Sunday, February 10, 2019

MY HEART BELONGS IN THE BLUE RIDGE by Pepper Basham, Reviewed by Winnie Thomas

Pepper Basham takes the reader on an eye-opening cultural trip to the backwoods of Appalachia in 1918 in her novel My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge: Laurel’s Dream. 
Capturing the speech of the locals and the adventures awaiting the outsiders who dare to venture there, the author painted such a vivid picture that I was transported and felt like I was plopped right down with Teacher into the setting. The colorful characters came alive on the page and traipsed right into my heart. Laurel McAdams, who wants to become a teacher, and Jonathan Taylor, who has taken a teaching job in the Blue Ridge Mountains but wants to become a doctor, are the main characters in this captivating tale. Jonathan has no idea about the adventures that are awaiting him—mountain lions, polecats, and wary parents, along with a beautiful, courageous heroine.

Brimming with wit and charm and full of Basham’s sense of humor and beautiful prose, this book is one for the keeper shelf. Themes of trust, faith, the importance of family, and the power of love are woven seamlessly throughout the book and add to the journey into this intriguing world. I’m hoping there will be additional stories about some of the other characters in the future.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing/NetGalley. All opinions are my own. 

SEE WHAT KIM AND SUSAN HAD TO SAY ABOUT THIS NOVEL!

BackCover Blurb:
Journey into the Blue Ridge Mountains of 1918 where Laurel McAdams endures the challenges of a hard life while dreaming things can eventually improve. But trouble arrives in the form of an outsider. Having failed his British father again, Jonathan Taylor joins is uncle’s missionary endeavors as a teacher in a two-room schoolhouse. Laurel feels compelled to protect the tenderhearted teacher from the harsh realities of Appalachian life, even while his stories of life outside the mountains pull at Laurel’s imagination. Faced with angry parents over teaching methods, Laurel’s father’s drunken rages, and bad news from England, will Jonathan leave and never return, or will he stay and let love bloom?

Available in digital ebook and paperback:
Buy My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge at Amazon
Buy My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge at Christianbook.com

Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

1 comment:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Share This Post

How Our Giveaways Work: The Official Rules

We, the ladies of Inkwell Inspirations, would love to give free stuff to everybody. Since we can't, we will often have a giveaway in conjunction with a specific post. Unless otherwise stated, one winner will be drawn from comments left on that post between the date it was published and the end of the giveaway as determined in the post. Entries must be accompanied by a valid email address. This address is used only to contact the commenter in the event that he/she is the winner, and will not be sold, distributed, or used in any other fashion. The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. NO PURCHASE, PLEDGE, OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Pinterest