An Appalachian Summer, by Ann H. Gabhart, 2020, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

An Appalachian Summer

An Appalachian Summer is a heartwarming story set in the 1930s. Piper, at the ripe old age of 20, has just finished two years of college, and is now a debutante. Her father has matched her up with someone who will provide her a good life with everything she wants.

Trouble is, she doesn’t love him. She is still in love with her childhood friend, although he seems to have backed out of her life since his father died and his family lost everything.

Piper doesn’t care for the rich life of parties and afternoon teas, and being served. She takes after her aunt, a woman who refuses to settle for what’s expected of her. Her aunt introduces her to Mrs. Breckinridge, who runs a midwife service in the Appalachian mountains. Piper suddenly decides to join this organization for the summer as a courier. Little does she know what she’s in for.

Piper is an experienced horse rider, and most of her assignments have to do with running errands on horseback. But that’s the easy part. Soon she finds herself encountering men with guns, milking a cow, helping deliver babies, plucking a chicken and more.

She has come here to get away from thinking about settling into marriage, but she cannot get away from it at all. There are interesting developments and twists, but I won’t give them away.

This story reminded me of my own young life, when after a year of college I went away for a summer to work in a remote area here in Canada. I didn’t encounter such scary extremes, but I was a city girl working with country people of a different culture. Definitely a life-enriching experience.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for writing this honest review.

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Linley Valley Forest Trail, Nanaimo

Linley Valley Forest Trail, Nanaimo, is a refreshing naturalized area to come to when you need to blow the cobwebs out of your head.

If you like sampling berries as you walk, go here for a stroll. These huckleberries, thimble berries, and small wild raspberries are out now in July. Salmon berries are ripening, and next month there will be blackberries. My dog, Bear, and I went this week, and I had a berry feast!

Linley Valley Forest Trail is in the centre of the city of Nanaimo. I parked in a new residential development at the peak of Rutherford Road, where there are signs at the entrance to the trail. Dogs on leash. Use poopy bags (provided there, alongside a garbage can). A map of the area. Facts about the flora and fauna. The trail by this lily pond even has illustrated story boards along the way, about a bird who went for a walk with her friends. Cute.

We started mid afternoon, strolling and feasting slowly for an hour or two. On the way back I was glad to rest on a bench by the pond as the sun lit up the trees and undergrowth in golden shades. Couples, singles, children and families came out with dogs of all kinds on leashes. A boy on a bicycle called his dacshound named Ava, just as a family with a little girl named Ava approached. Must be a popular name these days. I’ve noticed there are more ‘Ada’s around too. When I was growing up I hated my names, Pearl Ada, because nobody I knew had those kind of names. And there was funny old Aunt Pearl on the Beverly Hillbillies. How embarrassing! I’m glad these old-fashioned names are making a bit of a comeback. Now I like mine. And I’ve become Aunt Pearl and I like that too.

It’s another new favourite place for me. Maybe we’ll run into each other there sometime. Hope so!