The Song of Sourwood Mountain by Ann Gabhart

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1910 – Kentucky

While the century began with such promise, it is 1910 when Mira Dean’s hopes of being a wife and mother are dashed to pieces. Her fiancé dead from tuberculosis, Mira resigns herself to being a spinster schoolteacher–until Gordon Covington shows up.

No longer the boy she knew from school, Gordon is now a preacher who is full of surprises. First, he asks Mira to come to Sourwood in eastern Kentucky to teach at his mission school. Second, he asks her to marry him. Just like that. And all at once the doors that had seemed firmly shut begin to open, just a crack.

With much trepidation, Mira steps out in faith into a life she never imagined, in a place filled with its own special challenges, to serve a people who will end up becoming the family she always dreamed of.

2 Comments

In this unusual marriage of convenience story, Mira is also encountering a lifestyle that she knows nothing about. But when God blocks her way of life in the city, she follows the lead He provides. “You don’t have a problem, my dear. You have an opportunity.” She marries Preacher Gordon and travels to a backwoods community to become a teacher to children in Sourwood, Kentucky.
Ms. Gabhart is an extraordinary storyteller. She is an artist with words and paints a realistic picture of existence in the hollers of Appalachia in 1910. The little expressions and mountain traditions bring the story to life, the characters are likable, authentic and drew me into the story.
The portrayal of Mira as she dealt with the unknown and as she connected with the mountain folk was well written. You can tell the author has dogs by the way she depicts their behavior. A favorite character was Ada June, a lonely orphan girl who is passed from family to family because she can help with children and chores. After her mother dies, she chooses to speak to a select few. But the tender heart of Mira shows Ada June love and pulls her out of her shell.
This was a memorable story that touched on many emotions and was a very satisfying read.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell on behalf of the author. I was nit required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*

From the suspicious and cantankerous to the grieving and misunderstood, Ann H Gabhart flawlessly pens a character driven story filled with insights into the Appalachian culture of the early 1900s. I felt like I was living with these characters, scaling the Kentucky hills, and struggling with its occupants to obtain food, shelter and warmth. I also came to empathize with the frequent heartache they endured.

This story helped me gain a sense of the vastly different cultures of this time and location. I truly loved sweet, ten year old Ada June and her dog, Bo. Her life, I’m sure, mimicked those true survivors that were cared for by relatives, neighbors and Appalachia itself. The courage she displayed, along with that of Mira in moving to this unknown place and the other brave women dispersed throughout this story, was inspiring and challenging. I enjoyed every minute of this story of God’s providence and grace.

This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

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The Song of Sourwood Mountain by Ann Gabhart