Through the Deep Waters - A Review

Published May 2014, Waterbrook Press
Author - Kim Vogel Sawyer
Title - Through the Deep Waters
Format - ebook, hardcover, paper, audio
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Born to a prostitute and raised in a popular Chicago brothel, seventeen year old Dinah Hubley longs to escape the life she's been exposed to her entire life. When she hears that Mr. Harvey is hiring waitresses for his chain of restaurants along the railroad in the West, she dreams of becoming one of the Harvey Girls. But then she learns she doesn't meet the age requirement. With no other option left to her, she accepts a position as a chamber maid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas. Surrounded by all of the beauty of the hotel, Dinah begins to feel more worthless due to one horrible decision she made to survive. As Dinah begins to become accustomed to her duties at the hotel, her outgoing roommate invites her to church. There Dinah meets Amos Ackerman, a local chicken farmer, and as he shows interest in her, she withdraws further. Will Amos be able to show Dinah Christ's love?

I've read several of Kim Vogel Sawyer's books and have enjoyed each one. This one caught my attention due to the fact it involved Harvey Girls, a topic I've long enjoyed ever since the Judy Garland musical The Harvey Girls.

This one isn't the light-hearted book I typically enjoy with historical fiction. It is very deep. Every one of the main characters struggle with sin. For Dinah, it's the sin of her past. For Amos, it's the sin of disobedience (he decides to do things on his own time table and his own way). For Ruthie, it's the sin of jealousy. But still, each of those characters come to realize what they are doing and find repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ. Dinah's transformation is probably the most gripping of the entire story. Because she didn't know her Savior prior to meeting Ruthie and Amos.

But I love the message of forgiveness woven through the pages of this book. I also love how the author doesn't sugar coat the sin. She deals with it bluntly and honestly. And for me, that is rather refreshing as I've read several authors who gloss over sin.

I look forward to what Kim Vogel Sawyer will bring us next, because her books are usually pretty good.

I received the Kindle version of this book for free from Blogging for Books for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Francine Rivers, Jody Hedlund, Kim Vogel Sawyer, historical fiction

Rating - 4 stars