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

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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