up until Jimmy is better. Until he's home again."

Long Way Home is an intense, compelling read set during and shortly after the Second World War. There are two narrators to this historical novel.

Peggy Serrano is a young woman from a broken home. She's found solace in a neighboring family, the Barnetts. For years, they've made her feel welcome, and at a time when her own home was anything but welcoming. She works for Mr. Barnett, a veterinarian, as his assistant. She's great with animals, perhaps not as great with people. Their son, Jimmy Barnett, has returned home from the war a broken man--deeply depressed and troubled. He attempts to take his own life which leads to his hospitalization in VA hospital. But Peggy (and his parents) refuses to give up on him. She'll do ANYTHING to help Jimmy. And she is the mastermind of quite a project to help him regain his mental health. She'll follow any and every clue to figure out what happened to him during the course of the war.

Gisela Wolff is a young Jewish woman fighting for survival and to keep her family together. Her story begins in 1938, I believe. (Peggy's story begins in 1946.) The Wolff family is able to emigrate out of Germany to Cuba--however, the St. Louis, the ship which is carrying around 900 Jews, is not allowed to land in Cuba or in any other port. They plead with the world, and the world printed the news but no country, no government, stepped up and welcomed these people who were essentially running for their lives. The ship returns to Europe and its passengers are dispersed to Belgium, France, England, (and maybe a fourth country that I can't recall???) The Wolff family is sent to Belgium. On board, Gisela met the love of her life, Sam Shapiro, and his family. These two both make their homes close to each other.

Both stories are well-peopled. There are SO many characters that play a role in both stories. And the characterization is so well done. This is a novel with depth, substance, and heart. It is INTENSE. It is impossible to not care about these characters. So as the war progresses--and its aftermath--it's TOUGH emotionally. I do think this one could be triggering. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. It's just that war is UGLY and horrific and atrocious. In a different degree, different way, the WAY that doctors and psychiatrists handled veterans' mental health was horrifying and heartbreaking. This is clearly depicted in the novel.

I was hooked from the first chapter. I was. I read it in two or three days. I never wanted to put it down. I always wanted to keep reading more, more, more. I was so invested and engaged with both stories, both narrators. My review will never do it justice. It couldn't. Even though I'm trying my best to talk about how HUMAN the characters are. It is both character-driven and plot-driven. There is plenty of suspense.

It is not necessarily an easy read. One of the themes is loss of faith. How do you hold to faith--be it Jewish or Christian--when the world is falling to pieces. When you have witnessed with your own eyes truly horrific, atrocious, heart-breaking, scarring, haunting scenes. When you have experienced great loss again and again. There is no way to be prepared for what it is like to be there, to be surrounded, to have all these experiences to process. There seems to be no going back. So multiple characters do have really tough, really honest questions. And this book does not shy away from God-talk.

#netgalley #longwayhome This is a beautiful WWII story. The message I took away from this beautiful book is that if you can be anything in this world be kind! It is an uplifting Christian book, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I highly recommend it. 5/5 stars

Big themes tackled by big hearts. Set in and after WWII, Lynn Austin lets the reader take a peek through the lens of several people living their own stories of unimaginable fear, tragedy and suffering. Yet at the same time it is the love and friendship that ties these wonderful people together.
Big hearts drew me into the story. Such tenacious friendship, unending hope through darkness. It gives me hope in these uncertain times we live in currently.
Beautifully written like only Lynn can.

I highly recommend this book. You won't regret it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lynn Austin for this advance copy for me to review!

The settings in this dual timeline novel are greatly separated by miles, but not by years. Jimmy Barnett, a college student who ends up going to war in Europe rather than to veterinary school, is the link between the storylines. Peggy, a good friend who is more like a little sister, is key to his present in 1946 to 1947 while Gisela is key to his past. The reader is kept in suspense for quite some time as to the actual link between Jimmy and Gisela as he or she reads Gisela's history from 1938 to 1947. As Jimmy and some of his buddies struggle with battle fatigue, now recognized as PTSD, and with wavering faith in light of the horrors of war, Austin does an amazing job of showing paths to healing and reconciliation. She gives one of the most insightful responses I have ever heard or read to the age-old question of why does God allow bad things to happen to good people.

