Waves of Mercy

by Lynn Austin · 2016

In the summer of 1897, the fledgling town of Holland, Michigan, prepares to celebrate its semi‑centennial. Seventeen‑year‑old immigrant Geesje de Jonge is asked to pen a memoir of her arduous journey from the Netherlands and the love she left behind. Fifty years later, the reluctant author sifts through long‑buried memories, confronting regrets, hopes, and the fierce spirit that built a new life on the frontier. Meanwhile, Chicago socialite Anna Nicholson retreats to the Hotel Ottawa after a shattered engagement. A violent storm on Lake Michigan awakens a childhood nightmare, and Anna finds herself questioning the glittering world she abandoned. She confides in Derk Vander Veen, a young seminary student working the hotel, whose own dreams of ministry echo the yearning in Geesje’s story. As Geesje’s recollections and Anna’s doubts intertwine, the two women—separated by half a century—discover that love, faith, and the search for identity are timeless currents that shape both past and present. Their unexpected connection promises life‑changing revelations before the summer ends.