Waves of Mercy truly plugged at my heartstrings. It was full of well developed characters, with a captivating plotline and believable plot twists. The themes of family, love, and hardships were wonderfully woven through the view of God's grace and guidance. This is a book I would love for my children to read one day. ( )

I love everything Lynn Austin writes. Her characters are full of faith and inspiring, despite the struggles they face throughout the stories. This one was no different. I was captivated by the homecoming story and the characters. I feel with Anna and her grandmother as they look for truth and faith in a world that seems confusing. ( )

I love historical fiction that teaches me more about the history of that time. The author has taken several different tragedies of the 1800's and woven them into this fabulous story. We learn about persecution for what you believe and how this can lead to descions with very big consequences. Recurring nightmares finally lead to answers for young Anna as she searches to know more of her past. Sickness, death, fires and ship wrecks are lessons learned, digested and grown from as our second heroine, Geesje, learns that God has everything in control! ( )

What a remarkable book this is! I don't usually gush over a book, but this one was exceptional. Lynn Austin is becoming one of my favorite authors for her excellent research and writing style. She knows how to draw in the individual reading the book and involve them in the story. Not only does she develop her characters well, but the action is terse and sometimes breathtaking. I enjoyed every minute of this novel, although when things got tough, enjoy might not be the word to describe what I was reading. But I was definitely involved and feeling with the characters in their struggles.

This is a historical fiction piece with a double plot taking place in two time lines. The main plot involves a group of families living in Leiden, the Netherlands in 1847. A group of people drew away from the established state church and became known as Separatists. Persecution was inevitable. People were accosted, homes harmed and businesses were threatened. The De Jong family were in the middle of this. So Geesje tells this story as an older woman, settled in Holland, Michigan 50 years later. Her family owned a printing business. Even though they moved to a different city where there were Separatists in the Netherlands, their business was still threatened. Eventually a group of people decided to emigrate to America where they would have freedom to worship God as they pleased. The group eventually settled the Holland, Michigan area of West Michigan.

The story is long because there were so many adverse conditions and situations for the group to overcome. In the meantime, there is another two stories happening in the latest of the historical periods called the 'present.' One is about a young woman in her early twenty's who is struggling to find herself. This story becomes intertwined with the grandmotherly woman Geesje who is telling this story as a project for her town's celebration of their semi-centennial. Derk is a secondary character who lives next to Geesje and calls her Tante (aunt). She's been like a mother to him since his own died many years before. He is encouraging her to write her story while at the same time he has befriended Anna at the hotel where he works for the summer.

West Michigan has always had as fascinating history as the rest of the state. As a teacher, I was already aware that the Dutch had settled that part of the state and knew some of the history. This book made it all come to life for me. The Great Lakes have their own fascinating history and lore, legends of great shipwrecks, and filled with the history of the native americans as well. There is no simple way to tell this story, so this book is filled with intrigue and struggles.

An integral part of the book was the personal faith of the travelers. Encapsulated in this life of faith is the personal struggle of Geesje herself since the beginning of the story. Hers was not a perfect journey. Her faith wavered, was tested, and she often questioned God and His wisdom. The more she experienced the more involved I felt with this woman. This was not a pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by type of story. She was hurt, and circumstances forced her into some horrible situations. I shed a lot of tears of empathy reading this book. My heart was troubled, hurt, frightened and saddened right along with her. To me, that's a sign of a great book. If you love historical fiction, then I highly recommend this book to you. ( )

It was hard putting this book down. Lynn Austin has a way of drawing you into the story and making you want to know more about the history surrounding the story. ( )