A moving story that had me gripped from the start. Such reality and a reminder of all things family and community. Knowing God helps so much and evangelism is a way of life

The Song of Sourwood Mountain
by Ann H. Gabhart
Publisher: Revell
Series: None
Rated: 4
Obtain: Borrow or buy
Back of the Book: “While 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. And all at once the doors that had seemed firmly shut begin to open, just a crack.
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 will end up becoming the family she always dreamed of.”

Impressions: I’ve read other stories about the people of the mountains and enjoyed learning about the culture of the people. I was looking forward to learning more in this book. The beginning of this book took some time to set up Mira’s background, which felt a bit slow compared to the rest of the story. Once Mira moves to the mountains the story begins to unfold, however, Mira’s journey is still the main perspective. I did not get to know the mountain people’s stories and histories as well as I would have liked. I wish there were a family tree to reference how everyone was related to better understand the dynamics of their relationships. Understanding some of their pasts might have created a better connection with the story. Perhaps I was really wanting more background on Ada June. She shared the spotlight but had much mystery around her person. That being said, it was easy to read, a clean romance with faith entwined through the story.

Quotes: “’ My path is set.’ ‘Who set your path?’...Chapter 3, verses 5 and 6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

I love stories set in Appalachia, and Ann Gabhart is a master at spinning an Appalachian tale with her authentic and thoughtful portrayal of the hardworking, caring Kentucky mountain people and their culture. Set in 1910, This heartwarming and sometimes heart-wrenching story kept me engaged from beginning to end. Beautifully crafted characters who you come to care for drive the story. I love Mira and Gordon and the way their marriage of convenience develops into a solid relationship built on love. I actually enjoyed ten-year-old Ada June’s touching storyline most of all. As always in Ms. Gabhart’s books, I greatly appreciate the strong faith element that permeates the story. I totally enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!
I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing via NetGalley with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fairly slow to start, this book soon picked up and became a good read. The characters were developed enough to keep the audience interested in them, and the scenery was described appropriately.

The descriptions of activities undertaken are era correct, which was a nice touch.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.

Mira learns the meaning of closed and open doors when God leads her to accept Gordon's proposal and offer of a teaching job in the Kentucky mountains. Christian faith plays an important part of this story, but it is no way preachy. All the main characters were well-developed, though I had trouble keeping track of the supporting cast. This might make a good movie.

This is a beautifully written book. The characters are so brilliantly written. I especially love Ada June a young orphaned child shunned by the village, it was heartbreakingly written. I hadn't realised that it would be as religious as it was and if it hadn't been so well written I probably wouldn't have finished but I wanted to know what happened to Mira, Gordon and Ada June. I haven't read Ann H. Gabhart before but I will definitely read some more of her books.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. It kept my interest throughout. The main characters were very well developed. The storyline flowed well. It fit the customs and activities of the era.
There were one or two things left unfinished. I'm not sure there will be a second book or not, but I'd enjoy an extension.
I requested and received an ARC of this book through LibraryThing. This review is freely given and my own, personal thoughts.
If you enjoy historic, Christian fiction, I am sure you will enjoy this book.

I’ve always enjoyed reading historical romance/fiction and The Song of Sourwood Mountain didn’t disappoint this reader. I thought the book was very realistic and the Author made me feel as though I’d gone back in time and was there with the characters in 1910. I liked that the author blended good times and bad times in this book. It was entertaining, inspirational,unpredictable, and a page turner. The people who lived on Sourwood mountain were loyal to one another and though they were poor they lived with what God gave them.
This book has three main characters. Gordon Covington who was the preacher at the church in Sourwood Mountain. Mira Dean who was a teacher in Louisville Kentucky. Ada June Baker who was a 10 year old homeless orphan on Sourwood Mountain. All other characters are secondary but play an important role in this story. When Mira Dean’s world in Louisville falls apart she wonders if God has another plan for her. Preacher Covington makes her an offer that she isn’t sure she wants to except. Ada June gets by the best she can by helping people that live on the mountain but no one cares enough to offer her a home . God has a plan for all three of them. Find out what He has in mind for them when you read this heartwarming book.
I recommend this book to readers of historical and inspirational fiction. This book is a standalone . It is scheduled to be released on 5/7/24.
I voluntarily read an advanced reader’s copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are my own.
#TheSongofSourwoodMountain #NetGalley

