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By the Way of the Silverthorns
Three weddings and the promise of a fourth. McRae Silverthorn and her brother Lincoln grew up in a close circle of friends, and now that they are all out of college those friends are starting to settle down into marriages. It starts as Rae and Link attend Sydney Hollis’s wedding before she moves across country to California. All their friends attend, including the annoying Minnie Lazarelle and a mysterious stranger. As tensions rise, can Rae and Link help their friends navigate through this new stage of life as well as weather the trials and surprises themselves?
365 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1941
47 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
Grace Livingston Hill
571 books564 followersalso wrote under the pseudonym Marcia MacDonald
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 13, 2021
Rating: 4.1 / 5
Much as this is a cute and well-balanced story in terms of sharing the stage between a large cast of characters rather than just focusing on one romance, a part of it also feels rather like false advertising because it’s not really McRae’s story at all. She’s already religious and got a sort-of secure romance and position going, and therefore acts more like an observer to the other stories going on around her.
However, I really liked the direction that Hill took in this story, and therefore I didn’t mind McRae being more of a side character in terms of conflict. Instead, this time Hill takes the usual stereotypical sinner/vixen girl and shows how she reforms herself after a right and proper talking-to by Lincoln Silverthorn. If McRae and Lincoln are the dynamic duo at the heart of the story, then they do so much like the hosts of a TV show that focuses on other couples—they are centre stage, but not as the main ones in the action. Still though, I found myself really sympathizing with Erminie after the first wedding and her heartbroken emotions there, so I enjoyed reading about her side of things, right up until the end.
The only real points I’m taking off are for an abrupt ending and pairing McRae off suddenly without any romantic scenes to justify it. For even just one more chapter, I feel that Hill should have lingered over the ending a bit more, but otherwise it’s a really cute and peaceful story—and, like all my Hill reads, a definite re-read.
Much as this is a cute and well-balanced story in terms of sharing the stage between a large cast of characters rather than just focusing on one romance, a part of it also feels rather like false advertising because it’s not really McRae’s story at all. She’s already religious and got a sort-of secure romance and position going, and therefore acts more like an observer to the other stories going on around her.
However, I really liked the direction that Hill took in this story, and therefore I didn’t mind McRae being more of a side character in terms of conflict. Instead, this time Hill takes the usual stereotypical sinner/vixen girl and shows how she reforms herself after a right and proper talking-to by Lincoln Silverthorn. If McRae and Lincoln are the dynamic duo at the heart of the story, then they do so much like the hosts of a TV show that focuses on other couples—they are centre stage, but not as the main ones in the action. Still though, I found myself really sympathizing with Erminie after the first wedding and her heartbroken emotions there, so I enjoyed reading about her side of things, right up until the end.
The only real points I’m taking off are for an abrupt ending and pairing McRae off suddenly without any romantic scenes to justify it. For even just one more chapter, I feel that Hill should have lingered over the ending a bit more, but otherwise it’s a really cute and peaceful story—and, like all my Hill reads, a definite re-read.
April 18, 2017
In a book that opens with a wedding you'd think you have a clear romance. And so you seem to...we have McRae and her brother Lincoln, both likely candidates for a tale of the heart. But they also have a slew of friends and acquaintances, all of whom seem to have a deep need for love, acceptance, and of course, Christ.
As the story unfolds, you get drawn into the lives of this group of young people. You can't help but pick your favorites as you go, though that might change as you read. By the end of the book, the future looks bright for all involved, though our darling Silverthorns have more a hint of the rightness to come and no clear or real resolution for either which is the only reason why I dinged this one.
I hate to give four stars to my beloved Grace Livingston Hill, but this one perhaps deserved it. I think that perhaps the story was too ambitious for the space given. We really needed another hundred pages or so to truly embrace the rest of the story that seems to go unsaid. I'm hoping that in "More Than Conquerors" which is rumored to come next, we'll get a clearer telling of what happens to the Silverthorns in the future.
As the story unfolds, you get drawn into the lives of this group of young people. You can't help but pick your favorites as you go, though that might change as you read. By the end of the book, the future looks bright for all involved, though our darling Silverthorns have more a hint of the rightness to come and no clear or real resolution for either which is the only reason why I dinged this one.
I hate to give four stars to my beloved Grace Livingston Hill, but this one perhaps deserved it. I think that perhaps the story was too ambitious for the space given. We really needed another hundred pages or so to truly embrace the rest of the story that seems to go unsaid. I'm hoping that in "More Than Conquerors" which is rumored to come next, we'll get a clearer telling of what happens to the Silverthorns in the future.
