{"id":12736,"date":"2012-08-16T21:45:33","date_gmt":"2012-08-17T02:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=12736"},"modified":"2012-08-16T21:45:33","modified_gmt":"2012-08-17T02:45:33","slug":"angel-of-the-cove-by-sandra-robbins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=12736","title":{"rendered":"Angel of the Cove by Sandra Robbins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/span> book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Today’s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sandra Robbins<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

and the book:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Angel of the Cove<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
Harvest House Publishers (August 1, 2012)<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

***Special thanks to Ginger Chen of Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Sandra Robbins <\/strong>and her husband live in the small college town in Tennessee where she grew up. They count their four children and five grandchildren as the greatest blessings in their lives. Her published books include stories in historical romance and romantic suspense. When not writing or spending time with her family, Sandra enjoys reading, collecting flow blue china, and playing the piano.<\/p>\n

Visit the author’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Anna Prentiss wants to be a nurse, but first she has to spend a summer in Cades Cove apprenticing to the local midwife. Anna is determined to prove herself\u2026but she never expected to fall in love with the Cove. Has God\u2019s plan for Anna changed? Or is she just starting to hear Him clearly?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/object><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Product Details:<\/p>\n

List Price: $13.99
\nPaperback: 304 pages
\nPublisher: Harvest House Publishers (August 1, 2012)
\nLanguage: English
\nISBN-10: 0736948848
\nISBN-13: 978-0736948845<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/span> <\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Mountain air was supposed to be cool. At least that\u2019s what she\u2019d always heard. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Anna Prentiss couldn\u2019t be sure because she\u2019d never been this far into the mountains before. But if truth be told, they still had a fair piece to go before they reached the hills that rolled off into the distance.<\/span><\/p>\n

The narrow dirt road that led them closer to those hills twisted and bumped its way along. The June heat had dried out the winter mud in this part of Tennessee and produced a dust that threatened to choke her, roiling up and around the buggy. Anna covered her mouth with the lace handkerchief her mother had tucked in her dress pocket and sneezed. The smudge left on the cloth made her wonder what her face must look like. <\/span><\/p>\n

She glanced at Uncle Charles, her father\u2019s brother, who sat beside her on the leather seat of the buggy. Perspiration had cut meandering, dusty trails down his cheeks, but he didn\u2019t appear to notice. His attention was focused on trying to avoid the holes that dotted the road. <\/span><\/p>\n

She wiped at her face once more before stuffing the handkerchief back in her pocket. It really didn\u2019t matter what she looked like. There was no one to see her. The only living creatures she\u2019d seen all day were some white-tailed deer that had run across the road in front of them and a fox that had peered at her from his dusky hiding place beside the road. In front of them trees lined the long roadway that twisted and turned like a lazy snake slithering deeper into the mountain wilderness. She\u2019d come a long way from the farm in Strawberry Plains. <\/span><\/p>\n

A twinge of homesickness washed over her. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. The uneasy feeling lingered a moment, but with a determination she\u2019d only recently acquired, she banished thoughts of those she\u2019d left behind to the spot in her heart where her grief lay buried. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just then the buggy hit a hole, and Anna grabbed the seat to keep from bouncing onto the floorboard. Uncle Charles flicked the reins across the horse\u2019s back and glanced at her, his spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose. Wispy gray hair stuck out from underneath a black hat. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHold on. These roads can be a little rough. We had a hard winter up here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Anna nodded, straightening herself on the buggy seat and studying her uncle\u2019s profile. How many times had he ridden this way to take care of the mountain people he loved? He looked every bit the country doctor. His smooth hands, so unlike her father\u2019s work-roughened ones, gripped the reins tighter as he grinned at her. <\/span><\/p>\n

The corner of his mouth curled downward when he smiled, just as her father\u2019s had always done. That was the only similarity she\u2019d ever seen in them, though. Uncle Charles used to say he got the brains and Poppa got the brawn. When she was a little girl, she wondered what he meant. But she knew no matter what it implied, the two brothers shared a bond like few she\u2019d ever seen. And they were the only ones who\u2019d ever encouraged her to follow her dream of becoming a nurse. <\/span><\/p>\n

