I think I've read all the packhorse librarian books that have come out in the last few years but Along a Storied Trail might be my favorite of all! This is my first Ann Gabhart book and I can't wait to read more. She does such an amazing job of drawing you into this story and the lives of Tansy's friends and family. All the characters are just wonderful and I love all the faith and wisdom sprinkled in. I even jotted a few quotes down because I loved them so much.

5 stars for sure! Great Christian fiction that is clean and wonderfully written.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 1 June 2021

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

This was a well-written and entertaining book about people living in the hills of Kentucky during the Great Depression. A group of women were chosen to be packhorse librarians, taking books and magazines to folks living up in the mountains, as part of a government program. The job is perfect for bookworm Tansy Calhoun and she takes her job seriously. No matter how horrible the weather, Tansy makes her rounds to those on her route.

One of the people on her route is Perdita Sweet, otherwise known as Aunt Perdie. Perdie surely doesn't live up to her last name. In fact, "Her trouble is she's been contrary so long she doesn't know how to be any other way." As Perdie sits in her cabin without much in the way of firewood or food, she prays that God will bring her someone to be family. Soon, a young woman, beaten and bruised and cold, appears on her doorstop, obviously pregnant. "A person needed to be careful what they prayed for"

Tansy meets a writer from NYC who is in the area collecting tales and stories to write a guide book about the mountains. Tansy is taken with Damien Felding and wonders if he might be like one of the handsome heroes of the books she reads. Thinking above herself, her father often accused. But, Tansy discovers that a young man from her past, Caleb Barton, is back home after a stint in the Civilian Conservation Corps. His brother was killed in a freak accident and his mother expects him to do as the Bible says and marry his brother's widow.

The author has done a wonderful job of intertwining these characters into a great story, full of hope and love in spite of the conditions they are forced to live in. There is plenty of inspiration throughout the book that reminds the reader that God is always with us. "The Lord ain't one to hold our sins against us if we ask forgiveness and aim to do better." She obviously knows and loves the area and it shows in her beautiful descriptions.

By the end of the book, most of the characters have found their own unique kind of happiness. As Aunt Perdie says, "I am confoundedly content. The way the Lord can bring blessings out of hard times can confound a body for certain." This book was provided courtesy of Revell through Interviews and Reviews.

Thank you Netgalley and Revell Books for the gifted book!

Tansy Calhoun loves books, so when she got the opportunity to become a packhorse librarian, she of course relished the opportunity. But being a bookwoman means more than just going her routes and delivering books. It means getting intricately connected in the lives of those she is investing her time in. And when the winds of circumstance change the trajectory of life for several individuals on Tansy's route, including Tansy herself, they are all faced with what love, family, and being mountain people means.

I really liked this story and how seamless it weaved in faith and Biblical truths. The characters weren't just expository preaching through their dialogue to the reader like some lesser Christian novels do, rather they were living out their faith and doubts in light of their Biblical knowledge and it felt very sincere. I also thought the story felt true while also ending in a nice bow, which I always appreciate. I do love a happy ending.

This novel was a heartfelt tale of family, community, and love. Being able to follow the characters as they navigate the difficulties of the hard winter, as well as hard relationships. Although the writing was at times simple, or the flow of the story was a bit choppy, I still very much enjoyed it! Tansy is a loveable character, as she sticks to her wits while respecting the customs that she was brought up with. One of my favourite characters has to be Perdita - with her fiery attitude, she has a heart that burns bright and cannot help but let people in.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC!

I've always been ensorcelled and captivated by stories about packhorse librarians, and Ann Gabhart's book, Along a Storied Trail, is no exception.

Tansy Calhoun, a packhorse librarian during the Great Depression, not only tenderly cares for the books she carries, but also for the people to whom she distributes.

Several people make up the story's cast of characters. One of my favorite characters is "Aunt" Perdita. Her aunt title is honorary, as she appears to be the honorary aunt to everyone, despite the fact that she’s seemingly not a true aunt to anyone.

I was thrilled to read and learn about the Federal Writers' Project and the Civilian Conservation Corps, which were both New Deal projects during the Great Depression. Look into the programs and the packhorse librarians if you have the opportunity. It's an intriguing period in American history.

Gabhart's books are consistently enjoyable to read. I appreciate her research and commixture of faith with scriptural truths. She has a rare talent of being able to write across multiple genres, and each book is unique and gratifying to read.

Along a Storied Trail is a wonderful story of community, faith and friendship.

