by admin | May 18, 2019 | Books, Historical, Romance, Shakers
MY REVIEW:
It has been awhile since I read one of Ann Gabhart’s books about the Shakers. I always enjoyed learning about their history and customs in her earlier books. I liked the way she always managed to point out the errors of their religious practices through the story and the experiences of her characters. Once again I thoroughly enjoyed her latest offering.
The Refuge features Darcie Goodwin who feels trapped at Harmony Hill when her husband dies in an accident. She and two other “sisters” share their hopes for being able to live in the outside world again in the future but make the best of things and work hard at the tasks they are given. Two new babies threaten to upset the peaceful life of the community but may actually soften the hearts of more than one leader. The story of Flynn Keller, his young daughter, and his father-in-law is also told as the book progresses and it is interesting to watch as both worlds intersect.
The Refuge has a little of everything I love in a book – plenty of interaction between characters that is both positive and negative, a bit of drama and mystery, a strong emphasis on faith, and of course a bit of romance. I loved seeing their world through the eyes of Gabhart’s characters and found myself hoping for happy endings for all of them. I can truthfully say that I was quite pleased with how everything ended.
Ann H. Gabhart is a very skilled author who brings her characters to life amid vivid settings that spark my imagination. I also must mention the gorgeous cover. Revell’s artists outdid themselves on it. Readers who love historical fiction should pick up a copy, especially if they have not read a book by this author.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Revell. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Can the power of love and the bond of family triumph in a community that cannot accept either?
With the threat of a cholera epidemic at their heels, Darcie and Walter Goodwin join the Shakers, whose villages seem immune to the disease. It’s meant to be temporary, but when Walter is killed in a riverboat accident, destitute Darcie has little choice but to stay with the Shakers. To complicate matters, she is expecting a baby conceived before she and her husband came to the Shaker village. Marital relationships are considered sinful in this celibate community, putting Darcie in a unique–and lonely–position. Can the arrival of widower Flynn Keller and his headstrong daughter offer Darcie the hope of happiness?
Read an excerpt here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several Shaker novels–The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, The Innocent, and The Gifted–as well as other historical novels, including Angel Sister, These Healing Hills, and River to Redemption. She and her husband live on a farm a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Ann enjoys discovering the everyday wonders of nature while hiking in her farm’s fields and woods with her grandchildren and her dog, Frankie. Learn more at www.annhgabhart.com.
by admin | Jul 7, 2015 | Books, Giveaways, Historical, Regency, Romance, Shakers, Speculative, Supernatural
MY REVIEW:
Ann Gabhart takes her readers back for another visit to Harmony Hill where they are treated to an intimate glimpse of life in the Shaker village. The peace-loving residents of Harmony Hill are hard-working folks and many go about their business in a loving manner. Others enjoy forcing their strict rules on new residents with a controlling hand. Still others hide secrets that threaten those who discover them.
I enjoyed Carlyn and Luke’s story even though it was sometimes filled with difficulties and seeming roadblocks. The author painted a portrait of the Shakers in a matter-of-fact way that allows readers to make up their own minds about their unorthodox practices. I came away from the story with the realization that many residents of Harmony Hill were possibly there for similar reasons as Carlyn – they had nowhere else to go but did not necessarily buy into the odd theology. Others may have been deceived but were not actually bad people.
I always find historical fiction of interest and usually learn from it. I liked how well Gabhart seems to have researched her subject matter. I also thought she told Carlyn’s story well with plenty of insight into her thoughts plus enough action, suspense, and romance to hold my attention.
This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
She longs for peace–for her land and her heart–but can it truly be found at Harmony Hill?
Carlyn Kearney has spent two lonely years not knowing whether to mourn or to hope after she receives word from the Union Army that her husband is missing. When the war ends without further word, Carlyn finds herself penniless, in debt, and forced from her home. With nowhere else to go, she seeks refuge at the Shaker village of Harmony Hill.
The Shakers profess peace through simple living, but to Carlyn, the Shaker life seems anything but simple. When mysterious deaths disturb the peace of the village, Carlyn falls under intense scrutiny. Can a kind sheriff help her expose the true culprit?
Bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart invites fans back to Harmony Hill for a story laced with intrigue, romance, and heart.
