Historical Fiction Review: Along a Storied Trail by Ann H. Gabhart

Book Description:
Kentucky packhorse librarian Tansy Calhoun doesn't mind the rough trails and long hours as she serves her Appalachian mountain community during the Great Depression. Yet she longs to find love like the heroines in her books. When a charming writer comes to town, she thinks she might have found it--or is the perfect man actually closer than she thinks?

Perdita Sweet has called these mountains home for so long she's nearly as rocky as the soil around her small cabin. Long ago she thought she could love, but when the object of her affection up and married someone else, she stopped giving too much of herself away to others.

As is so often the case, it's easier to see what's best for others than to see what's best for oneself, and Perdita knows who Tansy should choose. But why would anyone listen to the romantic advice of an old spinster?

My Review:
Ann H. Gabhart has a way of bringing the mountains of eastern Kentucky to life. I enjoyed her story of packhorse librarian, Tansy Calhoun, as she traversed the hollows and hills of the mountain. Tansy treasured her books more than anything. So much so, she chose to be single until she found a love to measure up against her stories. When an old friend returns home and a new fellow arrives from New York City, Tansy has to sort through her idea of the man she’s meant to marry. There are three romances in Along a Storied Trail, each one charming and enjoyable. At first, I wasn’t sure about Perdita, but by the end of the book I found her a delight. If you’d like to get lost in a great story, read Along a Storied Trail. As a former library worker, I admire the packhorse librarians and their tenacity and determination to deliver books to all the folks on the mountain, no matter the weather. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks for Music!

Psalm 95:1-2

Come, let us sing joy to the Lord;
            let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and
            extol him with music and song.

Raise a hallelujah!

In the fall of 1975, I joined several other 18 and 19 year-olds on the campus of Kentucky Christian College. Fresh out of high school, we prepared to join the ranks of freshmen in higher education. I knew a few of my fellow classmates and met a slew of new friends. We gathered at least twice a week for campus worship, where we heard preaching and raised our voices together in praise. One song touched our class more than any other, It is Well With my Soul. To this day it's my all-time favorite hymn.

Fast forward 40 years—several from our class gathered for a reunion. What a joy to meet with these longtime friends. We ate and chatted, then had a time of worship. And guess which song we all wanted to sing. It is Well, because even after all these years, we know whatever life brings, our souls rest in the Lord.

The words of the hymn may seem old fashioned, but they translate into peace, hope, and joy for our troubled souls today. With all the grief, frustration, discontent, doubt, and temptation, God is still watching out for us. Jesus still offers grace and salvation. The Holy Spirit still lives and breathes in the souls of Jesus' followers.

When I feel down, I plug into music that praises the Lord, and then I sing like nobody's listening. I'm thankful for the music written to praise the Lord, whether a psalm, a hymn, or a contemporary piece. Thank you, Lord for musicians.

Come before him with thanksgiving and song!

Historical Fiction Book Review: The Librarian of Boone's Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Book Description:
A traveling librarian ventures into the mining towns of Kentucky on horseback—and learns to trust the One who truly pens her story—in this powerful novel from the best-selling author of A Silken Thread.

During the Great Depression, city-dweller Addie Cowherd dreams of becoming a novelist and offering readers the escape that books had given her during her tragic childhood. When her father loses his job, she is forced to take the only employment she can find—delivering books on horseback to poor coal-mining families in the hills of Kentucky.

But turning a new page will be nearly impossible in Boone's Hollow, where residents are steeped in superstitions and deeply suspicious of outsiders. Even local Emmett Tharp feels the sting of rejection after returning to the tiny mountain hamlet as the first in his family to graduate college. And as the crippled economy leaves many men jobless, he fears his degree won’t be worth much in a place where most men either work the coal mine or run moonshine.

As Addie also struggles to find her place, she’ll unearth the truth about a decades-old rivalry. But when someone sets out to sabotage the town’s library program, will the culprit chase Addie away or straight into the arms of the only person who can help her put a broken community back together?

My Review:
As a former librarian, I enjoy the stories of these brave souls who ventured into the mountains to deliver literature. In The Librarian of Boone's Hollow, Addie's life is opened to a whole new world she never imagined. Set in the time following the Great Depression, Addie takes the only job she can find. I love the Kentucky mountain setting and variety of characters. Addie, Bettina, and Emmett venture into a time where they need to rely on God and one another, even when they think they can't. I love how the author brings out important issues and effortlessly weaves them into the story. Her writing offers hope. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.