~ 'AN APPALACHIAN SUMMER' ~
AUTHOR ANN H. GABHART
~Post Includes: Book Spotlight, Author
Bio & Review~
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Discover what happens when one intrepid young woman steps away from the past into a beautiful, wide-open future.
In 1933 Louisville, Kentucky, even the ongoing economic depression cannot keep Piper Danson's parents from insisting on a debut party. After all, their fortune came through the market crash intact, and they've picked out the perfect suitor for their daughter. Braxton Crandall can give her the kind of life she's used to. The only problem? This is not the man--or the life--she really wants.
When Piper gets the opportunity to volunteer as a horseback Frontier Nursing courier in the Appalachian Mountains for the summer, she jumps at the chance to be something other than a dutiful daughter or a kept wife in a loveless marriage. The work is taxing, the scenery is jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and the people she meets along the way open a whole new world to her. The longer she stays, the more an advantageous marriage slips from her grasp. But something much more precious--true love--is drawing ever closer.
In 1933 Louisville, Kentucky, even the ongoing economic depression cannot keep Piper Danson's parents from insisting on a debut party. After all, their fortune came through the market crash intact, and they've picked out the perfect suitor for their daughter. Braxton Crandall can give her the kind of life she's used to. The only problem? This is not the man--or the life--she really wants.
When Piper gets the opportunity to volunteer as a horseback Frontier Nursing courier in the Appalachian Mountains for the summer, she jumps at the chance to be something other than a dutiful daughter or a kept wife in a loveless marriage. The work is taxing, the scenery is jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and the people she meets along the way open a whole new world to her. The longer she stays, the more an advantageous marriage slips from her grasp. But something much more precious--true love--is drawing ever closer.
LINK TO BOOK TRAILER:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several Shaker novels--The Refuge, The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted--as well as other historical novels, including Angel Sister, These Healing Hills, and River to Redemption. She and her husband live on a farm a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Ann enjoys discovering the everyday wonders of nature while hiking in her farm's fields and woods with her grandchildren and her dogs, Frankie and Marley. Learn more at www.annhgabhart.com.
MY REVIEW:
5 Stars/5 Stars
A beautiful
Depression-era gem written by Author Ann H. Gabhart...
This
well-written tale begins the evening of twenty-year-old Piper Danson's society
debut in May, 1933. The Depression is in full swing in the United States, and Piper's
parents have decided it is time for their youngest daughter to marry a man of
means. We soon learn that Piper has other ideas for her future . . .
The author's
description of the Appalachian Mountains and the terrain the Frontier Nursing
Society couriers and nurses must cover is excellent. At times I felt as if I
were riding a horse on a narrow trail through the rugged terrain. Ann H.
Gabhart wrote in detail about the sounds of the birds and waterways Piper heard
and the spectacular sites she glimpsed on her sojourns to the medical centers
and homes of those she was serving.
Particularly
powerful scenes were the ones in which the main characters in the story
encountered the local residents of the area. These strong and resilient men and
women were wary of any outsiders who were traveling in their area and the
direct manner in which they spoke was a source of great discomfort for the
outsiders.
The characters
in the story are well-developed and varied. From wealthy to poor, educated to
uneducated, genuine to insincere, kind to indifferent, the core characters in
this story were interesting and realistic.
One of my favorite
elements of the story was the set of Christianity-based standards the Frontier
Nursing Society instilled in their nurses and summer volunteers. The kindness
and compassion shown toward the local residents they were serving was inspiring
and admirable. These nurses and couriers were dedicated to helping the
residents, and they showed respect toward the beliefs, superstitions, and
lifestyle of the community members at all times.
Another
important thread in the story was the close relationship Piper had with her aunt,
Truda Danson, a forty-five-year-old unmarried woman with whom Piper always
shared a special bond. Their relationship reminded me of my special aunt, and I
felt the author did an especially fine job of giving us a tender insight into
their relationship.
When I reached
the end of the story, I was definitely not ready for my reading journey to end.
I thought about this story and its brilliant characters and setting for many
days after I read the final page. This was the first book I had the pleasure of
reading which was crafted by this talented author, but it will not be the last!
I
highly-recommend this book for fans of Christian fiction, Christian historical
fiction, Christian romance, and Appalachian fiction.
Disclosure -- This
book was provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group/Revell, through Interviews
& Reviews, for my honest opinion.
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