June 10, 2013
By Way of the Silverthorns is pretty much a straight-up list of Grace Livingston’s Hill’s favorite tropes: pure, cultured young Christian women who bear up gracefully against calamities, painted, uncultured flappers to serve as objects of scorn, sudden orphans, elopements, sickly parents who need nurses, young ladies who suddenly are thrust into caring for wild siblings, rich young men who do good work in slums, old houses that seem like crosses between paradise and a nostalgia shop, and wild young women who suddenly convert to Christianity and immediately cease their wild ways (such as wearing makeup and dancing). All that’s missing is a rich relative suddenly dying and leaving a beleaguered family a comfortable old house. It’s not exactly high literature.
That said, it’s not the most awful book either. It’s considerably more preachy than some of GLH’s other stories, or at least written such that the preachy bits are considerably more obvious. The plot sort of wanders all over the place; it’s really more a set of vignettes and short stories, with quite a few important developments being glossed over or happening offscreen.
The novel takes place over several weeks, during and after a wedding attended by a group of friends, most of whom have known each other since childhood. Much of the drama of the novel centers around Erminie “Minnie” Lazarelle, a spoiled young woman who crashes the wedding. After converting to Christianity, she sets out to change her ways but has to contend with a deeply ill stepmother and a gaggle of young, unruly siblings, one of whom has run away and gets Luther Waite, a millionaire businessman who spends his free time preaching to homeless men and dislikes Erminie. Also featured is a sort of milquetoast love triangle between McRae Silverthorn (McRae. Her first name is McRae. Wtf), a modest young woman, and two brothers whom she grew up with – Curlin, a steady dude, and Steve, who secretly goes to nightclubs and associates with women who drink and wear makeup and gaudy clothing. You can pretty much see all the plot twists coming – GLH isn’t exactly subtle, especially here – but it’s not unenjoyable to see most of the main characters pair up and get a happy ending.
The preaching is quite heavy handed in this one: characters will suddenly start pontificating to their unsaved acquaintances and keep going for pages, but it’s pretty easy to skip over (seriously, just flip past all the paragraphs with ‘Thous’ and ‘Dosts’ and lots of capitalized words in the middle of sentences and you’re gold). As far as sexism and other issues go, this particular outing isn’t especially offensive: GLH is a bit patronizing about the poor/homeless, Erminie ends up with a good man to take care of her even though she was doing pretty fine herself, and anyone who partakes in drinking, dancing, or dressing up a lot/wearing makeup and partying either changes their ways or gets shut out, but most of the points are gently made (except that last one. Seriously, if you don’t spend most of your free time singing hymns and praying, or you like to play golf on Sundays you’re A HEATHEN and good Christian boys will want nothing to do with you). Given that it’s a GLH novel, it’s pretty much par for the course, and, aside from the occasionally overwhelming preachiness, it does alright for a comfort/nostalgia read.
That said, it’s not the most awful book either. It’s considerably more preachy than some of GLH’s other stories, or at least written such that the preachy bits are considerably more obvious. The plot sort of wanders all over the place; it’s really more a set of vignettes and short stories, with quite a few important developments being glossed over or happening offscreen.
The novel takes place over several weeks, during and after a wedding attended by a group of friends, most of whom have known each other since childhood. Much of the drama of the novel centers around Erminie “Minnie” Lazarelle, a spoiled young woman who crashes the wedding. After converting to Christianity, she sets out to change her ways but has to contend with a deeply ill stepmother and a gaggle of young, unruly siblings, one of whom has run away and gets Luther Waite, a millionaire businessman who spends his free time preaching to homeless men and dislikes Erminie. Also featured is a sort of milquetoast love triangle between McRae Silverthorn (McRae. Her first name is McRae. Wtf), a modest young woman, and two brothers whom she grew up with – Curlin, a steady dude, and Steve, who secretly goes to nightclubs and associates with women who drink and wear makeup and gaudy clothing. You can pretty much see all the plot twists coming – GLH isn’t exactly subtle, especially here – but it’s not unenjoyable to see most of the main characters pair up and get a happy ending.
The preaching is quite heavy handed in this one: characters will suddenly start pontificating to their unsaved acquaintances and keep going for pages, but it’s pretty easy to skip over (seriously, just flip past all the paragraphs with ‘Thous’ and ‘Dosts’ and lots of capitalized words in the middle of sentences and you’re gold). As far as sexism and other issues go, this particular outing isn’t especially offensive: GLH is a bit patronizing about the poor/homeless, Erminie ends up with a good man to take care of her even though she was doing pretty fine herself, and anyone who partakes in drinking, dancing, or dressing up a lot/wearing makeup and partying either changes their ways or gets shut out, but most of the points are gently made (except that last one. Seriously, if you don’t spend most of your free time singing hymns and praying, or you like to play golf on Sundays you’re A HEATHEN and good Christian boys will want nothing to do with you). Given that it’s a GLH novel, it’s pretty much par for the course, and, aside from the occasionally overwhelming preachiness, it does alright for a comfort/nostalgia read.
