Life in Sweden feels like an endless winter to Elin Carlson after the deaths of her parents. When circumstances become unbearable, she determines to find a safe haven for her sisters.
So begins their journey to America . . . the land of dreams and second chances.
But as hardship becomes their constant companion, Elin, Kirsten, and Sofia question their decision to immigrate to Chicago. Will … Chicago. Will their hopes for the future ever be realized?
ONLY IN CROSSING A SEEMINGLY ENDLESS OCEAN WILL THEY FIND THE TRUE MEANING OF LOVE, FAITH, AND HOME
A Christy Award Winner
more
Another page-turner from Lynn Austin!
Lynn Austin always provides wonderful characters and interesting story lines. This book, like so many of her novels, does not disappoint!
Setting: Sweden and Chicago, USA
Time Period: 1897
Every time I read one of Lynn Austin’s books, I’m blown away by how powerful and deep her stories are. No matter what setting or time period, her novels transport you back in time in such a real, life like way. In this case, “Until We Reach Home” is a captivating novel about three sisters who leave Sweden to find a new start in America. Throughout the novel, you watch these young women grow into mature adults who overcome overwhelming odds, with a lot of twists and turns in between!
Elin, Kirsten and Sofia all have struggles they conquer and grow through in their journey from Sweden to America and I adored how the author depicted each step of the way. If you’ve ever read a book where people change too fast and life turns out too perfect with little effort, then you know how satisfying it is to read about characters who are so lifelike and believable. This is one of those books! The sisters overcome with time and in ways that people would be able to relate to, even today. I’ll mention here also, how different they were and what a great job Austin did in keeping their personalities different and true to each girl. Elin was the responsible, cautious one; Kirsten feisty and Sofia developed a deep faith in God that sustained them through difficult times. The supporting characters were also fun, and if we could figure out how to turn fiction into real life, I would sooooo want to adopt Tomte, Mrs. Anderson’s grey cat! He was a hoot!
I read this book because it fit into my “Around The World In 80 Books” reading challenge, which added a Scandinavian setting to my growing list of countries. Though the novel only stayed in Sweden for the first few chapters, I’m still going to let this book count because the Swedish culture was constantly referred to throughout the novel, even when the girls came to America. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to read how there was a Swedish community in Chicago that even had a newspaper in the Swedish language!
Conclusion: “Until We Reach Home” was a wonderful, deep read. In Elin’s, Kirsten’s and Sofia’s story, you will read about real problems and heartache that complicated their lives from when they left Sweden to the very last page of their new life in America. They had a hard go of it most of the time, but through these pages, the author teaches us that God does work all things together for good. This story may be considered a heavier read for some, due to some of the topics addressed (like abuse, deception and pregnancy out of wedlock) but I gave this book five stars because I felt the story delivered everything you would in a good historical novel. It showed you the struggles immigrants faced when coming to the USA and I enjoyed it so much. Highly recommended!
Wonderful author of historical fiction. This story details the immigration experience when Ellis Island was the point of entry.
Not a page turner. Just okay.
Wow did I learn an amazing amount of history about legal immigration of our forefathers. GREAT. GREAT read!!! Twist and turns!
I always love to read a Lynn Austin book
Loved it.
Love Lynn Austin! This book was so moving. Her description of the main characters traveling to America in steerage, was so realistic. Made me understand what my grandmother experienced when she traveled from Ireland to “the new world”.
lynn Austin…best author. love her books…while reading her books…the characters….become a part of you
as I have come to expect of the author,this book was great, the plot and situations were real and believable, right away you got caught up in the personalities of the characters and were sad to see the book come to an enfd
I enjoyed following the sisters in their travels and dealing with their problems…
Good historical love story and the touching bond between sisters. Loved the authenticity of the tale of their coming to America and how no journey ever goes as planned.
Lynn Austin is always a rewarding find. Her characters pull you into their dilemmas as if you are right there with them. Her historical information is both educational and realistic. Weave in some romance and you have a book more than worth reading!
The story of the 3 Swedish Sisters have a believable ending. Their
trip to America has hard times throughout their trip from trains
Ship, entering Elis Island, etc. etc. Really kept me interested.
As Shakspeare said “ALL’S WELL WHAT END’S WELL.
This book was a very touching story about 3 young sisters (teens) who immigrated to America due to distressing circumstances at home in Sweden, after their parents died. This chronicles their experiences, and what they had to go through before they could really get settled. I would recommend it highly to those who like historical fiction. There is some romance involved; it is important to the story but doesn’t overshadow the other aspects.
Lynn Austin is an excellent author. I have loved all she has written.