Book Review: "The Song of Sourwood Mountain" by Ann H. Gabhart

 

I love Ann H. Gabhart's books. I love the rural setting of the Eastern Kentucky Hills! It makes me miss the four years I lived among them. Ann was able to transport me back to those hills with a beautiful and endearing story. The Song of Sourwood Mountain is the story of a city schoolteacher who answered a call to completely step outside of her comfort zone and say "Yes" to God in a big way! Exploring the simple, yet complicated lives of those in the Appalachian mountains was an adventure that only made the city schoolteacher fall more in love with her new country home. 

How she got there, why she stayed, and what happens next will be up to you to uncover as you read through this story! Get your copy here. 

From the back cover:

"The doors she thought were closed forever are starting to open up . . . just a crack

Though the century began with such promise, it is 1910 when Mira Dean's hopes of being a wife and mother are dashed to pieces. Her fiancé dead from tuberculosis, Mira resigns herself to being a spinster schoolteacher--until Gordon Covington shows up.

No longer the boy she knew from school, Gordon is now a preacher who is full of surprises. First, he asks Mira to come to Sourwood in Eastern Kentucky to teach at his mission school. Second, he asks her to marry him. Just like that.

With much trepidation, Mira steps out in faith into a life she never imagined, in a place filled with its own special challenges, to serve a people who just might end up becoming the family she always yearned for."

This book was given to me by Revell Reads in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: "When Twilight Breaks" by Sarah Sundin

 

I was first introduced to Sundin's work through my church library. I started with her "Sunrise at Normandy" Series about three Texas brothers whose path led them all to participate in one way or another in the battle of Normandy. It was such a fantastic series and each book really stood out alone. When the opportunity came with Revell Reads to be a first reader for her latest, "When Twilight Breaks" book that came out this month, I jumped at the opportunity!

The best thing about this novel is that it makes you want to bust open a history book (or do a simple Google search) to research and look up some of these historical events that are brought to life in the story.

You can tell Sundin does her research- from what the characters wear, to how they style their hair, to the kinds of cars driven in the era.

What I thought was most interesting is that this book is set in 1938 which is Pre- World War II. It explores so much about the thoughts, feelings, and emotions from those who sympathized with Hitler and the Nazi's and those of the Jews when the anti-semitic laws began to become more frequent and more harsh. 

I highly recommend this book as a fantastic exploration of this time period that explores love, history, war, and faith in God when it is put to the ultimate test. 

From the back cover:

Evelyn Brand is an American foreign correspondent determined to prove her worth in a male-dominated profession and to expose the growing tyranny in Nazi Germany. To do so, she must walk a thin line. If she offends the government, she could be expelled from the country--or worse. If she does not report truthfully, she'll betray the oppressed and fail to wake up the folks back home.

Peter Lang is an American graduate student working on his PhD in German. Disillusioned with the chaos in the world due to the Great Depression, he is impressed with the prosperity and order of German society. But when the brutality of the regime hits close, he discovers a far better way to use his contacts within the Nazi party--to feed information to the shrewd reporter he can't get off his mind.

As the world marches relentlessly toward war, Evelyn and Peter are on a collision course with destiny.

Get your copy today at Amazon or your favorite online retailer, or click here!

I was given a free copy of this book to review from Revell publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: “All That We Carried” by Erin Bartels

 

I have been laying bed for the last several days sick and there is nothing like a good book to accompany you during a time like this. Erin Bartels is a new author to me and one I am looking forward to reading more in the future. 

In "All That We Carried" the Greene sisters are estranged after the parent's death 10 years prior. They decide to go on a hiking trip to reconnect and end up discovering much more than they bargained for. The girls get lost in the woods multiple times, close encounters with bears, mountain lions, and forest fires, that comes to a dramatic conclusion that brings them to a point of reconciliation neither of them can deny. 

Throughout most of the book the girls are bickering between each other and it reminds me of my two sons that never do seem to get along. (I had thought several times throughout the book that I needed to throw my kids into the forest and see if they can work out their issues.)

Beyond reconciliation with each other, they come to a point of reconciling their spiritual differences with God as well. They are both confused, hurt, and angry at a God that would allow both of their parents to die. Bartels does a great job of exploring the complicated emotions that comes with doubt, fear, and questioning God. 

The raw honesty and emotions throughout the book are heartbreaking yet speak so much truth. Kudos to Bartels for exploring such a difficult topic. This book comes out tomorrow, January 5, and I implore you to get your copy here.