Anna took a deep breath and inhaled the heavy, sweet smell that drifted from the forests on either side of the road. She turned to Uncle Charles. \u201cI\u2019ve been noticing those white flowers that look like shrubs growing along the road. What are they?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThose are our mountain rhododendron,\u201d said Uncle Charles. \u201cThere are also pink and purple ones. Sometimes in the summer you can stand on a ridge and look across the mountains at the rhododendrons blooming, and it looks like somebody took a paintbrush and colored the world. It\u2019s a mighty beautiful sight.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Anna swiveled in her seat again and looked at Uncle Charles. \u201cThank you for working out this trip for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A grin tugged at his mouth. \u201cHow many times would you say you\u2019ve thanked me today?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot enough yet.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

A sudden breeze ruffled the straw hat her mother had given her, and Anna grabbed the wide brim. After a moment she released it and pulled the handkerchief from her pocket again. Grasping it with both hands, she twisted the cloth until it stretched taut between her fingers. \u201cI hope I don\u2019t disappoint Mrs. Lawson.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t take his eyes off the road but shrugged. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t worry about that. She\u2019s been delivering babies in Cades Cove for a long time, and she\u2019s glad to have an extra pair of hands. It\u2019ll be good experience before you leave for nursing school in the fall.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The old anger rose in Anna\u2019s throat. \u201cOnly if Robert agrees.\u201d She spit out the barbed words as if they pierced the inside of her mouth. \u201cWhy does he have to be so selfish?\u201d She clenched her fists tight together. Ever since their father\u2019s death Robert had assumed the role as head of the family, and he took his responsibilities seriously. Too seriously, if you asked Anna. He never missed an opportunity to tell her how their father wasn\u2019t around anymore to cater to her every whim. The first time he\u2019d said that she felt as if he\u2019d shattered her heart. The pieces had never mended as far as her relationship with him was concerned. But if things went as planned, she would soon be free of his authority.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want you to be angry with your brother, Anna. You may not understand his reasons, but he\u2019s trying his best to be the head of your family. He\u2019s still young and has a lot to learn, but he loves you and wants what\u2019s best for you.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Anna crossed her arms and scowled. \u201cAll he wants is for me to stay on the farm and marry somebody he<\/em> thinks will make a good husband.\u201d Anna shook her head. \u201cWell, that\u2019s not what I<\/em> want. Poppa promised me I\u2019d be able to go. Robert has no right to keep that money hostage.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know. Your father would have been so proud to know you\u2019ve been accepted.\u201d Uncle Charles\u2019s shoulders drooped with the sigh that drifted from his mouth. \u201cTry to see it from his perspective. You\u2019ve led a sheltered life on the farm, and Robert feels like you aren\u2019t ready for what you\u2019ll see and have to deal with in a big hospital in New York. You think you\u2019ll be able to assist injured and dying people, but it\u2019s different when you\u2019re right there with somebody\u2019s life in your hands. If you find you can\u2019t do it, then Robert is out the money for your tuition, not to mention travel and living expenses.\u201d He cocked a bushy eyebrow at Anna. \u201cAnd he doesn\u2019t need to be wasting money that can be put to good use on the farm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know. He\u2019s told me often enough.\u201d Anna smoothed out her skirt and straightened in her seat. \u201cI\u2019m just thankful you came up with a plan that Robert agreed to. Spending the summer with Mrs. Lawson ought to prove I have the grit to handle New York.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRemember you\u2019ll need a good report from Granny Lawson.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Anna smiled. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry about that. I\u2019m going to listen to her and do everything she tells me, no matter how distasteful I think the task is.\u201d She clenched her fists in her lap. \u201cWhen I board that train for New York in the fall, it will all be worth it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Uncle Charles shook his head and chuckled. \u201cI\u2019ll leave New York and all its hustle and bustle to you. I prefer to spend my time right here in these mountains.