Book Review: Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin

Title: Though Waters Roar
Author: Lynn Austin
Publisher: Bethany House, Minneapolis
Copyright: 2009
Pages: 430
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0496-8
Genre: Christian historical fiction

Though a smart young woman, Harriet is caught a bit off guard when the police pull her over for transporting liquor during the Prohibition. As she sits in jail, she ponders the factors in her life that have brought her to this point. To make matters worse, Harriet feels she has no one to turn to except for her grandmother Bebe. But Bebe has worked for decades to abolish the saloons and usher in the Prohibition.

In an effort to make sense of her own life, Harriet wades through the stories Bebe has told her. Three generations of women before Harriet have crusaded for causes, including the anti-slavery movement, the temperance movement, and women's suffrage.

What Though Waters Roar Boils Down To

In the end, Bebe concludes, " 'I've come to realize that our short time here on earth isn't about what we accomplish, but about what sort of people we become. I'm at the end of my life now, but when I look back on the work I've done, I see that God was using it to teach me to care about someone besides myself' " (425).

After all her hard work, Bebe cares more about the person she has become than the outward signs of success she has achieved. Indeed, tracing the events of her life in Though Waters Roar reveals that Bebe's self-assessment isn't just wishful thinking. We see her learning to care even for difficult or spiteful people.

Why Though Waters Roar Was Meaningful to Me

Many months have passed since I've felt a part of something that matters. Two long-distance moves in one year have left me feeling sort of-well, adrift. It takes time to settle into a new community and church, to understand where your abilities fit and can help others.

But in the end, it doesn't really matter what I achieve. What matters is if I become the person God wants me to be. Having gone without income, am I less quick to judge others who are in need? Having felt like a stranger in a new community, do I have compassion for others who are new? Having struggled, do I show kindness to others who struggle?

Bebe's reflection in Though Waters Roar reminded me that acts of kindness only matter if they proceed from a kind and loving heart.

Though Waters Roar also reminded me that everything in my life has a purpose. Even the difficult things may become catalysts for good if I just ask, "God, what do you want me to do?"

And finally, Though Waters Roar encouraged me. Christians surely should not abandon the social arena. I believe our culture and our world suffer from wrong things. But repealing abortion laws, saving abused children, feeding the hungry, crusading against sexual slavery, or working for any other cause are ultimately empty deeds if people don't know I love Jesus and that Jesus loves them.

Note: Bethany House has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.