An Appalachian Summer

April 27, 2020
Gabhart (These Healing Hills) takes readers to the majestic Kentucky mountains during the Great Depression in this enjoyable inspirational romance. Piper Danson, 16 years old and independent-minded, suffers through her society debut in Louisville to please her mother. Handsome Braxton Crandall is the heir to a railroad fortune and has the blessing of Piper’s father to court her, but Piper’s heart belongs to childhood friend Jamie Russell. Jamie’s family, however, lost everything in the stock market crash, and he feels he can’t give Piper the life she deserves. To keep her mind off romance by doing something of social value, Piper decides to spend the summer working as a courier with the Frontier Nursing Service. There, she learns to pluck a chicken, helps deliver a baby, and grows closer to the Lord in the quiet rural atmosphere. But when Jamie and Braxton both follow Piper to the mountains, her plan to forget men is shot and she must make a decision for the future. This refreshing historical will be an appealing escape for readers who enjoy Tracie Peterson.

July 1, 2020
Best-selling Kentucky author Gabhart's newest historical inspirational set in her home state features Piper Danson, a debutante in 1933, who would rather be on a horse than in a gown. Her father, especially concerned because they're in the midst of the Great Depression, is anxious for her to make a good match, and be secure, but she wants to delay the plans he seems to have already worked out. She yearns to have adventures and make a difference. She learns about the Frontier Nursing Service, and decides to spend the summer as a courier, one of the young women who rides through the mountains to assist nurses. Jamie Russell is a young man who was once close to Piper, but now his family has lost everything in the crash. Not only that, he is intent on becoming a writer and does not believe he can give Piper what she deserves. Piper's faith increases as she faces challenges requiring flexibility and courage, and both she and Jamie learn the value of perseverance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)