John Ward, Preacher (Unabridged‪)‬

John Ward, a stoic Calvinist preacher, marries free-thinking, kind-hearted Helen Jeffries. They are deeply in love. John is so taken with his new wife that when he discovers they have opposing views on religious doctrine, he tries to lovingly and gently lead her to the "truth". Helen, strong in her convictions, refuses to alter her beliefs, instead soothing her husband's worries with her loving words and actions. However, a tragedy in their small impoverished lumber town puts her beliefs in the spotlight, causing the elders of Ward's church to push Ward to "bring her to a realizing sense of her condition before proceeding to any extreme measure."

With a cast of unforgettable characters and endearing sub-plots, this story is alternately a lively comedy of manners juxtaposed with deep questions of place and purpose in a changing world.