February 5, 2017
Awwww. . . This story was sweet!
October 28, 2025
By far one of the best books I have ever read! Why can't we all go back to reading old books? The young men and women portrayed in this book and their character growth was inspiring and amazing to read. It made me wish for a godly and well-mannered friend group as these people had.
In chapter 5, one of the characters led a girl to Christ. I tell you, I had never experienced anything quite like that before. I know it is a fictional book but I was astonished and felt the presence of God after that chapter. It was as if He was giving me direction in how to lead someone to Christ, or maybe just talk about Him. Nothing I have ever read quite impacted me the way that chapter did.
This is an amazing must-read book for those true old-book lovers. I recommend not reading it all in one sitting but take the time to take a break from it. I read this book at my sisters house and since I don't live there I had to wait several days to read more chapters and this gave me time to think on the characters and "replay" scenes in my mind, getting on a closer level with them. Sometimes I forget that part of the joy of reading because I read the book all in one sitting instead of a few chapters at a time.
Thanks be to God for old books :)
In chapter 5, one of the characters led a girl to Christ. I tell you, I had never experienced anything quite like that before. I know it is a fictional book but I was astonished and felt the presence of God after that chapter. It was as if He was giving me direction in how to lead someone to Christ, or maybe just talk about Him. Nothing I have ever read quite impacted me the way that chapter did.
This is an amazing must-read book for those true old-book lovers. I recommend not reading it all in one sitting but take the time to take a break from it. I read this book at my sisters house and since I don't live there I had to wait several days to read more chapters and this gave me time to think on the characters and "replay" scenes in my mind, getting on a closer level with them. Sometimes I forget that part of the joy of reading because I read the book all in one sitting instead of a few chapters at a time.
Thanks be to God for old books :)
March 2, 2017
This was one of my favoite Grace Livingstone hills. I loved all the different characters and getting to see them grow. Though I belive "The Gold Shoe" still ranks as my number one favorite of her books.
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January 22, 2008Hill, Grace Livingston
February 25, 2014
Sweet story, from one of my favorite authors. I just love Christian romance fiction, and I collect those by Grace Livingston Hill.
November 10, 2015
Excellent as usual
Grace did a fantastic job with this story. Jesus can change lives and hearts. We just need to bend our will to Him and allow Him to live in us!
Grace did a fantastic job with this story. Jesus can change lives and hearts. We just need to bend our will to Him and allow Him to live in us!
December 27, 2015
Weddings are in the air
Weddings just keep happening in the Silverthorn's close group of friends. More importantly, Jesus is becoming all their friend too
Weddings just keep happening in the Silverthorn's close group of friends. More importantly, Jesus is becoming all their friend too
June 12, 2023
GLH gives a very clear salvation message in this book.
December 30, 2021
This was an interesting book, where I would say that the title characters (the Silverthorns) are NOT the characters that the story is really about. In actuality, the plot seems to revolve around the friends and acquaintances of the Silverthorns and their struggles and eventual faith commitments.
I think, perhaps, in this book, the author was trying to show the impact that one Christian can have on their communities. By focusing on the influential (although seemingly insignificant) interactions the Silverthorns had on various people of their acquaintance - their neighbors, their friends, even relatives of friends- GLH was effectively able to show how many lives can be changed for the better through the ripple effect of one person's actions.
And while I really quite enjoyed this novel, I honestly think it would be worked better in a series or as a longer novel. I felt cheated out of character growth and development for the Silverthorns () which was a shame because they were likeable and interesting characters. They almost feel like old friends that I would have liked to drop in on again and to catch up with their lives.
(Although, as I'm thinking back on things...I may not have liked the high-handed way that Link dealt with Minnie...or the main characters' group's treatment of her in general. Was this a societal norm? Because honestly, as rude as Minnie was, they were just as bad. I don't know...I guess I'm still processing that. Maybe I should bump my review down a star? Nah, I'll just go with my initial gut reaction.)
Overall rating is definitely a 4 star review. I liked what GLH was trying to do in this novel, and frankly, I do think she did it effectively and well. While I enjoyed the characters, I do think that the novel felt rushed, or perhaps, rather more like GLH tried to shove too many plot lines into one novel. I sincerely wish this had been a series or at least a longer novel. I do think I would read this one again, but honestly, it might not be on the top of my re-read list. I really did enjoy it once, hence the 4 stars, but it just doesn't have the warm fuzzies that I get from some of my other favorite re-reads.
I think, perhaps, in this book, the author was trying to show the impact that one Christian can have on their communities. By focusing on the influential (although seemingly insignificant) interactions the Silverthorns had on various people of their acquaintance - their neighbors, their friends, even relatives of friends- GLH was effectively able to show how many lives can be changed for the better through the ripple effect of one person's actions.
