About the Book
Francine Howard has her life all mapped out until the soldier she planned to marry at WWII's end writes to tell her he's in love with a woman in England. 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.
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.
My Review
Four Stars
These Healing Hills was the first book I've read by Ann H. Gabhart and I really enjoyed it! I'd never heard of the Frontier Nursing Service before, so it was really fascinating to learn about them. I loved that this was set in the Appalachian Mountains around the end of World War II. Those are some of my favorite settings and time periods.
Ben and Fran were great leading characters. I instantly liked them both. But there were also so many vibrant and super likeable secondary characters, too. Granny Em, Sadie, Sarge, and especially Woody. (I think he's my favorite character in any book that I've read lately.) I really enjoyed the little nuggets of wisdom and advice from Grandma Howard that Fran would often remember. Even though Fran's grandma wasn't physically there on the mountain with her, Grandma Howard's presence was definitely felt throughout the whole novel. And one of my favorite aspects was how Fran leaned on God and trusted Him so fully.
This was one of those wonderful slow building stories. It started off at a nice and easy pace, but gradually ratcheted up as the story moved along, keeping me fully engaged. There were moments where I found myself chuckling, but it was also full of heartwarming moments, and a few stressful ones, too. It was a very well-balanced story. I highly recommend 'These Healing Hills' for anyone who loves historical fiction.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and comments are my own honest opinion.
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