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The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham - Cora Taylor is not nearly as prepared as she thought when she arrives in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She had left England in order to avoid a forced marriage, planning to use her nursing skills to assist her brother in the mountains. She faces danger and suspicion right from the start, and in her first few days nothing seems to go right. With the help of Jeb McAdams, she is able to connect with her uncle, the preacher, and she prays that she'll learn how to fit in and be of service to the people, and that they'll accept her.
Jeb has come home from World War I with nightmares and fears, and a determination to not fall victim to alcoholism as he works through it. He's both exasperated and fascinated with Cora and her stubborn but generous ways. Jeb does his best to keep his distance from Cora when he realizes that local gossip could hurt her reputation and put her in harm's way, but their paths continue to cross - especially since Cora's brother Jonathan is married to Jeb's sister Laurel.
Cora and Jeb's friendship leads to some sparking, but her place in the mountain community is precarious once gossip spreads, and Cora insists on offering help to an outcast which brings even more danger right to her doorstep. Can Jeb keep her and those within his household safe until tempers cool?
Although a standalone, this story is follow-up to Laurel's Dream, in which Jonathan Taylor first comes to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The two stories mirror each other in a sense, with the Taylors bringing modern ideas and new ways of doing things into the remote mountain community, even though they both are running away from the expectations of their British father. Both must find ways to reconcile with life and reality on the mountain, and to see the beauty and goodness beyond the hardships and superstitions of the mountain people. Each finds friendship and love in the McAdams family, and those friendships are sweet and genuine, and inspire courage, faith, and personal growth. The endearing personalities and their struggles are captivating, and the setting feels homey despite the hard conditions.
From the publisher:
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?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
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