Christmas on Harmony Hill

Christmas on Harmony Hill
Ann H. Gabhart
Revell Publisher 
Fiction, Romance

It is 1864 and the nation is still torn apart by civil war when Heather Worth discovers she is with child. She has been working as a laundress with her husband's army unit, but when the army gets orders to march south to Tennessee, Gideon insists Heather go home to have their child under safer conditions. Heather agrees, but returns home to another kind of devastation--deaths in the family and a father who refuses to forgive her for marrying a Yankee. With nowhere else to turn, Heather seeks refuge at the Shaker village of Harmony Hill, where her great aunt Sophrena lives. There, after many peaceful years at Harmony Hill, Sophrena is having doubts about her Shaker path. Both women are in need of love and forgiveness--whether given or received. With Christmas coming, can the miracle of new life fill their hearts with unexpected joy? 

Ann H. Gabhart's many fans will be thrilled to return to Harmony Hill at Christmastime for this stirring story of healing and hope.

I've read a number of Gabhart's books and she is an excellent author. The problem with that is high expectations, this book did not even come close to meeting my expectations. I kept hoping it would improve, it never did. The plot left a lot to work with and I was looking forward to the storyline. It was, sadly, a big yawn fest. There never was a crux, in fact, the story unraveled after chapter 2 and it never got back together again. I am a fan of this author so I will for sure be picking up more of her books. I will not, however, be keeping this book to read again. 

My thanks to Revell Publishers for providing me witha  free copy of this book in exchange for my real and honest review. 

The Gifted

The Gifted
Ann Gabhart
Revell
Historical Romance
Available July 2012

Jessamine Brady has been in the Shaker Village for half her young life, but in spite of how she loves her sisters there, she struggles to conform to the strict rules. Instead she entertains dreams of the world outside. When Tristan Cooper seems to step out of those dreams to entice her into the forbidden realm beyond the Shaker Village, her life turns upside down.

Will Jessamine be able to survive the storms of the world? Or will she retreat back to the peace of Harmony Hill?

Ann Gabhart is an author I always enjoy reading. She has a way of making history and different cultures come alive. I always find her Shaker books particularly intriguing. I was excited to dive into The Gifted.  Jessamime as a character has quite a lot of depth and as a reader I felt her very real struggle. Tristan lacks depth at the beginning but gains it as the story moves along.

For some reason this book wasn't a favorite of mine. There was a lot of Shaker theology in the book and it ended up making me a little uncomfortable. Hearing so much about "Mother Ann" seemed to take away from the story. I am definitely walking away with a much better understanding of the Shaker faith, I'm just not sure that's what I was looking for.

Either way Gabhart is an excellent story teller who will grip you right away. Her characters are real and well developed and the underlying story of Jesus throughout is always beautiful. The way the characters long for something more is so true of how God is always gently wooing his children.


I received this book from Revell Publishing in exchange for my honest and real review.