I was given a free copy of this book to review from Revell publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: “An Appalachian Summer” by Ann H. Gabhart

 I love when you pick up a book by an author you’ve never read and end up loving it! Ann H. Gabhart is an author local to me. I currently live in Kentucky and she is a local celebrity with her books for sale in a small-town gift shop that I have perused and never picked up until “An Appalachian Summer” came along. 

I was delighted with the story of debutante, Piper Danson, who left a life of comfort and luxury among the socially elite of Louisville, Kentucky during the height of the Great Depression for a summer of soul searching. Piper leaves behind a summer of courtship with the most eligible bachelor in Louisville, Braxton Crandall, to be a courier in the Appalachian Mountains with the Frontier Nursing Service. 

Feeling stifled by her father’s expectations of an arranged marriage back home is what inspires Piper to chart a new path for herself. She struggles with the loss of her best friend and childhood love, Jamie Russell, who fled town with his mother and siblings after their family loses all of their estate during the Great Depression. Piper also considers the proposal from the handsome Braxton Crandall knowing it could afford her the financial security so many lacked during this difficult time. 

Confused and unsure of what she really wants, she hears about the need for help with the Frontier Nursing Service from Mary Breckenridge who comes to town to raise funds for medical assistance in the mountains. Piper decides to join as a courier and take the summer to “do something different” and not have to think about Braxton or Jamie. 

As a courier, she assists nurses who deliver babies to mothers in some of the most treacherous and rural parts of the mountainous region. Riding horses, cleaning stalls, killing chickens for dinner, and watching out for rattlesnakes is just a small portion of what Piper experiences on her adventurous summer. 

But what she doesn’t expect to happen is just when she thought she was far enough away from it all, life happened to catch up with her there. 

I don’t want to tell you what happens, you will have to read it for yourself. 

What I love most about this story is that Piper is showcased as a strong female lead who doesn’t ever play the damsel in distress part that I come across in so many books. When she is faced with a challenge, she perseveres even in the face of fear. She isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in and is brave enough to try new things.

There is more than one love story weaved in and a strong sense of family and faith prevails throughout the pages. 

I can’t wait to read more of Ann H. Gabhart’s work knowing the incredible storytelling will take me on a journey that will allow for a fun escape in a world that is COVID crazy. 

If you are looking for a lighthearted summer read, I highly recommend “An Appalachian Summer”. You should look for it at your local inspirational bookstore or online wherever your favorite books are sold. You can get your copy here

(This book was given to me by Revell Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Star of Persia (Esther's Story) by Jill Eileen Smith

"For if you remain silent at this time, 

liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place,

and you and your father's house will perish [since you did not help when you had the chance]. 

And who knows whether you have attained royalty for such a time as this 

[and for this very purpose]?"

Esther 4:14

The words above are from a story in the Bible that is one of my most favorite. This story is powerful and when I received my copy of Jill Eileen Smith's new book, "Star of Persia: Esther's Story", I couldn't wait to dive in. I did receive a copy from Revell publishing for my honest review, but let me tell you, I knew in advance it would not disappoint. I have read several of Smith's books in the past and her attention to biblical detail is on point. If there ever was an author that could bring the Old Testament stories to life it would be Jill Eileen Smith. 

The story of a Jewish Queen over Persia hiding her ancestry before her king is one that never gets old to hear. When evil Haman seduces the king into thinking the Jews are the problem in their country and they need to be annihilated, Esther is forced to choose between keeping her ancestry a secret so that she may continue to live peacefully with her king in the palace or speaking up to save her people and risk losing her life. 

Of course, I won't tell you what happens next, but as soon as I finished it, and in only a couple of days, I had to open up my Bible and re-read the story myself and Smith's story mixed with biblical and historical facts breathes new life into this incredible heroine's decision. 

You see, coming before the king uninvited and unannounced could have been an automatic death sentence, by itself. But also sharing her ancestry and her plea to save her people could have also infuriated the king, so she had nothing to rely on but her faith in God (Adonai) and hope His presence in the room with her would be enough to soften the king's heart to her request. 

I highly recommend this book and lucky for all my readers, this book just came out yesterday! Get your copy on Amazon asap!

I will leave you with a beautiful song that I think sums up what might have gone through Esther's mind as she pondered the big decision she had to make- My Weapon by Natalie Grant.

"Your presence is my greatest weapon

Pushing back the darkness
Breaking every chain

My worship opens up the heavens
Crushing every stronghold
When I speak Your name
Your presence is my weapon"

Book Review: "An Uncommon Woman" by Laura Frantz

I love reading a good fiction book. I love both secular and Christian fiction, but when I stumbled upon Francine Rivers’ book “Redeeming Love”, I feel in love with the genre of Christian fiction. Today I am excited to share with you another incredible story that I believe falls under Christian historical fiction called “Uncommon Woman” by Laura Frantz. 

