The Heart of the Mountains
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4.4 • 36 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Can their hearts overcome the darkness of the mountains?
To escape a forced marriage, Cora Taylor travels from England to the Blue Ridge Mountains in search of her brother, who is working as a teacher in a mission school. She hopes to find a place where her nursing skills and independent ideas will be accepted and appreciated, but nothing prepares her for the wild mixture of isolation, community, brokenness, and hope within these mountains…or in the person of Jeb McAdams.
Returning from the devastation of World War 1 emotionally damaged, Jeb McAdams struggles against the rampant mountain alcoholism to soothe his nightmares. It’s easy to hide within the mountains, or it was, before Cora Taylor arrived. Now, she seems to show up at every turn, bringing her modern ideas, curiosity, and beautiful eyes with her.
Bound by their shared war history, the pair develop an unlikely friendship, which unexpectedly hints to something more. But when Cora’s desire to help the women of the mountains crosses an unspoken line, will Jeb be able to protect this feisty flatlander from the wrath of the mountain men or will he end up losing much more than his heart?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This rousing historical from Basham (The Mistletoe Countess) follows an English nurse in training as she begins a new life in Appalachia after WWI. Cora Taylor cannot stomach the thought of marrying the "withered-hearted pansy of a man" her father has chosen for her, so she flees London for the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to start a new life. Upon arriving, she meets former soldier Jebediah McAdams, whose simple demeanor and thoughtfulness endear him to her. The two grow closer, but when they come across an unconscious, badly injured woman on the side of the road, Jeb recognizes her as a prostitute and refuses to help, still stinging from false rumors about him sleeping with "kept women." He relents after Cora notes that it's a "very real Samaritan moment," and the two nurse the woman back to health and offer her a second chance at life. Basham's smart take on the good Samaritan parable testifies to the resilience of the human spirit and the mysterious workings of heavenly wisdom: "God had a way of placing beauty in the most surprising places." The result is an inspiring tale about living in harmony through God's love.
Customer Reviews
Wonderful historical fiction!
Maybe we can’t choose our hard, but I reckon we can choose how to live with it the right way.
Ponder on God’s truths and good memories to counteract the bad ones. The Great War is over, but the memories do not disappear as quickly for those who survived. Jebediah McAdams returned without his best friend and nightmares that would not go away. Skilled in working with wood, he drowned his troubles in carving and building.
Cora Taylor, a volunteer nurse, returns from the front to an arranged marriage that she will never consider. Running away from England to the wilds of the Blue Ridge might seem a little over board, except for her brother at the other end. Wow - how different life would be did not even enter her imagination. I must admit, the incredible detail made me want to run away as well.
This fabulous early copy was received through Barbour Publishing, NetGalley and CelebrateLit. These thoughts and impressions are my own and are just the beginning of the mark that this book has made on my life!
Page Turner
Well I didn’t realize there was another book before this one. So I will have to read it next. Although I think I have a good idea now of what happened in the first book, this book was still a lovely read on its own. This story was a page turner. There was a never a dull moment with so much drama from beginning to end. The main characters were so wonderful, and you can help but love them from the beginning. I especially love the Christian context, the talk of grace, and the gift of salvation found in these pages. I love that this book was fun, yet also held meaning. An amazing read!