Though Waters Roar »

Lynn Austin, a former teacher who now writes and speaks full time, has won four Christy Awards for her historical fiction. One of those novels, Hidden Places, has also been made into a Hallmark Channel movie. Lynn and her husband have raised three children and make their home near Chicago, Illinois.

Harriet Sherwood has always adored her grandmother. But when Harriet decides to follow her footsteps to fight for social justice, she certainly never expected her efforts to land her in jail. Nor did she expect her childhood enemy and notorious school bully, Tommy O'Reilly, to be the arresting officer.

Languishing in a jail cell, Harriet has plenty of time to sift through the memories of the three generations of women who have preceded her. As each story emerges, the strength of her family--and their deep faith in the God of justice and righteousness--brings Harriet to discovery of her own goals and motives for pursuing them.

Publishers Weekly

Austin can’t seem to write a bad novel, and this one is no exception. She is winner of five Christy Awards and numerous accolades for her novels, one of which, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel movie. Her newest follows her typical trajectory of fine writing, an engaging story and interesting history. Harriet Sherwood longs to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps as a champion for social justice, but Harriet didn’t plan on ending up incarcerated. She spends her jail time recalling the histories of her great-grandmother Hannah, Grandma Bebe and her mother, Lucy, each of whom faced struggles and spiritual questions as they found ways to fight: Hannah participated in the Underground Railroad, Bebe fought demon rum, and Lucy fought for a woman’s right to vote. Austin weaves their stories through Harriet’s memories, creating well-honed characters before finally bringing Harriet to a place of understanding. This is an entertaining and engaging faith-based tale sure to hit bestseller lists and the awards circuit. (Oct.)