Coming from a long line of mountain midwives, Ashley is torn between her dream of attending medical school and her guilt for abandoning the women who depend on her.“Expertly crafted and filled with mystery and intrigue . . . sure to delight historical romance fans.” —Sarah E. Ladd, author of The Weaver’s Daughter, on A Stranger’s SecretFor nearly two hundred years, women in Ashley Tolliver’s … Secret
For nearly two hundred years, women in Ashley Tolliver’s family have practiced midwifery in their mountain community. She dreams of advancing her skill set, but attending medical school would mean leaving the women to whom she has dedicated her life, the mountains she loves, and the awakening of her heart.
Ashley Tolliver has tended the women of her small Appalachian community for years. As their midwife, she thinks she has seen it all. Until a young woman gives birth at Ashley’s home and is abducted when Ashley tries to take the dangerously bleeding mother to the nearest hospital. Now Ashley is on a mission to find the woman and her newborn baby before it’s too late.
Hunter McDermott is on a quest to track down his birth mother. After receiving more media attention than he could ever want for being in the right place at the right time, he receives a mysterious call from a woman claiming to be his mother. Hunter seeks out the aid of the local midwife in the mountain town where the call originated. He believes she is the only person who can help him discover his family background.
Ashley isn’t prepared for Hunter’s entrance into her world or how he affects her heart and her future. He reignites dreams of starting her own family—dreams she cast aside in favor of earning her medical degree and helping her community. But is it commitment to her calling or fear of the unknown that keeps her feet firmly planted in the Appalachian soil? Or is it something else—fear of her growing feelings for Hunter—that makes her hesitant to explore the world beyond the mountains?
more
Fun and suspense!
Not knowing anyone from the back woods of West Virginia, I enjoyed this rare glimpse into the lives and situations that the communities in these areas still face today. I was fascinated by the glimpses into a modern day mid-wife life and the prejudice and unpredictability of it. The mystery aspect kept me turning pages, eager to know if everything would turn out alright. I rooted for so many of the characters and gained an appreciation for a culture that I rarely hear about. Don’t let the cover fool you. This is a great book!
Very unusual story line. Presented adoption and some of the challenges adoptees face. It is not always perfect and easy to accept.
A good, clean, informative, & enjoyable read. I gave it 4 stars because there wasn’t a closing for some situations.
I feel that I learned a lot about a people and a culture I knew little about. The Appalachian people were proud and loyal to their heritage.
A story to learn and grow from. Really enjoyed it.
I just finished this book this morning and I was totally engaged in the story. It had drama, some scary parts, and inspirational besides. A very good read, especially for nurses, midwives, and other caregiver sorts.
I am a native of the Appalachian Mountains. I found this book to be very true to the region and its people. This book was entertaining as well as informative, especially to those interested in “mountain lore”.
Great read couldn’t put it down!
This was a beautiful read. Ashley is another generation of midwives in her family in the Appalachian Mountain town. She has a late night visitor a young woman who’s water broke and a gentleman with her. She has never seen this young woman before at her practice and she is very worried about what could go wrong since she thinks she under 18. She has some complications and so Ashley tries to get her to hospital and they take off. Hunter saves a young girl while out of the country and makes the world , when he gets home he has a message from a woman claiming to be his mother an he confronts his parents about it and find out he is adopted by a woman in the same area that Ashley lives, and actually Ashley’s grandmother delivered him. He comes to the area to find her and with it is told to get help from Ashley and they find a lot of interesting things along the way to finding love.
one of the BEST!
It was a good story, with a bit of a mystery mixed in. Enjoyed reading it. It seems to be part of a series, but was easy to read even if you hadn’t read the others in the series.
Very intriguing. The abuse was unbelievable. So glad she was able to get out of the cult and make a life for herself and her family. Can’t imagine the amount of therapy a person would need to recover
I could relate to this story very well, and I enjoyed the writing style very much.
Very well written story! Great development of both plot and characters.
I am not good at writing reviews-but—
This book captured my interest more than most. I read a lot and some books hold my interest more than others. I liked the characters, the info on what midwives know and are allowed to do. Ashley had a heart for people and Hunter’s story kept things moving. It is just one of my favorite books. The author did her research and I like her style of writing.
Didn’t want it to end.
Good book could have been better. Needed some editing.good story should be more on plots in it and less on other things.
I really found it hard to put this book down once I started reading it, it became just as if I knew the characters in it and had to see how they were doing in their circumstances,there were some surprises I was not expecting,but kept it interesting
Interesting