Bound by duty and guilt, John Mitchell moved home to run the Mitchell’s Triple M cattle ranch and take care of his family after a tragic accident left his youngest brother with a traumatic brain injury. Picking up the pieces of his shattered family hasn’t been easy and he doesn’t have time for anything that might upset the uneasy balance he’s holding on to. When his mother’s relentless search for … for healing for her family, pushes John out of his comfort zone, he meets physical therapist Jill Morgan. Immediately at odds with what he believes is Jill’s intrusion into his family’s problems, he is determined to stop her from causing any more pain for his family. But as he spends time with Jill, he begins to realize that maybe she isn’t going to hurt his family, but bring healing to them all.
After experiencing her own heartaches, Jill Morgan has dedicated her professional life to providing therapy to traumatic brain injury patients. When she initially meets the Mitchell family, she can’t shake the feeling that God is telling her to help them. She begins to wage a battle to admit John’s brother, Ben to the elite therapy program at her hospital. Expecting his family to be thrilled at the prospects of Ben being awarded one of the coveted spots in the program, she is shocked when she is confronted by a gruff and protective John Mitchell.
Determined to prove to the tall, taciturn, cowboy that he is wrong about her and her therapy techniques, Jill throws herself completely into Ben’s rehabilitation. Only when Ben doesn’t respond the way she had imagined, and she gets to know the cowboy behind the rough exterior, Jill begins to think that maybe God’s plan was for her to help both brothers.
John hasn’t allowed himself to feel anything but guilt for years. He doesn’t think he deserves happiness, but after getting to know Jill, he knows he can no longer deny the feelings he has for her. Convinced that if Jill knew the truth behind his role in his family’s tragedies, she would hate him, John must decide whether or not to risk his heart for a chance at happiness. And when heartache threatens to strike the Mitchell family again, John must decide if there is room in his life for both Jill and his responsibilities to his family and their ranch. He must decide if the burden he carries from the last four years is a mountain worth trying to moving.
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Review of “A Mountain Worth Moving”
A Christian Fiction Novel by Amanda Mason
“A Mountain Worth Moving” is a novel filled with energy and tension. It is one of those books that once you pick up to begin reading, you have a hard time putting down, and once you finish it, you wish it hadn’t ended.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when Amanda Mason contacted me via email and asked if I would be willing to read and review her book, which she briefly described as a Christian Fiction Novel.
I said “Yes” because I enjoy reading Christian Fiction, yet not knowing really what I was in store for as I had never heard of Amanda before. However, upon receiving a complimentary paperback copy of “A Mountain Worth Moving” from her, I was intrigued. Though her book was self-published, the cover had a very nice look and feel to it and as I leafed through the pages it looked very well laid out and I was anxious to begin reading.
The novel is a story of the Mitchell family who own and live on one of the largest ranches in Northern Montana.
As the story unfolds the reader is introduced to John Mitchell and his two younger brothers Jamie and Ben. John, takes over management of the ranch after his brother Ben suffers a crippling injury and his father, Red, passes away suddenly. John has an overwhelming responsiblity trying to deal with running the ranch, plus dealing with the guilt he feels regarding his brother Ben’s accident. John is sure he caused Ben’s tragedy but he can’t admit it to anyone and so it eats away at him daily causing him to bury himself in work as a way to deal with it.
John’s mother, Pattie, has her hands full caring for Ben, while trying to deal with the grief she is experiencing from losing her husband, and trying to help John run the ranch.
John’s brother, Jamie is no help as he seems to be either drunk or gone, leaving his new wife Amber, home alone frantic with worry and always calling upon John for help.
The story is filled with surprises, heartache, and many emotions as this family interacts with each other trying to keep their faith in God, yet growing weary of the constant pressures and setbacks they experience daily.
When John meets Ben’s pretty therapist, Jill, who is sure God has told her to help Ben, even though she feels there is nothing she can do for him physically, John finds himself falling in love with her, but because of his guilt and heavy workload, he can’t allow himself to commit to a lasting relationship with her and this causes more heartache for both he and Jill.
You will be pushed and pulled by this book as each page causes you to wonder what will happen next in this family drama. You will admire their faith and fortitude, as you are saddened by their grief and guilt. You will long for a peaceful happy ending, yet wonder if it is possible.
If you are looking for a page turner that will capture your heart and increase your faith, this is a book you will surely want to read.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
All comments are my own.
A moving debut novel
Debut author Amanda Mason has written a moving account of a family torn by grief after an accident that leaves the youngest son with a traumatic brain injury.
I’m sure I had never considered what it would be like to have a brain injury; looking out at the world and seeing and hearing what is going on, yet unable to participate. Unable to communicate. As I read about Jill working with Ben, trying to communicate with him, I was deeply touched and had a glimmer of what it might be like.
The Mitchell family is broken, and while John Mitchell has been doing his utmost to hold it together, his best efforts have not been enough. The spiritual journey he undergoes to learn to lean on God and discover he has been forgiven is poignant.
Jill’s broken family has caused her grief yet her faith remained strong and was a testimony to those around her. I was encouraged by seeing how even through her own pain she shone in such a way that touched others.
If you enjoy Christian fiction of a more serious nature, I encourage you to give A Mountain Worth Moving a try. I am looking forward to reading more books from this author.
Read my review of A Mountain Worth Moving by Amanda Mason at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.