This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee.
Well, at least God had enough confidence in her to send her off with a drumroll - the wind moaned anew - or . . . maybe it was the beginning beat of a death march.
~from page 56 of The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham
Can their hearts overcome the darkness of the mountains?
To escape a forced marriage, Cora Taylor travels from England to the Blue Ridge Mountains in search of her brother, who is working as a teacher in a mission school. She hopes to find a place where her nursing skills and independent ideas will be accepted and appreciated, but nothing prepares her for the wild mixture of isolation, community, brokenness, and hope within these mountains . . . or in the person of Jeb McAdams.
Returning from the devastation of World War 1 emotionally damaged, Jeb McAdams struggles against the rampant mountain alcoholism to soothe his nightmares. It's easy to hide within the mountains, or it was, before Cora Taylor arrived. Now, she seems to show up at every turn, bringing her modern ideas, curiosity, and beautiful eyes with her.
Bound by their shared war history, the pair develop an unlikely friendship, which unexpectedly hints to something more. But when Cora's desire to help the women of the mountains crosses an unspoken line, will Jeb be able to protect this feisty flatlander from the wrath of the mountain men or will he end up losing much more than his heart?
The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your e-reader.
*Find a snippet, short and sweet.
*Post it, and share in the Linky.
***************
October 1919
Running away from an arranged marriage to the wilds of the Blue Ridge hadn't gone as Cora Taylor expected. Of course she'd anticipated a remote world, perhaps even a step back in time, but utter destitution was another thing altogether.
~From the beginning of The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham
Book Beginnings on Fridays is hosted by Rose City Reader.
*It's Book Beginnings on Fridays! Time to gather with our fellow book lovers and share the opening sentence (or so) of the books we are reading this week. Or share from a book that is on your mind right now -- whatever catches your fancy.
***************
First Line Fridays is hosted at Reading is My SuperPower
*Share the first line or two of the book closest to you, then visit other FLF participants.
*Please keep posts family friendly or clean reads.
*Link back to Reading is My SuperPower within your post or grab a button.
©2008-2022 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.






I wonder why she ran. Gotta be a good reason. Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteYou're the second person that I've seen recently talking about The Heart of the Mountains. I'm going to have to read it!
ReplyDeleteStop by and see what I'm reading!
Loved Pepper’s book!
ReplyDeleteMy first line comes from Heirlooms by Sandra Byrd:
March 1958
Helen Devries carefully removed her nurse’s cap, fluffing her platinum , back combed bouffant, crackling the Aqua Net laquering it in place.
Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteI’m just starting Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham, so I’ll share a line from there.
“For the entire afternoon, I waited for a summons to meet with Mrs. Vanderbilt, but the fateful moment never came.”
I hope you have a good weekend!
Between the Pages was a wonderful book! Hope you love it as much as I did!
DeleteI'm looking forward to reading this one!
ReplyDeleteMy first line is from A Need to Protect by Susanne Dietze: https://daniellegrandinetti.com/2022/07/15/a-need-to-protect/
Hope you've had a great weekend!