A Light to My Path

Title: A Light to My Path
Author: Lynn Austin
Series: Refiner’s Fire, book 3
Major Themes: Slavery, Forgiveness, Civil War
Synopsis: Two young slaves, struggling with distrust for God, must learn to rely on Him and help each other through the difficult years of the Civil War.

I’ve appreciated Lynn Austin’s books for years now. The first of her stories that I remember reading was Candle in the Darkness, the first book in this series, and now, years after reading that story, I finally got around to finishing the series with A Light to My Path! I’m sorry I didn’t take time for this book earlier; it’s an excellent one! I don’t think it’s my favorite of the series, but, reminiscent of All Things New, her novel about Reconstruction, this book shares the plight of slaves and the challenges they faced as they got their freedom. I had a hard time putting this story down, once I really got into it!

If there is one thing Kitty has learned in her life, it’s that the best way to save herself from working as a field hand is to do whatever her young mistress demands—whether it’s to make her laugh, run herself ragged doing errands, or come up with stories or drawings that are entertaining. She can barely remember her parents, since they left her life when she was very young. She also hardly knew what it was like to be loved and cared for, so any sort of attention is welcome. Can she find her true identity, or will she always be bowing to others’ demands, unable to respectfully stand up for herself and what she believes is right?

Grady, meanwhile, has become certain that the God old Eli talked about cannot be real. As a young boy, his master sold him to an abusive slave trader, and ripped him away from his mother and the only home—and love—he’s ever known. As his hatred grows toward his white oppressors, Grady becomes more and more determined to become a free man—and take out as many white people as he can in the process. Can he find hope and healing, despite everything he has suffered at other’s hands?

In many ways, A Light to My Path felt quite different from the preceding two books in the series. Where the first book dealt with the Civil War from the slave owner’s perspective, and the second book showed the Northern perspective, this one showed the hardships of being a slave and learning to follow the Lord despite the injustices (both before, during, and a little bit after the war). I don’t agree with all of the conclusions the main characters came to throughout the story, but if I read any history, I know that a lot of what this book contains is a realistic portrait of what many people faced as slaves and then as free men and women, trying to find a new way for their lives. Parts of this story were very difficult to read—even more, I felt, than in either of the previous two books. But at the same time, I know that this is what many people suffered (and, unfortunately, some still do suffer), and my heart goes out to them. This is raw and awful in places, but ultimately, hope shines through.

One of the most striking topics in this book, in my opinion, was forgiveness. This story dealt with hating vs. praying for those who hurt us, and multiple times, characters talk about how hate affects you if you choose to live in it. This part of the story was well done!

If you appreciate seeing history come to life, and enjoy redemptive stories, this could be a good choice for you. I’m thankful I got to read it, and even more thankful that I have it on my shelf, so I can share it with others when the chance arises!

WARNING: “Oh, Lord” is used in the prologue; heavens or a variant like “oh, heavens” is used in ch. 3, 6, 12, 17, and 24; swore is used in ch. 4, 12, and 23; swear is used in ch. 5 (twice), 8, 9, 10, 12, and 21; sworn is used in ch. 21; “what the devil” is used in ch. 4; cursed is used in ch. 8 and 9 (twice); goodness or a variant is used in ch. 12, 22, 23, and 27; “oh, God” is used in ch. 14 (twice), 15, and 25; and “oh my gosh” is used in ch. 19. There is lying in ch. 4, 6, 12, 15, 16, 17 (remembered lying from the past), 20, and 23. Someone admits to stealing in ch. 19.

Someone remembers being tracked by dogs and a man being beaten in ch. 1. A boy is separated from his mother in ch. 2. Someone thinks briefly about suicide in ch. 5. There is a story about a woman who committed suicide in ch. 6. People smoke or drink in ch. 4 and 8. Beatings are described in ch. 2, 4, and 9. Someone gets punched in ch. 4, and someone beats up someone else in ch. 24. Someone thinks about how they want to kill white people (sometimes with specific ways of killing them in mind) in ch. 4, 19, 20, and 22. Someone is slapped in ch. 5 and 24. There are stories of people who were killed for running off in ch. 5, 6, 7, and 17, (this is referenced repeatedly throughout the book, but ch. 17 is the most descriptive account). People die in ch. 9 and 28. A man is threatened by a gun in ch. 19. A battle is described in ch. 21, and there are mentions of people who died. A man is brutally murdered in ch. 22. Another battle is described in ch. 23, including a description of a wounded man. Another attack is described in ch. 25, with a man badly injured who later dies.

Sending slave girls to a brothel is mentioned a few times. A woman says she has cramps in ch. 7. A woman tells how she was raped and had a baby in ch. 8 (this is mentioned again in ch. 15 and 20). Several times, there are references to a slave’s father being the massa. There are references to a man leading a loose life, sleeping around, and he kisses a girl in ch. 9. A man admires a girl’s shape in ch. 10. Unmarried characters kiss in ch. 10, and someone tries to seduce someone they aren’t married to in ch. 16. Married characters kiss in ch. 12, 13 (a character trying to seduce another), 17, and 28. There is a discussion about getting a slave woman pregnant so she could be a wet nurse in ch. 12, and a suggestion of sleeping with a man to accomplish that in the same chapter. Characters sleep together in ch. 17 (talked about briefly before and after, but not described); this is referenced again in ch. 20. Someone is in labor in ch. 15 (mentioned more than described), and a woman is in labor in ch. 24 (described to some extent).

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