And while I really quite enjoyed this novel, I honestly think it would be worked better in a series or as a longer novel. I felt cheated out of character growth and development for the Silverthorns () which was a shame because they were likeable and interesting characters. They almost feel like old friends that I would have liked to drop in on again and to catch up with their lives.
(Although, as I'm thinking back on things...I may not have liked the high-handed way that Link dealt with Minnie...or the main characters' group's treatment of her in general. Was this a societal norm? Because honestly, as rude as Minnie was, they were just as bad. I don't know...I guess I'm still processing that. Maybe I should bump my review down a star? Nah, I'll just go with my initial gut reaction.)
Overall rating is definitely a 4 star review. I liked what GLH was trying to do in this novel, and frankly, I do think she did it effectively and well. While I enjoyed the characters, I do think that the novel felt rushed, or perhaps, rather more like GLH tried to shove too many plot lines into one novel. I sincerely wish this had been a series or at least a longer novel. I do think I would read this one again, but honestly, it might not be on the top of my re-read list. I really did enjoy it once, hence the 4 stars, but it just doesn't have the warm fuzzies that I get from some of my other favorite re-reads.
October 21, 2021
I gave this book 5 stars not because it's high literature, but because I have a soft spot for it. Like some other reviewers have said, Grace Livingston Hill's books are my "comfort reading." And this one is notable for several reasons, one of them being the several intertwining plots.
The description always makes me chuckle, because it's mostly wrong. McRae does live on a country estate, but she doesn't "break tradition," and during most of the book she herself doesn't have a romance--she is observing the interactions of her friends, and pondering how to influence them for good. We see a lot of the story through her eyes, and she's a likable, conscientious person
However, the whole book isn't from her viewpoint. That's one of the interesting aspects of this book. GLH often includes an outrageous flapper-girl character, who harasses the well-mannered characters, and in this book it's Minnie/Erminie. She is just unbelievably outrageous in her behavior when she first arrives. However, a stern conversation or two with Lincoln (McRae's brother) causes her to open up and admit her feelings of inadequacy. She asks him how she can be different and he leads her to faith in Christ; then the story follows her on her journey home, where she finds herself growing her new faith as she works to help her ailing stepmother and her ragtag, neglected younger siblings. Erminie becomes a sympathetic character, and McRae's friend group, who once scorned her, rally to help when her younger brother runs away.
I'll also mention that one of GLH's strengths is describing house parties. Early in the book, the friends, who had all been attendants at the wedding of a friends, gather at the Silverthorns' "country estate" for a house party. The bridesmaids take the train together from the city, to be welcomed by Mrs. Silverthorn, who has been preparing cupcakes for them; delicious aromas waft from the kitchen. I think I always wanted to go along with them for that weekend party.
As GLH's books go, this one has a lot of interesting twists and the comfortable vintage atmosphere her readers still enjoy. I recommend it.
The description always makes me chuckle, because it's mostly wrong. McRae does live on a country estate, but she doesn't "break tradition," and during most of the book she herself doesn't have a romance--she is observing the interactions of her friends, and pondering how to influence them for good. We see a lot of the story through her eyes, and she's a likable, conscientious person
However, the whole book isn't from her viewpoint. That's one of the interesting aspects of this book. GLH often includes an outrageous flapper-girl character, who harasses the well-mannered characters, and in this book it's Minnie/Erminie. She is just unbelievably outrageous in her behavior when she first arrives. However, a stern conversation or two with Lincoln (McRae's brother) causes her to open up and admit her feelings of inadequacy. She asks him how she can be different and he leads her to faith in Christ; then the story follows her on her journey home, where she finds herself growing her new faith as she works to help her ailing stepmother and her ragtag, neglected younger siblings. Erminie becomes a sympathetic character, and McRae's friend group, who once scorned her, rally to help when her younger brother runs away.
I'll also mention that one of GLH's strengths is describing house parties. Early in the book, the friends, who had all been attendants at the wedding of a friends, gather at the Silverthorns' "country estate" for a house party. The bridesmaids take the train together from the city, to be welcomed by Mrs. Silverthorn, who has been preparing cupcakes for them; delicious aromas waft from the kitchen. I think I always wanted to go along with them for that weekend party.
As GLH's books go, this one has a lot of interesting twists and the comfortable vintage atmosphere her readers still enjoy. I recommend it.
August 7, 2025
I quite like the way this novel is set up, following the growing up of a group of friends rather than a single pair. I also like the way Erminie's story is told, she starts off very similar to a character in another Hill novel but takes a redemptive path, rather than a destructive one.
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November 16, 2023This reads more like several individual stories than one cohesive one. There are links between each story. But not all the ends are nicely tied- that closing sentence leaves much to be guessed at.
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