This book was so refreshing! I loved the character of Gordon, he is a strong and well grounded man with principle and courage. The story of Mira was enchanting, the way this author created the world these two characters lived inside was magical and inspiring. The courage of both Gordon and Mira was something to ponder. I loved how God's touch is highlighted throughout this story, the way He masterfully creates our perfect path so we may have a fulfilling life. Each character in this book is masterfully written, from the very beginning to the very end. So many different personalities, so many different worlds that are all connected and the way God has woven them together is so beautifully detailed in this wonderful book. The Song of Sourwood Mountain has given me new inspiration to look for God and His will in my life. I would love to see a sequel to this story!

This book was so refreshing! I loved the character of Gordon, he is a strong and well grounded man with principle and courage. The story of Mira was enchanting, the way this author created the world these two characters lived inside was magical and inspiring. The courage of both Gordon and Mira was something to ponder. I loved how God's touch is highlighted throughout this story, the way He masterfully creates our perfect path so we may have a fulfilling life. Each character in this book is masterfully written, from the very beginning to the very end. So many different personalities, so many different worlds that are all connected and the way God has woven them together is so beautifully detailed in this wonderful book. The Song of Sourwood Mountain has given me new inspiration to look for God and His will in my life. I would love to see a sequel to this story!

Ann Gabhart never disappoints. The Song of Sourwood Mountain took me back to when I fell in love with the novel Christy by Catherine Marshall. Gabhart captures the Appalachian people and lifestyle in a beautiful, yet realistic way. Mira, a schoolteacher, has tough decisions to make. I love how she grows throughout the story into someone who depends on God and embraces her circumstances with hope. Gordon, a preacher, has a kind and caring heart and loves the people he serves. And I love Ada June and Bo, they bring depth and delight to the story. This is a beautiful story of faith and hope. You'll fall in love with the characters and want to spend more time with them. I received a free copy. Opinions are my own.

I loved this book! It was a great read! I couldn't put it down and I wished it kept going. The characters are likable, the plot line moves easily, and the author does a great job describing the setting and situations.

The story begins with an outrageous marriage proposal from an old classmate that leaves Mira speechless! Gordon feels that the Lord is calling him to marry Mira and take her with him to his mission in the Appalachian mountains. The mountain children desperately want a teacher so they can learn to read. Mira just happens to be a teacher who just lost her job!

Mira knows she doesn't love Gordon but love can grow from respect. She takes a leap of faith, leaves everything she knows behind, and moves to the backwoods. She must learn the ways of the mountain people; their speech, customs and cooking on an open fire. On the way she experiences love, loss, heartbreak, prejudice, and ultimately, joy.

I loved the characters of The Song of Sourwood Mountain. Mira, Gordon, Miss Nicey Jane were unforgettable. I wanted to wrap Ada June in a big hug to comfort her.

This book reminds me very much of the classic book, Christy, by Catherine Marshall. Similar setting but different in many other ways. This was a clean romance and one that I will let my teenager read.

Almira Dean has just found out that her teaching position has been eliminated. That bit of news comes right after she finds out her landlady wants her room to give to a niece. A former classmate has come to town to promote the mission back in the Appalachians where his church is. He asks Mira to marry him and come back into the hills with him to teach at the mission school.
Ann H Gabhart has created a lovely story about the backwoods people of the Appalachians and their lives in the early 1900s. This particular novel is one that is one of the more enjoyable books I have read this year. What begins as a marriage of convenience becomes a truly loving union. Some of the children in the book are favorite characters. The feels I had for Ada June were just too much at times. She was alone in the world and was moved from pillar to post. She spent most of her time outside in the woods or in a cave. When Mira and Gordon offer her a bed to sleep in and regular meals, she begins to blossom in ways that are most rewarding. Mira has a loving touch for all the children in the area and wants only the best for them--even the most misbehaved ones.

The Song of Sourwood Mountain is populated with the churchy busy-bodies and the recalcitrant husbands who go through life just trying to live. Most of these people don't have two pennies to rub together, but somehow they make life work. These people are not afraid to work hard and keep goods stored up for the lean times. The one telling point in their lives was the way they cared for others in need. It was a beauty to watch the way they worked together.

