Tag: Appalachians

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Along a Storied Trail, by Ann H. Gabhart, 2021, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

Now, this is my kind of a book.

An intrepid Appalachian book woman
Along a Storied Trail

The year is 1937; Tansy is an intrepid Appalachian book woman. She has a government-sponsored job delivering books to remote homes by horseback. We readers get to ride along with her, envisioning the people, their homes, and the scenic, if treacherous, journeys. Treacherous in more ways than one.

Great writing style

Perfect pacing makes Along a Storied Trail pleasant to read. Language sprinkled with colloquialisms adds authenticity. Yet it’s mostly written in present-day standard English so that it’s easy to understand and follow. Gentle suspense and light humour spice it up.

Characters of all ages and kinds

Three romances wind through the tale. Something for every age category–teens, twenties, and even seniors like myself. Some tragedy, some broken love, some delayed love. Some abuse. Disasters with wonderful results. A baby.

In a place and time where couples normally married in their teens, Tansy is practically an old maid at twenty. But she’s independent and happy, although she dreams of meeting a romantic man with ‘aplomb’. Will her dream come true? Or will she make a mistake and choose the wrong man? You can’t judge a book by its cover. Or a man.

This story of an intrepid book woman is the second Appalachian story I’ve read by Ann H. Gabhart. See my previous review of An Appalachian Summer. She’s a best-selling author, and I’ve added her to my list of favourite authors. Find out more about her and her books at www.annhgabhart.com.

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What Momma Left Behind, by Cindy K. Sproles, 2020, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

Do orphan stories tug at your heartstrings? This one is set in 1870s Tennessee, at a time when epidemics of fever swept through remote mountain homesteads, leaving orphans to fend for themselves.

Worie suddenly found herself in this position at the age of 17. Considered a grown woman in the day, she took on responsibility for a string of younger orphans that kept coming to her for help. Unbeknown to Worie, her mother had been bringing food to them before she died.

Though homes were far apart, neighbours knew each other and helped each other. They didn’t have much, but they made do.

Guns were part of life here too, and Worie’s mother had shot herself, for no apparent reason. No sooner had she buried her mother with the help of a neighbour, than one of her older brothers showed up demanding their mother’s treasure, hidden in a jar. Worie chased him off at gunpoint. And this is just the beginning of this adventure-filled story.

Written in first person, using vernacular throughout, Sproles shows us Worie’s life through her own eyes. Her mother’s legacy was truths she learned from the Bible. Initially angry at God, Worie gradually fell back on her mother’s wisdom.

Through this work of fiction, Sproles addresses some of the universal questions of life and death, good and evil. Worie finds peace in God, and forgiveness and purpose.

I cried at the end, and that doesn’t happen often. It’s not all sad though; people find joy in one another in the midst of hardship, danger and injustice, which is the way life should be.