This is a new author, whose books I have not read before and was excited to dive into the book from a perspective of a colonist settling into new American territory around 1770. The era this book was written even referenced George Washington before he was our very first President. Dangers loomed everywhere for settlers between staking out new land from the local wildlife to the hostile tension that was created between settlers and Indian tribes. 

There is a lot of heated debate, even today, about the mistreatment of the Native American tribes during the time the white people began moving West and taking over more and more ancestral lands. But, both main characters from Laura Frantz’z book- Tessa, a brave frontier woman and Clay, former captive of the Indians that grew to love the family and people he was raised with brought out both sides of the Indian and settler viewpoints. This brought compassion and heartfelt appreciation for both cultures, respectfully. Weaving a beautiful love story, heat wrenching action, and an interesting look at the times these characters lived brought me to the frontier of West Virginia in the 18^th century. Laura’s use of older colonial English made me feel like I was there.

For fans for fans of the historical fiction genre, you will want to get a copy of this book. I am looking forward to reading more from this author and I hope you enjoy it as well. 

Even if this is a book review, I can't leave you without a song to listen to and I thought I would add "Never Lost" by Elevation Worship. In the times this book speaks of there were battles beginning to be waged over freedoms and land. In this song, it speaks to God having never lost a battle...ever. Isn't that such an encouragement that as Christians he wins and we already know the outcome? I hope you are encouraged by this song as I was hearing it.

2019: Year in Book Reviews

As you can see 2019 was a pretty busy year for me...as far as reading goes. I love to utilize my Goodreads app and list the books I have read, the books I am currently reading and make my "shelf" of books I want to read. 

It's like a to do list, I get such satisfaction when I can check off another book and reach my goal. I had a goal of 25 books last year and surpassed by 2! I was quite proud. Mainly because I have always loved reading as a kid and then in my early 20's I got away from it but now, my passion and love for reading has hit full force. I am careful to choose books I know I will like, christian fiction and non fiction are always a go to, there are a few regular non fiction and fiction in the mix too. 

Today, I want to share with you some of my favorites! 

First and foremost, Connilyn Cosette is my new favorite biblical fiction author! She has a gift for bringing some pretty incredible stories to life that makes me want to open up God's word and re read the stories myself. Her fiction tales about many strong women who are not found in the Bible, but told from a perspective of if they lived during that time is like watching a movie. I highly recommend you start with her Out from Egypt Series that then feeds into her Cities of Refuge Series. I was sucked right into the families whose stories were being told!

Lisa Wingate's "Before We Were Yours" tells an incredible story of the Tennessee Children's Home Society that actually existed. The book gives a fictional spin on a family who survived the ordeal using real life accounts from other children that actually lived there. Thanks to this situation, we have many of the adoption laws in place today. Anything that makes me pique my interest in history is a win. "The Nightengale" by Kristin Hannah, although not a Christian book, tells a beautiful story of two sisters who lived in France during the time of WWII. 

My absolute favorite non fiction of 2019 is as follows: "The Next Right Thing" by Emily P. Freeman who's soothing podcasts also soothes the soul and helps you to make the best decision based on the next right thing for you. 

"Love Unending" by Becky Thompson is an excellent book on rekindling the marriage. I don't usually like reading marriage books, but this oneI soaked in and devoured each chapter and will keep to reread! 

"All My Friends Have Issues" by Amanda Anderson was a book I used with a group of friends to read together and we had blast reading through Amanda's funny friendship stories. What happens at book club, stays at book club!

And for my last non fiction 2019 book shoutout is....drumroll, please.... "You are the Girl for the Job: Daring to Believe the God Who Calls You" by Jess Connelly. This was a wonderful and inspiring read and pair that with Jordan Lee Dooley's "Own Your Everyday: Overcome the Pressure to Prove and Show Up for What You Were Made to Do" is another incredibly inspiring read. (See what I did there? I totally added another because I couldn't leave it out!) In a world full of Rachel Hollis's it was refreshing to read the above two books about ceasing our striving and being content to do what God created us to without any pressure. Plus, Jess' book had to make the list because I got to really see and hear her heart as she came to our church's book club and I got to meet her!

So this concludes my book list for 2019. Keep checking back for book reviews and what I am reading next! 

This blog is not called My Heart's Song for nothing so let me leave with you with one of my new favorite jams- acoustic style!

"Holy Water" by We The Kingdom