Read an excerpt from THE INNOCENT.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
by admin | Nov 22, 2013 | Books, Christmas, Historical, Shakers
MY REVIEW:
“Christmas at Harmony Hill” is Ann Gabhart’s Christmas novella with the same setting as her Shaker series. The story primarily features Heather Worth, a young bride during the Civil War who has been able to stay with her husband Gabriel by working as washerwoman for the Yankee troops. As her pregnancy reaches its end, Gabriel sends her home to be with her family because the battlefield is no place for a baby to be born. Heather arrives home to devastating news and finds herself unwelcome to stay. A letter from her mother directs her to Harmony Hill, a Shaker village where she can find help from her Aunt Sophrena. Heather’s arrival seems to be a sign from the Lord to Sophrena who has recently found herself struggling with the restrictions of the Shaker practices.
“Christmas at Harmony Hill” is a short, easily read story that is packed to the brim with historical facts about both the Shakers and the Civil War. More important, it relates those facts through the reactions and emotions of people who experienced that history which makes it much more personal. Through Heather and Sophrena’s experiences, the author tactfully manages to illustrate some of the errors in the Shaker beliefs without obvious finger pointing. It was however, quite interesting to learn more about the Shakers and the story behind their beliefs.
A warm and uplifting tale, “Christmas at Harmony Hill” is a story of forgiveness and reconciliation as well as the importance of family. This is one more book to be added to my Christmas book box.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
She stared up at the Shaker buildings. They took in those in need. That was why she was riding into their village. But she couldn’t stay here. Not forever. They divided families. She’d heard her grandmother speak harshly of the way Shakers didn’t believe in marriage and had special houses where children were kept from their parents.
Heather put a hand over the swell of her baby inside her. Surely they wouldn’t take a newborn from his mother’s bosom. Heather’s mother couldn’t have imagined that happening or she’d have never told her to come . . .
A stirring story of healing, hope, and home at Christmas
It is 1864 and the nation is torn apart by civil war when Heather Worth discovers she is with child. With her husband at the front and nowhere else to turn, she seeks refuge in the Shaker village of Harmony Hill. Amid the tumult of the times, Heather yearns for the peace she sees in this strange community. But can this longing really be fulfilled amid these people with their peculiar beliefs about family?
As Christmas approaches, the joy of new life and the love that is born of forgiveness may hold the answer.
Join bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart for a peek into the world of the Shakers–and the world of the human heart.
Read an excerpt of Christmas at Harmony Hill HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several Shaker novels–The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted–as well as other historical novels, including Angel Sister, Small Town Girl, and Words Spoken True. She lives with her husband a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Find out more at www.annhgabhart.com.
by admin | Jul 7, 2012 | Books, Historical, Romance, Shakers
MY REVIEW:
Ann Gabhart’s latest historical Shaker novel “The Gifted” vividly details life in the Shaker village of Harmony Hill, Kentucky with Jessamine Brady as its central character. A resident of the village since her grandmother’s death when she was ten, Jessamine has become accustomed to their way of life and attempts to live up to their stringent standards. Unfortunately, at times her unfettered curiosity and abundant zest for life put her at odds with the strict group, especially when she rescues a young man from “the world”. When her circumstances change and she leaves the village, Jessamine has difficulty adjusting to her new way of life but she is thrilled to see Tristan again even though prior commitments may not allow them to act on their mutual attraction.
“The Gifted” is beautifully written and reveals a great deal about life among the Shakers. The legalism and deception of their beliefs is evident although related without judgment as an integral part of the story. Of particular interest was the restriction Jessamine felt while living among the Shakers and the guilt she experienced once free of their rules. Her story clearly illustrates the difference between following God or following a form of religion. I easily became involved with her story but wondered until the very end what her final choice would be – stay in “the world” or return to Harmony Hill. I knew the choice I wanted her to make but was afraid that she would not.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Bestselling author Ann Gabhart, most known for her critically acclaimed Shaker fiction, pours her personal experience and story-telling ability into The Gifted (July 2012). Set in 1849 Kentucky, this stand-alone novel follows Jessamine Brady who loves her Shaker brothers and sisters, but longs for life and love in the outside world.
Jessamine has been in the Shaker Village for half her life, but in spite of how she loves her sisters there, she struggles to conform to the strict rules. Instead she entertains dreams of the world outside. When Tristan Cooper seems to step out of those dreams to entice her into the forbidden realm beyond the Shaker Village, her life turns upside down. Will Jessamine be able to survive the storms of the world? Or will she retreat back to the peace of Harmony Hill?
The thousands of loyal fans of Gabhart’s Shaker novels will love this entrancing story of learning to trust the gifts God gives us and let him guide us through life.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several novels, including Angel Sister, The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker and The Blessed. She lives with her husband a mile from where she was born in Kentucky.
Available July 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