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Anna let her gaze rove over the trees on either side of the road. \u201cStill, maybe you\u2019ll come visit me someday. I can show off the maternity ward!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He flicked the reins across the horse\u2019s back. \u201cI\u2019ve read a lot about that ward. First one in the country. You\u2019ll be fortunate to work there. But don\u2019t forget you may see a lot of babies born this summer while you\u2019re at Granny\u2019s cabin. And there\u2019s not a better place in the world to learn about nursing. She can teach you things you would never learn at Bellevue. Listen to her and do what she says and you\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Anna nodded. \u201cI will.\u201d Her hat slipped to the side, and she reached up and straightened it. \u201cI really can\u2019t thank you enough, Uncle Charles. Everything\u2019s coming together just the way I planned it, and nothing\u2014not even Robert\u2014is going to stand in my way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Uncle Charles sucked in his breath and directed a frown at her. \u201cNothing? We can only follow the plan God has for us, Anna.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She settled back on the seat and cast her eyes over the hazy hills in front of them. \u201cBut that is<\/em> God\u2019s plan for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how do you know?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s what I\u2019ve dreamed about all my life. God\u2019s never tried to change my mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe you\u2019ve never listened to Him.\u201d Uncle Charles stared at her a moment. \u201cLike I said, pay attention to what Granny says. She\u2019ll teach you how God uses those He\u2019s chosen to take care of the sick. It isn\u2019t all done with medicine, Anna. A lot of my medical successes\u2014and Granny\u2019s as well\u2014have come about after a lot of prayer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The buggy hit another bump, and Anna bounced straight up. As far as she could see, the rippling Smoky Mountains stretched out toward the horizon. A plume of wispy fog hung over the valleys. A strange world awaited her out there. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mrs. Johnson, the owner of the inn where they\u2019d stayed in Pigeon Forge last night, had taken great pleasure in warning her of what she might face in Cades Cove this summer. Anna clasped her hands in her lap and glanced at Uncle Charles. \u201cMrs. Johnson said the folks who live in Cades Cove don\u2019t take to strangers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Uncle Charles nodded. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t surprise me. What else did she say?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Anna took a deep breath and brushed at the new layer of dust on her skirt. \u201cOh, not much. Just that everybody knows it\u2019s a closed society in the Cove, but it doesn\u2019t matter because no sensible person would want to live there anyway. She called the people there a strange lot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Uncle Charles cocked an eyebrow and chuckled. \u201cIs that right? I hope you didn\u2019t believe her. I know every family in the Cove, and some of them are my good friends.\u201d He hesitated a moment. \u201cOf course you\u2019re going to find some who cause problems\u2014just like you would anywhere else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike the moonshiners?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He turned to stare at her with wide eyes. \u201cWhat did Mrs. Johnson tell you about moonshiners?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe said all the men were moonshiners. Are they?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Uncle Charles threw back his head and laughed as if he\u2019d just heard the funniest joke of his life. After a few seconds he shook his head. \u201cNothing could be further from the truth. There may be a few who give the Cove people a bad reputation, but most of the men work too hard to waste their time on such nonsense.\u201d He reached over and patted her hand. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t leave you in a place where you weren\u2019t safe. Mrs. Johnson may run a good inn, but she\u2019s the worst gossip in these mountains.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Anna heaved a sigh of relief. \u201cI guess I\u2019m just a little nervous. I want everybody to like me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey will. Just be yourself and they\u2019ll all love you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Uncle Charles meant well, but doubt still lingered in her mind. Would the people of the Cove accept a stranger into their small community? And if they didn\u2019t, what good could she possibly do in this place?<\/span><\/p>\n

She had to succeed. Her future depended on it. She squared her shoulders. There was no turning back. <\/span><\/p>\n

