Where We Belong by Lynn Austin

So, the last few posts got me thinking of another book I read a few years ago, and I had to go hunt it down on my bookshelves: Where We Belong by Lynn Austin

I've said before that I don't love historical fiction. I will read them only if they are set in ancient Rome/Greece and/or Bible times. This one is very obviously set in the 1800s; 1860-1890 to be exact.

But, I love this book.

Where We Belong follows wealthy sisters Rebecca and Flora Hawes on their adventures throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Chicago. They live through the American Civil War and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and also go on incredible adventures. Raised by their widower father who believed in the value of education of women and the importance of discovering one's purpose for use in God's kingdom, both of these women, though different, live out their faith and callings in a way that wasn't typical for women in that time—as historians, authors, scholars, archeologists, hands-on, philanthropists, and so much more.

And their adventures, from being stranded in the Sinai desert by a bedouin sheik who wants to marry their head-strong handmaid to discovering an ancient codex of the Bible dating to AD 500, are quite a ride! They see so many incredible sites, from touring Jerusalem and Galilee to the pyramids of Cairo. In fact, the sisters even spend time at the traditional site of Mount Sinai—Mount St. Catherine's monastery in Jordan.

The author's note at the back says that the inspiration of this book was Agnes and Margaret Smith of Scotland, twin sisters who did in fact discover an ancient copy of the Gospels from AD 500 at the same monastery in Jordan, as well as a collection of 300,000 ancient manuscript fragments in Egypt. Now I want to know more about these 2 ladies who actually lived an amazing adventure, because their story sounds fascinating!

You can get it on Amazon here!