These Healing Hills by Ann H. Gabhart (Review)

Paperback: 368 pages

Publisher: Revell (September 5, 2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0800723635

ISBN-13: 978-0800723637

Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches 

Francine Howard has her life all mapped out until the soldier she planned to marry at WWII's end writes to tell her he's in love with a woman in England. Devastated, Francine seeks a fresh start in the Appalachian Mountains, training to be a nurse midwife for the Frontier Nursing Service.

Deeply affected by the horrors he witnessed at war, Ben Locke has never thought further ahead than making it home to Kentucky. His future shrouded in as much mist as his beloved mountains, he's at a loss when it comes to envisioning what's next for his life.

When Francine's and Ben's paths intersect, it's immediately clear that they are from different worlds and value different things. But love has a way of healing old wounds . . . and revealing tantalizing new possibilities.

My Review:

I enjoyed reading this Christian historical fiction book. I felt transported to the Appalachian Mountains. It reminded me of Christy by Catherine Marshall. Francine Howard is the main female character and she is a nurse with Frontier Nursing Service. Ben Locke is the main male character and he is a native Appalachian just come home from WWII. They hit it off but face pressure because they are from two very different worlds. The Frontier Nursing Service frowns on the nurses fraternizing with the locals. Ben's family likes Francine but does not want him to get hurt. His Mom also cannot see their two worlds melding together. The author did a good developing the characters and plot. The ending was satisfying. Recommended for fans of Christian historical fiction. 

Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several Shaker novels--The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted--as well as Angel Sister, Small Town Girl, Love Comes Home, Words Spoken True, and The Heart of Hollyhill series. She lives with her husband a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Learn more at www.annhgabhart.com.

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

The Innocent by Ann Gabhart (Review)

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Revell (July 7, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-0800723415

Carlyn Kearney has spent two lonely years not knowing whether to mourn or to hope after she receives word from the Union Army that her husband is missing. The war ends without further word. Now penniless, in debt, and forced from her home, Carlyn seeks refuge at the Shaker village of Harmony Hill, only to discover that they will not allow her to keep her beloved dog, an animal that has been her faithful companion since her husband went off to war. Sheriff Mitchell Brodie has pity on the lovely young woman and agrees to take the dog. Carlyn is just settling into life as a sister in the Shaker village when she receives a devastating letter confirming her worst fears. As she wrestles with whether to commit herself fully to the Shaker life, mysterious deaths begin to occur, and Carlyn comes under suspicion. Can Sheriff Mitchell help her expose the true culprit?

My Review:

I think this is the first book I have read featuring the Shakers. All I really knew is that they were famous for their plain furniture. This is a Christian fiction book set right after the War between the states. Carlyn does not know if she is a widow since her husband did not come back from or send word.  The government also has no clue. She has no money and owes on her house. Unfortunately her landlord is a horrible evil man and is trying to put her out. Back then unmarried/widow women did not have very many options. She lives by a Shaker settlement and knows they take in almost anybody because it is their way. She meets Sheriff Mitchell Brodie for the first time when the landlord has him come with him to give her warning to vacate her house. He ends having to take her dog because the Shakers allow no pets. He is taken with the lovely widow and wants to help in anyway he can. Mysterious deaths start happening at the Shaker village where she is having trouble fitting in. He comes to investigate and check on her. I know without a shadow of doubt I do not want to be a Shaker now. The author does a great job with descriptions and background without bogging the book down. I loved the relationship between Carlyn and Mitch. The book had a great mysterious/suspense feeling to it too. It was not a completely traditional historical fiction book which I liked. The book held my attention from beginning to end. Recommended.





Ann H. Gabhart caught the writing bug at the age of ten and has been writing ever since. She's published over twenty-five books for both adults and young adults. Scent of Lilacs, her first inspirational novel, was chosen as a Top Ten Christian Fiction Book by Booklist magazine. Her first Shaker book, The Outsider, was a finalist for ECPA Christian Fiction Book of the Year and was a Top Pick by Romantic Times Book Review Magazine. Ann writes about Kentucky history and small town life. See more about her books at www.annhgabhart.com.

   Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Love Comes Home by Ann Gabhart (Review)

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Revell (July 1, 2014)
• ISBN-13: 978-0800721855

When the flush of victory fades, there remains a winding road to an uncertain future.

World War II is finally over and the people of Rosey Corner are joyfully welcoming the boys home. The Merritt sisters in particular are looking toward the future. Kate is eager to start a family and live out her dream of happily ever after with Jay. Evangeline craves a beautiful house and encourages Mike to pastor a big-town church. Victoria wants what can never be. And Lorena is growing up and wondering more and more about her birth family.

Each sister must learn to hold her plans with a loose hand, trusting that God will guide and strengthen them as they share the joys and sorrows of life in their little corner of the world.

Award-winning and bestselling author Ann Gabhart invites you back to Rosey Corner for a heartfelt story that closes the distance between the things that were and things that can yet be.


