Publication Date: May 7, 2024
While the century began with such promise, it is 1910 when Mira Dean’s hopes of being a wife and mother are dashed to pieces. Her fiancé dead from tuberculosis, Mira resigns herself to being a spinster schoolteacher—until Gordon Covington shows up.
No longer the boy she knew from school, Gordon is now a preacher who is full of surprises. First, he asks Mira to come to Sourwood in eastern Kentucky to teach at his mission school. Second, he asks her to marry him. Just like that. And all at once the doors that had seemed firmly shut begin to open, just a crack.
With much trepidation, Mira steps out in faith into a life she never imagined, in a place filled with its own special challenges, to serve a people who will end up becoming the family she always dreamed of.
From the pen of bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart comes a heartwarming story of the unexpected blessings that can come when we dare to follow the Lord’s leading.
Spinster schoolteacher Mira Dean leads a predictable life until a proposal from a former classmate serves as a catalyst for change.
Author Ann H. Gabhart delivers a beautifully written historical romance featuring new beginnings in The Song of Sourwood Mountain.
Preacher Gordon Covington is convinced that Mira would not only be a suitable wife, but a perfect schoolteacher for the Sourwood community. Mira isn’t quite as sure, but a series of events puts her on a train to the hill regions of Kentucky.
Her new life offers opportunities she thought she would never experience. The remote Sourwood community is close-knit, following customs that a “brought in” person like Mira might not understand.
The author skillfully weaves in those customs, such as a serenade for the newlywedded couple, which serves up a strong dose of humor. There’s a focus on the simple things in life.
The characters bring the story to life, especially young Ada June. As the school opens and Mira brings formal education to the community, friendships are made and close bonds forged. Through it all, Gordon remains steadfast in his role as Mira’s husband. Trusting God’s plan serves as a key theme.
The Song of Sourwood Mountain highlights the story of a courageous woman who embraces a new life filled with wonderful possibilities.
Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of many novels, including In the Shadow of the River, When the Meadow Blooms, Along a Storied Trail, An Appalachian Summer, River to Redemption, These Healing Hills, and Angel Sister. She and her husband live on a farm a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Ann enjoys discovering the everyday wonders of nature while hiking in her farm’s fields and woods with her grandchildren and her dogs, Frankie and Marley.