The book is easy to read and digest, but more importantly it is engaging to the reader. Five Stars, Two Thumbs up and a bluebird of happiness to sing outside your window.

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

First - thank you Revell Publishing for this ARC of The Song of Sourwood a mountain.

A great read of a sweet story. The story is as much about the people in Sourwood as the main couple.

The star is Ada June a child in need of a family. This is a feel good story that makes you care about all of the characters. I highly recommend.

I just reviewed The Song of Sourwood Mountain by Ann H. Gabhart. #TheSongofSourwoodMountain #NetGalley

I reviewed this book for the Historical Novel Society, and per their policy, I cannot post the review until after it's published on their website on May 1st. I will update it then.

An audacious proposal!

New-to-me historical fiction romance author Ann H. Gabhart takes readers back in time to the Appalachian mountains and introduces us to her main character, Mira Dean, who is suffering from a broken heart.

Five years ago Mira lost her fiance to tuberculosis and has allowed her dreams of marriage and children to die along with him. She plods along in a mundane life as a school teacher in Louisville, Kentucky and is content with her lot. When a childhood friend, missionary Gordon Covington, passes through town he proposes a marriage of convenience to Mira and asks her to consider accompanying him to Sourwood to teach the hill children. Indignantly, she refuses.

Suddenly, things go wrong in her life; she loses her apartment and her job. It forces Mira to reconsider her options. Perhaps she was too hasty in rejecting Gordon.

Gabhart’s novel challenged me to see things from a different perspective. Sometimes when things don’t go our way, we get negative. Gabhart wants readers to consider that perhaps the challenges are meant to be in our journey and are part of a bigger picture. I loved seeing Mira’s relationship develop and see that her dreams are within reach, just not in the way she had imagined them. It was good to be reminded of the need for courage in unsettling experiences. Mira’s courage enabled her to agree to follow Gordon and accept his strange request. There’s a spiritual lesson in that for Christians. I welcomed the opportunity to relinquish control; not easy for this control freak! I enjoyed the juxtaposition that became obvious when reading about the harsh existence of mountain life and the warm, welcoming hill folk. I appreciated this spectacular novel that reminded me of God’s timing and plan.

This sweet romance and marriage of convenience is one Christian romance readers will want on their TBR list. Watch for the references to bluebirds!

I was gifted this copy by Revell and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This was a great historical fiction book. I really enjoyed the story and it was very heartwarming. I also really enjoyed the romance.

Living in Louisville, Mira attends church one Sunday and hears a visiting preacher talk about his mountain mission in Eastern Kentucky and realizes the man in the pulpit is a schoolmate from her childhood. Gordon approaches her after the service with a startling proposal. Come to Sourwood, Kentucky to teach in the soon-completed schoolhouse as his wife.

Thinking she would never marry after her intended died about five years ago, Mira wonders if Sourwood is where the Lord wants her to live and work and possibly raise a family of her own with a willing, godly husband. She doubts whether she would accept Gordon's proposal, both to teach and to marry him.

The plot felt during the proposal scene like St. John asking Jane Eyre to become his wife before going to the missionary fields of India, and portions of the novel when Mira arrives in Sourwood are similar to the novel Christy, about another young city woman teaching in a mountain school.

From a Christian perspective, some might not enjoy the confusion of God and Jesus Christ or references to a couple's toddlers dying as heaven needing more angels.

What a great story to become immersed in, and once I was I never wanted to leave.

Ann Gabhart is a master story teller, and this one sure didn't disappoint.

This is a faith based fictional read, and I loved how even though we don't want to do something, God has other plans, and oh how rich our lives become because of him.

We become totally involved in the lives of these mountain people, their language and customs. Some were a bit difficult, but they give a lot when sometimes they have very little!

I loved how they came on the Preacher's wedding night and the very different welcome they give the couple! The children are so hungry for learning, and we are there when the school opens!

Now I hope for more by this author!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Revel, and was not required to give a positive review.

This was a wonderfully sweet story! I loved watching the characters draw close to one another and to God. The back and forth of the story telling between Mira, Gordon, and Ada June was very well done.