These Healing Hills
About
"A fascinating and beautifully crafted story."--Virginia Smith, bestselling author of The Amish Widower
Francine Howard has her life all mapped out--until the man she loves announces his plans to bring home an English bride from war-torn Europe in 1945. Devastated, Francine seeks a fresh start in the Appalachian Mountains, training to be a nurse midwife for the Frontier Nursing Service.
Deeply affected by the horrors he witnessed at war, Ben Locke has never thought further ahead than making it home to Kentucky. His future shrouded in as much mist as his beloved mountains, he's at a loss when it comes to envisioning what's next for his life.
When Francine's and Ben's paths intersect, it's immediately clear that they are from different worlds and value different things. But love has a way of healing old wounds . . . and revealing tantalizing new possibilities.
"Ann H. Gabhart captures a fascinating slice of Appalachian history in this tale of a mountain midwife and a soldier, bringing it to life as only a native Kentuckian can."--Laura Frantz, author of A Moonbow Night
"Ann Gabhart combines vivid descriptions, meticulous research, and a deep understanding of the human heart to create a story that will linger in readers' memories long after the last page is turned. This is a book to savor, not just once, but over and over. A true keeper."--Amanda Cabot, bestselling author of A Stolen Heart
Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of Angel Sister, Small Town Girl, Love Comes Home, Words Spoken True, and The Heart of Hollyhill series, as well as several Shaker novels--The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted. She lives with her husband a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Learn more at www.annhgabhart.com.
Endorsements
"Reading These Healing Hills is like wrapping up in a beloved quilt and stepping back in time. Ann H. Gabhart captures a fascinating slice of Appalachian history in this tale of a mountain midwife and a soldier, bringing it to life as only a native Kentuckian can. Poignant and romantic, witty and wise, with enduring spiritual truths, this is my favorite novel of hers to date."
Laura Frantz, author of A Moonbow Night
"What a wonderful story! Filled with true-to-life characters (including some four-footed ones) and fascinating historical details, These Healing Hills is a beautifully written, heartwarming story of life in the Appalachian Mountains at the end of the Second World War. Ann Gabhart combines vivid descriptions, meticulous research, and a deep understanding of the human heart to create a story that will linger in readers' memories long after the last page is turned. This is a book to savor, not just once, but over and over. A true keeper."
Amanda Cabot, bestselling author of A Stolen Heart
"Ann H. Gabhart delivers a rich tale set in Kentucky's Appalachian Mountains at the close of World War II. Francine buries the painful loss of the man she loves beneath the difficult work of a frontier nurse midwife. The mountain people touch a place deep in her heart, and she gladly sacrifices the life she always wanted in order to serve them. But can she ever be truly happy among the hills and hollows where modern medicine often gives way to ancient folk cures? These Healing Hills is a fascinating and beautifully crafted story that I highly recommend."
Virginia Smith, bestselling author of The Amish Widower
"You are sure to enjoy this endearing story of love lost and found in the enchanting hills of Kentucky."
Jan Watson, author of the Troublesome Creek series
The Author
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© Memories by Chris Ann H. Gabhart
Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of many novels, including The Song of Sourwood Mountain, In the Shadow of the River, When the Meadow Blooms, Along a Storied Trail, An Appalachian Summer, River to Redemption,...
Continue reading about Ann H. Gabhart
Reviews
"Gabhart paints an endearing portrait of WWII Appalachia in this enjoyable tale about two people trying to find their place in the world and discern what it means to truly be home. . . . Gabhart handles the Appalachian landscape and culture with skill, bringing them to vibrant life."
Publishers Weekly
"Humor, grace, and, of course, romance give the characters life and breath, and the message of faith is gently organic and sincere."
RT Book Reviews
"Based on the actual Frontier Nursing Service (FNS), which still serves parts of rural Kentucky, Gabhart's latest is a sweet historical romance set near the end of WWII that brings readers into the heart of the hills where Francine's traveling midwifery practice shapes a tale rich with themes of healing and identity. The tenacity and stalwart bravery that Gabhart so skillfully instills in her female lead in this rugged, heartwarming read are to be admired."
Booklist
"This novel vividly re-creates the world of postwar Appalachia. The compelling story line resonates long after the last page is turned."
Library Journal