As the day wore on, they found themselves deeper in the hills. As they did, a slow awakening began to dawn in the deepest corner of her soul. She\u2019d never seen anything as beautiful as the lush growth that covered the vast mountain range. The air now grew cooler, just as she\u2019d expected it to be, and the sweet smell of mountain laurel mingled with the rhododendrons. As her uncle\u2019s horse, Toby, plodded along the rocky trail that grew steeper with each step, she saw the world through new eyes and stared in awe at the wonders of nature unfolding before her.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the last hour she\u2019d sat silent and watched the shallow river that flowed beside the road. The water bubbled over rocks like huge stepping-stones scattered across its bed, and the rippling sound had a lulling effect. She wished they could stop so she could pull off her shoes and wade in the cold mountain stream, but there was no time for such fun today. She turned her attention back to the steep hillside on the other side of the road.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s beautiful here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Uncle Charles glanced at her. \u201cWe\u2019re just about to Wear\u2019s Valley. When we get there, we\u2019ll be close to Cades Cove.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Anna wondered if Uncle Charles was tired of her questions about the Cove. She hoped not. She settled in her seat and said, \u201cTell me more about Cades Cove, Uncle Charles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He pushed his hat back on his head and stared straight ahead. \u201cWell, if you\u2019ve noticed, we\u2019ve been following that stream as the road\u2019s climbed. Pretty soon now we\u2019re gonna reach a place where we turn away from it and head into a flat valley right in the middle of the mountains. That\u2019s Cades Cove. It\u2019s almost like God just took His giant hand and tucked a little piece of heaven right down in the Smokies. The land\u2019s fertile\u2014not so many rocks you can\u2019t farm\u2014and completely surrounded by mountains. You\u2019re gonna love it when you see it, Anna.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow many people live there?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He pursed his lips and squinted into the distance. \u201cI\u2019d say there are about two hundred fifty scattered throughout the Cove nowadays. Some left for town life\u2014better work there, you know\u2014but they\u2019ll never find a place that\u2019s as beautiful as these mountains.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow far is it from Mrs. Lawson\u2019s house to where you live?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He thought for a moment. \u201cIt\u2019s not that far as the crow flies, but it takes me almost three hours going around these roads.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A lump formed in her throat. Now that they were closer, she didn\u2019t want him to leave. She scooted a little closer to him on the bench of the buggy. \u201cWill you stay at Mrs. Lawson\u2019s tonight?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He shook his head. \u201cNo, I\u2019ll have enough daylight left to get home. But don\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll come to the Cove from time to time to check on you. Granny does a good job of taking care of the folks there, but she knows when it\u2019s serious enough to send for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Anna clasped her hands in her lap to keep him from seeing them tremble. The time had come to begin the test. She couldn\u2019t<\/em> fail. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. She dredged up all the determination she could muster. No, she wouldn\u2019t<\/em> fail.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow long before we get there, Uncle Charles?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot much longer. The entrance is up ahead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nMY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anna has wanted to be a nurse as long as she can remember but her older brother is not sure that she has what it takes to go to nursing school in New York City. In order to prove him wrong, Anna agrees to spend the summer in Cades Cove assisting and learning from the local midwife. Her only agenda is to complete the time with a signed letter from Granny Lawson stating that she believes Anna is ready for nursing school. To her surprise Anna finds herself falling in love with the cove and its people, especially Pastor Simon. Despite her growing affection for Simon, Anna is determined to leave for New York at the earliest opportunity. Will she continue with her own stubborn agenda or will she listen to her heart and the plans that God has for her life?<\/p>\n

Angel of the Cove<\/a> is an easy read that brought old favorites like Christy<\/em> and Walton’s Mountain<\/em> to mind. The Appalachian background was the perfect setting and the characters were not the stereotypical ones sometimes found in books with this setting. Details about life in that time period and area were interesting, especially those regarding their medical practices. Interaction and dialogue between characters was perfectly natural which made the characters all the more believable. A perfect blend of drama, humor, romance, and information held my interest until the end. The primary theme seemed to be about letting go of your own plans and allowing God to determine the path for your life.<\/p>\n

I thoroughly enjoyed Angel of the Cove<\/a> and would recommend it. Almost everyone should find something of interest in this story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,34,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-historical","category-romance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12736"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12764,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12736\/revisions\/12764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}