Francine Howard has her life all mapped out until the soldier she planned to marry at WWII’s end writes to tell her he’s in love with a woman in England. Devastated, Francine seeks a fresh start in the Appalachian Mountains, training to be a nurse midwife for the Frontier Nursing Service.Deeply affected by the horrors he witnessed at war, Ben Locke has never thought further ahead than making it … making it home to Kentucky. His future shrouded in as much mist as his beloved mountains, he’s at a loss when it comes to envisioning what’s next for his life.
When Francine’s and Ben’s paths intersect, it’s immediately clear that they are from different worlds and value different things. But love has a way of healing old wounds . . . and revealing tantalizing new possibilities.
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Ann H. Gabhart is a master of her craft. With so many books to read and so little time (well, when I’m not in quarantine ), I tend to stick with authors I’m already familiar with. By taking up These Healing Hills, I took a chance on a new-to-me author and was repaid with a few hours of effortless reading and wholesome entertainment. Gabhart’s words planted my feet in the rich mountain soil of Kentucky. You never knew what to expect while following Francine Howard on her nursing rounds—visiting people of various ages, temperaments, and eccentricities. I laughed, I learned, and I lived in their world for a time. The story never plodded along, but the author did take her time developing her characters and their bonds so as to deliver the maximum impact for her audience. I was extremely satisfied with how the story ended and I look forward to reading An Appalachian Summer (June 2020) as well as exploring Gabhart’s extensive backlist.
I really found myself rooting for young Francine Howard as she began her new career as a baby catcher, or midwife, in the mountains of Kentucky.
The author made those mountains so alive with word pictures that I found myself crossing the creeks, and going over the rocks. Such a great story, with the end WWII we are with the veterans and those left behind. Most of all we meet the mountain people and you will really fall in love with some of these unforgettable individuals.
Will our girl end up loosing her heart to these people and maybe someone else, or will her mother get her way and she will go back home to Cincinnati? How about our young soldier and the responsibilities that are now placed on him, will he take advantage of the GI bill, or stay and help family?
I really enjoyed this story, and made me want to move and live here, but that grass usually looks greener on the other side.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.
These Healing Hills by Ann H. Gabhart takes readers back to 1945 in Hyden, Kentucky. Francine Howard needs to get away from Cincinatti, Ohio before her former fiancé, Seth Miller returns home from the war with his English bride. Fran has a nursing degree, can ride a horse, and looking for an adventure so she signed up for the Frontier Nursing Service Midwifery School in the Appalachian Mountains. It will be a life style change for Fran, but she feels she will be something worthwhile. Ben Locke is returning home from the war. He cannot wait to return home to the mountains, but he has not thought of what he will do with his future. Ben is on his way home when he encounters a very lost Fran. They are immediately comfortable around each other, but they come from very different backgrounds. But Fran feels at home in the mountains and has fallen in love with the people. Is there a chance for a future between Ben and Fran?
These Healing Hills is well crafted novel that has a unique plot. It was interesting reading about the Frontier Nursing Service Midwifery School in Hyden, Kentucky (it still exists) and the services their nurse midwives offer. I liked the characters and the beautiful setting. Woody Locke was my favorite character. He was refreshing and entertaining. Ann H. Gabhart is a descriptive writer which brings scenes to life (especially the mountains and the people who live there), but it also makes for a slower pace novel. I sometimes felt the author was a too verbose. The Christian element is prominent throughout the story and I liked the Christian attitude of the mountain people. I appreciated the spiritual wisdom that Fran’s grandmother (Grandma Howard) imparted on Fran. I am giving These Healing Hills 4 out of 5 stars. My favorite phrase was “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart”. The romance was sweet, but it was predictable. Some of the themes in the story are prayer, friendship, trust, listening to God, believing in God, and a person finding their path or place in life. I did feel that the ending was abrupt and felt incomplete. It would have been nice if the author had included an epilogue. Readers who enjoy rich, historical novels will appreciate These Healing Hills.
Francine Howard has plans to marry after WWII to Seth her lifetime friend but her plans are changed when he writes and tells her he has meet someone else. Francine wants a new start and goes to the Appalachian Mountains to train to be a Frontier midwife. She begins her training when she meets Ben Locke who was injured in the war and sent back to his home in Kentucky. When they meet they know there life’s are so different but they feel a bond. Will they give in to there feelings or will Francine go back to her home and the man she was to marry. one ? This is a wonderful historical fiction about the Midwife Nursing services in the Frontier. Well written and a lovely story. Love the author and the story line.