I highly recommend Long Way Home to anyone seeking a book with a great depth of meaning, and am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

In our world today, we are told if you can be anything, be kind. It doesn’t matter what year, that statement rings true. Peggy is living a life both pre WWII and post WWII where she is looking for kindness. Little does she realize that her need for kindness would shape not only her life but the lives of many others. Peggy sets out on a quest for answers about herself, her neighbor and a young woman named Gisela who lives around the world from her. In her search, we see the story of lives forever changed. Join Peggy as she demonstrates courage and commitment in a time of suffering and despair. Once again Lynn Austin takes us on a journey through the years surrounding WWII. She addresses the catastrophic results of the war and the reach of destruction it caused. Woven into this story is not only the need for kindness, but an honest look at families, friends and faith as they strive to survive against a world so damaged by war. May we all have the kindness and faith of Peggy.

The only friend Peggy Serrano has ever had comes home from World War II a different man. Peggy understands what it’s like to be different—after all, she’s lived her entire life above an auto shop with an indifferent father and no mother. Classmates taunted her for her unkempt appearance and odd ways. But Jimmy Bennet, the older boy across the street, befriends her.

Eventually, Jimmy’s parents become her surrogate parents—teaching her about everything from God to taking care of animals. Peggy owes the Bennet family everything. So, when Jimmy returns and loses his way, Peggy decides she’ll do anything to help him find it again. When his parents check Jimmy into the VA hospital, Peggy dives into her project with no holds barred. She doesn’t trust the doctor at the VA who wants to use all manner of treatments on Jimmy.

When she finds a photo of a beautiful woman in Jimmy’s things, Peggy decides to enlist the help of his army buddies to unravel the mystery of what happened to Jimmy.

Before the war, Gisela Wolff and what’s left of her family escape Germany after Kristallnacht. Due to immigration quotas, they board the St. Louis, headed for Havana, Cuba—the only country willing to take them. On the voyage, Gisela falls in love with Sam Shapiro. They look forward to a future free of Hitler and his hate.

But when they reach Havana, they learn no one will disembark. They sail aimlessly while diplomats and demagogues decide what to do with a ship full of Jewish refugees. In the end, they must return to Europe. Thus begins Gisela’s struggle to survive and provide for her family when the entire world seems set against the Jews.

Can Peggy put all the pieces together before it’s too late?

What I Loved About this Book

Austin creates one of her most memorable characters in Peggy Serrano. Feisty but beaten down, hopeful for others but unsure of herself. Readers will love Peggy’s determination to save her friend while struggling to understand her own untenable situation.

In an era where demagogues grab for power, it’s good to remind ourselves of the toll on humanity when good people do nothing.

Thank you NetGalley for the gifted book!*

Title: Long Way Home
Author: Lynn Austin
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Synopsis: ”There had been so many chances for fate to take a different path, but it hadn’t. The Nazis had chased my family and me across an ocean and back, and they’d captured me at last.” Fleeing the coming war on her people, Gisela meets the love of her life on a ship only to be sent back to Europe and separated from all she loves. Years of suffering bring her to meet a man who just might hold the key to her future. Years later, Peggy feels hopeless as she visits her childhood best friend in the VA hospital. Nothing is the same after the war including Jimmy. In a desperate attempt to help his mental health, Peggy finds a photo of a woman named Gisela. Could she hold the hope for Jimmy’s healing? In this beautiful story, Gisela’s and Peggy’s lives intersect to bring a tale of compassion, love, and hope.

Review: Lynn Austin is one of my long standing favorite Christian fiction authors, and her newest book does not disappoint! In this WW2 historical fiction, you’ll find a dual timeline that ties together two beautiful women’s lives. Though some of the narrative seemed repetitive, these loveable characters drew me in, and the plot kept me turning the pages for more. But it’s not just a story; it explores deeper topics such as the sovereignty of God and His love through suffering, ultimately pointing the reader to the truth of His character. Definitely add this one to your tbr soon!

*All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.