
AUTHOR: Ann H. Gabhart
DATE: 2021
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: ****
From the back cover:
Kentucky packhorse librarian Tansy Calhoun doesn't mind the rough trails and long hours as she serves her Appalachian mountain community during the Great Depression. Yet she longs to find love like the heroines in her books. When a charming writer comes to town, she thinks she might have found it--or is the perfect man actually closer than she thinks?
Perdita Sweet has called these mountains home for so long she's nearly as rocky as the soil around her small cabin. Long ago she thought she could love, but when the object of her affection up and married someone else, she stopped giving too much of herself away to others.
As is so often the case, it's easier to see what's best for others than to see what's best for oneself, and Perdita knows who Tansy should choose. But why would anyone listen to the romantic advice of an old spinster?
My review:
Like a once-familiar song, the cadence of Appalachia—part of the charm of this story—took me some time to reconnect with, but within the first chapter the lilts enchanted me once again.
The beautiful and often harsh Appalachia setting makes itself an important character, molding the actions of the other, human characters. I have not yet had the privilege of visiting this area, but author Ann H. Gabhart brings it to life.
Tansy makes a compelling heroine, strong yet unsure of herself. Her determination to fulfill her responsibilities inspire me. Perdita’s journey, both bitter and sweet, adds a plethora of emotions to Along a Storied Trail.
Tansy’s two possible suitors, although unequally matched, added depth and hope, while other characters like young Coralee make me hope for a sequel.
I enjoyed Along a Storied Trail and award it four stars. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher.