These Healing Hills by Ann H. Gabhart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love Ann Gabhart’s stories! This one didn’t disappoint.
Ann takes us into the backwoods of the Appalachian Mountains in 1945 with the Frontier Nursing Service. We ride along with Nurse Francine Howard as she learns to “catch babies” and bring medical assistance to people who still live a very hand-to-mouth lifestyle. Danger comes in many forms, from getting lost to swollen rivers to trigger-happy moonshiners. But the most dangerous to Francine’s heart is a very handsome mountain man come back from the war.
As with her Shaker books, Ann brings her characters to life without making them stereotypical “hillbillies.” The characters are varied, engaging, and easy to relate to. You’ll feel like you’ve known them for years by the end of the book.
Published by Pegg Thomas
Pegg Thomas lives in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with Michael, her husband of *mumble* years. She creates American stories with real history and fictional characters inspired by her ancestors who immigrated here in the mid-1600s.
Pegg won the 2019 FHL Readers’ Choice Award for novellas, was a double-finalist for the 2019 ACFW Carol Award for novellas, and a finalist for the 2019 ACFW Editor of the Year. She was a finalist in the 2021 FHL Readers’ Choice Award for novellas. Pegg won the 2022 Selah Award for historical romance and placed 2nd with her second entry. She was also a finalist for the 2023 Selah Award and placed 2nd for the 2024 Selah Award. Pegg spent 3 ½ years as the managing editor of Smitten Historical Romance.
When not writing or editing, Pegg can be found in her garden, her kitchen, or sitting at one of her spinning wheels creating yarn to turn into her signature wool shawls.
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