My Review:

This was a great conclusion to the Rosey Corner series. In this book WWII is over and the guys come home. Jay and Kate got married right before he went off to war so they did not get to live together for long. Evie and Mike had been married for a little bit. Neither couple was ready for the PTSD following the war. The wives knew the men would not be the same. Mike no longer wants to preach and that is his calling in life. Jay has trouble sleeping at night and is scared of having children and being like his crappy father. The book and series really centers around the four Merritt sisters. The other two are Victoria and Lorena. In this book Tori has a young daughter that she is raising on her own because her husband died in the war. Lorena is a teenager and was found by the family in the first book in the series abandoned by her parents. In this book she wants to find them. Love in different forms is the main theme. The characters and plot are well developed and interesting. I really enjoyed reading this Christian WWII book. Recommended. 



Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of Angel Sister, Small Town Girl, and Words Spoken True, as well as several Shaker novels--The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted--and The Heart of Hollyhill series. She lives with her husband a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Learn more at www.annhgabhart.com

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summer of Joy by Ann Gabhart (Review)

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Revell (February 15, 2008) (March 1, 2014)

ISBN-10: 0800731700

ISBN-13: 978-0800731700

For Jocie Brooke, the summer of 1964 certainly was eventful, but it's nothing compared to what's coming to Hollyhill, Kentucky, and the Brooke family next. The past is coming to call, threatening to destroy the relationships that everyone thought were so strong. Two people--one thought to be gone for good and the other no one's ever heard of--are making their way to the small town. And it promises trouble for everyone.

This complex and beautifully written story is the perfect conclusion to The Heart of Hollyhill series. With true-to-life family drama, refreshing humor, and characters readers have come to love like dear friends, "Summer of Joy" will delight Gabhart's fans.

My Review:

I thought this was a good Christian historical fiction book. It is third in a series but I only felt like I was missing some detailed history behind some sentences a few times so I think it can be enjoyed on its on. I have not read the first two. The characters and plot were interesting and kept my attention from beginning to end. This book has a little mystery, suspense, humor, and romance all in one. Jocie is 14 and plays an important part of this book. Even though more of the action centers around David and Leigh than her. She is woven into the whole book and series. There are great secondary characters too like the other employees at the newspaper David owns and works at. It has a good small town feel to it. The conclusion was mostly satisfying. I would have liked more of an ending for Deedee, David's ex wife, but I understand the way the author left it. Recommended.



Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several Shaker novels--The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted--as well as several other historical novels, including Scent of Lilacs, Orchard of Hope, Angel Sister, Small Town Girl, and Words Spoken True. She lives with her husband a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Find out more at www.annhgabhart.com.

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Small Town Girl by Ann Gabhart (Review)

How long can two people stand on the brink of love without plunging in headfirst?
In the autumn of 1941, rumors of war whisper through Rosey Corner. The town practically vibrates with apprehension, as if it is holding its breath. But for Kate Merritt, it seems life is letting out a prolonged sigh. As Kate watches her sister marry the man Kate has loved since she was fifteen, her heart is silently breaking. And even the attentions of Jay Tanner, the handsome best man, can't draw her interest.

Then suddenly, Pearl Harbor changes everything and Kate finds herself drawn to Jay in surprising ways. Could she truly be in love with him? And if he enlists, will she ever see him again?

In her gentle and textured style, Ann H. Gabhart tells a timeless story of love, sacrifice, and longing that will grip your heart and stir your spirit. Fans of Gabhart's Angel Sister will love seeing Kate Merritt all grown-up, as well as other characters they have come to love.

My Review:

This was a great Christian historical fiction book. The author knows how to paint a picture with words. I did not realize this was a second book until after I finished reading this one. I don't think it detracted from the story although I would like to read it to know more about young Kate and Birdie. I loved the plot line and the time period. Kate and Jay hit it off at the beginning and the sparks continue to fly. They both have trust issues because of their past. I liked the ending and felt like it fit the book. Highly Recommended!






Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several novels, including Angel Sister, Words Spoken True, The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted. She lives with her husband a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Find out more at www.annhgabhart.com.


**Available July 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.**

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing

ORCHARD OF HOPE


(Revell March 1, 2007)


by


Ann Gabhart


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Ann H. Gabhart has published a number of adult and young adult novels with several different publishers. The author of The Scent of Lilacs, Ann and her husband live a mile from where she was born in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. She is active in her country church, and her husband sings bass in a southern gospel quartet


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Nothing will be the same after the summer of 1964.

Drought has gripped the quiet Kentucky town of Hollyhill, and the town seems as if it is holding its breath--waiting. Jocie Brooke is nervous about starting high school. Her sister Tabitha is experiencing the weariness of waiting for a new baby. Her father David is feeling the timidity of those first steps toward true love. All of these pivotal steps in life are awaiting the Brooke family.

Into this cloud of tense anticipation, a black family from Chicago, the Hearndons move here to plant an orchard outside of town. Fresh off the Freedom Train, Myra Hearndon is sensitive to what the color of her skin may mean in a Southern town. Her family will have to contend with more than the dry ground and blazing sun as they try to create their ORCHARD OF HOPE.

Jocie finds herself befrending a boy that some townspeople shun. Due to unspoken racial lines in this southern town, the presence of these newcomers sparks a smoldering fire of unrest that will change Hollyhill..and Jocie...forever.

In this close-knit community, everything is about to change.

Let this riveting novel take you along to experience unexpected love, new life, and renewed faith amid life's trials.