If I Were You by Lynn Austin ~ Review

My Review:


A poignant tale of friendship, following two vastly different young women in WWII.

An engrossing read that pulled me in from the very beginning. Eve and Audrey couldn't be more different in social advantage as well as personality. Eve comes from a working class family, while Audrey has the weight of wealth and privilege.

I love how this book contrasts the girl's upbringings and personalities, showing how they are so different, yet compliment each other so well as friends. I loved the realistic rhythm of Eve and Audrey's friendship, as they lose touch and come back together again, which felt honest and relatable. There are many characters that aren't all good or bad, they struggle with the questions of God and morality in the face of war and the consequences of their actions.

The plot slides forwards and back with ease from the 1950's and back to the events leading up to the current conflict. Throughout the book I kept changing my mind on whom I liked better of if I even liked either of them, in the end I just gave up and decided that I admired both women equally for their strength and faith, gained and expressed in their own ways.

Overall, a heartfelt story of friendship, redemption, forgiveness and sacrifice set against the backdrop of a changing world in the years of the second world war. Lynn Austin is a master of weaving a strong faith focus into the very fabric of the storyline. I empathized with both Eve and Audrey, in ways that I never thought that I would upon beginning the book. I loved the complexity of the characters, and even though he wasn't around much, Tom was a scene stealing favorite. This was a gripping read, and while it wasn't quite the tearjerker that past Austin reads have been for me, I still found it to be a enjoyable, entertaining read, that I would happily recommend.


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.