Wings of Refuge

Abby leaves the United States to go on an archeological dig in the Holy Land. She is filing for divorce after her husband's infidelity, and hopes the month-long trip will help her come to grips with reality. On the plane she befriends a kindly Israeli man sitting next to her. He is shot and dies in her arms at the airport. Under suspicion by the Israeli government, she goes on the dig. Abby meets and instantly likes Hannah, the leader of the group. As artifacts are uncovered, the story flashes back to 46 A.D., showing the life of Leah, who will become one of the early Christians. We are also shown the past of Hannah and her family. The book moves seamlessly and brilliantly from one to another. The overall theme is how love and forgiveness are essential through difficult times and events. The plot of the story is good; there are twists, turns and surprises to keep you turning the pages. At the same time, the characterization is superb. You will care about each person in this book. The ending is great. Reading Wings of Refuge is like taking part in the story. I really loved this book and plan to read everything that Lynn Austin has written!

Fantastic! I don't usually read Historical Fiction, but I'm so glad I read this one. The book is actually the stories of 3 different women, and spans time periods from 46 AD to 1999. The setting is Israel, and there is intrigue, romance, history, politics, and religion in each of the stories of the women. Each story is interwoven with the others, to become one wonderful book! Words can not convey how captivating and compelling the women's lives are. Abby MacCleod is a teacher, on the verge of divorce, who volunteers for a trip to Israel to work on an archaeological dig. Right off the bat, she gets more than she bargained for, when a kind, older gentleman is shot and dies in her arms. Hannah Rahov is the woman in charge of Abby's dig. She is older than Abby, and walks with two canes. Her cousin is the man who was murdered. Her story comes to light in bits and pieces, and we eventually learn about her life and her family, and what caused her injury. Ari Bazak is a mystery in himself. A good looking middle aged man, he is reserved and cold most of the time, but his knowledge and passion for archaeology is great. And he wears a gun underneath his loose fitting shirt. Leah's story unfolds as Hannah, Abby, Ari and others on the dig, unearth relics and treasures from times long passed. Her life is filled with saddness, but also with great love. I was sorry to finish reading about these characters. I loved them all, and loved all the characters/people who were a part of their lives; husbands, children etc. I even cried while reading a couple of times! So there's your proof of how involved I was with all of it! And,on top of everything else, I learned a lot about Jewish history, culture, and spiritual beliefs. What a rich heritage the Jewish people have! And from reading this book, I truly felt as tho I was in Israel too, walking beside these woman and sharing their lives. I loved this book! Oh, really?? :/ :D

What a powerful novel that weaves the Israeli/Palestine conflict and the lives that are affected by terrorism. Abigail MacLeod needed time to think away from her husband and children so she joined an archaeology team on a dig in Israel. Before she can even leave the airport, a man whom she just met is murdered. The suspense, as the murder investigation continues, rap around the archaeology team of Dr Hannah Rahov and son-in-law Dr Ari Bazak. Through a bizarre set of events, Abby learns what is true forgiveness. Without forgiveness, the heart can find no peace and contentment. Hannah & Ari had to learn the same lessons as they live in a terror torn country where they lost loved ones. This book is a treasured addition to my library collection.

The story pulls you into the holy land and what it would actually be like to go on a dig. It has todays' people with todays' problems, and compares it to ancient times, and we see how similar each generation is. It explains how Jesus became the ulitmate sacrifice for all the world. I ended up falling in love with each of the characters. It has a wonderful ending.

Lynn Austin does a great job of blending the lives of Abby, Hannah, and Leah into a story of the power of hate and the even stronger power of forgiveness. She accomplishes this by putting you right into the lives of each of these women through a series of "flashbacks" throughout the story. At first this bothered me (I'm not a "dream sequence fan!") but as the book progressed I realized that it was the best way to tell each story. When you experience the hurt with them, you can also experience the joy and peace that forgiveness brings.For people interested in history of the Holy Lands, this covers the Roman invasions to present day conflicts. The descriptions of the wars and the prejudice are accurate give insight that we don't get from the news. I learned a lot, after I stopped skimming those parts! They are important to help you know the characters - and how forgivess was hard for them and those they love.An excellent choice for you who love historial fiction, as well as you romance-only readers. This books shows that everyone needs to be forgiven - and sometimes forgiving ourselves is hardest of all. A second wonderful book by Lynn Austin.