I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

During the Depression, the Works Progress Administration put thousands of people to work with special projects. In this story, we follow Book Woman Tansy Calhoun who served as a packhorse librarian. The program was created to promote literacy in rural areas. What an intrepid group of women who formed these library teams! Tansy is a local, as most packhorse librarians were, and a young, unmarried woman who wonders if her chance at love has passed her by.
With the untimely death of his brother, Caleb comes back to the hills to take care of his family. He had been away working in the Smoky Mountains for the Civilian Conservation Corp. Once sweet on Tansy, Caleb is delighted to learn she's still single.
We also follow the stories of spinster Perdita Sweet and unwed mother-to-be Coralee. These two are tossed together as an unexpected pair.
Before you think this is just a romance story, set those thoughts aside. This story digs into the value of the packhorse program and the importance of community.
Thanks to Baker Publishing for providing me an ARC in exchange for a review in my own words.

ansy Calhoun is a packhorse librarian who delivers books to the people of Owsley County Kentucky during the great depression. She has lived on these mountains her whole life. Although still young, she is past the age most girls marry in these parts. Her and Caleb were good childhood friends, but Tansy always thought he was interested in her sister. After being away for several years, Caleb is back and their friendship picks up where it left off. Then there is a government writer who comes in to interview the people of the mountains and record their stories. Tansy is infatuated by him, but is the real person for her the one who has always been there. Someone who shares the same past and the same interests, that lives there in the mountains that she calls home?

Aunt Perdie lives in the mountains by herself. She's lived her life alone and rather likes it that way. At least most of the time. When a young girl in need shows up at her doorstep Aunt Perdie opens up her heart and home and brings the girl in as family. When tragedy strikes and Aunt Perdie loses her home to a fire, her and the young girl go to live with Tansy and her family. Aunt Perdie thinks she knows all the answers and knows exactly which man Tansy should choose.

I loved the book so much! The dialect, the characters and the storyline were all perfect. It was fun and entertaining and had me chuckling outloud a few times. I would love to read more about these characters and really hope the author chooses to do a sequel!

Thanks to Revell Reads for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I give it five stars

I am convinced that author Ann Gabhart cannot write a bad book. Her talent and gift shine through once again in this beautiful tale. I was whisked away to join the horseback librarians and those they served. Set in the Great Depression in Appalachia, this is the story of Tansy Calhoun, a WPA packhorse librarian. Tansy delights in delivering and sharing books to those up in the hills and other areas of her county. The terrain is hard and some of the people even harder, but Tansy faithfully fulfills her duty.

Unique and quirky characters make this a captivating book. The author has done extensive research and always manages to teach me things through her brilliant novels. Each offering seems to be better than the last and worthy of the big screen.

I highly recommend this riveting book. It is filled with wisdom, folklore, inspiration, history, and sweet romance. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Along a Storied Trail
by Ann H. Gabhart
Pub Date 01 Jun 2021
Revell
Christian



I am reviewing a copy of Along A Storied Trail through Revell and NetGalley:



Tansy Calhoun is a Kentucky packhorse librarian who doesn’t mind the rough trails and long hours as she serves her Appalachian mountain community during the Great Depression. But she has the desire to find the kind of love the heroines in her books find. When a charming writer comes to town, she thinks she might have found it, or has the right man been closer than she thought.




Perdita Sweet has called these mountains home for so long she's nearly as rocky as the soil around her small cabin. It was long ago she thought she could love but when the object of her affection up and married someone else, she stopped giving too much of herself away to others.





As is often the case it's easier to see what's best for others than to see what's best for oneself, and Perdita knows knows who Tansy should choose. But she does not know why anyone would listen to the advice of an old spinster.




I give Along A Storied Trail through five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

I always enjoy a good book about the horseback librarians and this one did not disappoint. It's hard to imagine the trials they went through to deliver books and how much the people appreciated them. Tansy was a great character with choices to make. Our patrons will enjoy this book.

Along a Storied Trail is very much like "The Waltons." which I grew up watching and loving!

The mountain people were so fun to get to know and learn their stories.

The writing wasn't my absolute favorite but it was very fitting to the story. The story line was cute and I was very interested in the traveling librarians. I absolutely loved learning about that part of history!

I must confess I did not have time to finish the story before the review was due. But I'll definitely be finishing it soon!



**I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own. A positive review was in no way required.**

Similar in concept to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (2019)—packhorse librarians with challenges on their mountain routes. Gabhart’s book has a faith element that is hopeful and fits what I have come to expect from her. This is a good read.

I always look forward to reading each and every story penned by Ann H. Gabhart. The timeline of this one is during the Great Depression set in an Appalachian Mountain community called Booneville in Kentucky about the packhorse librarians. A book was never better titled than this one as you really do get to ride along a storied trail as you join Tansy on her book route.

Tansy Calhoun, one of the packhorse librarians, is our main character who has a passion for reading and sharing that passion with others. This is a dream job to her, as she truly loves taking the books to the readers on her route. The packhorse librarians creed is similar to that of the postal service except due to safety concerns not only for themselves but for their mule or horse were home by dark. Nothing ever went to waste as magazines and books that were damaged beyond repair were cut up and made into reading/teaching stories for children. Recipes and quilt patterns were collected by the librarians from women on the librarian’s routes and made into small pamphlets to be passed around from home to home.

The banter between the characters was some of the best I have ever read. I laughed out loud and cried too. One of my favorites was Aunt Perdie praying to God “But it would be nice to have somebody to sit with me by the fire.” A few moments later a young pregnant woman, beaten, bruised, and 1/2 frozen knocks on her door. After Aunt Perdie gets her settled by the fire she remembers “Hiram used to tell her a person needed to be careful what they prayed for.”

Cannot rave enough about the character development in this story from beginning to end. Everyone always asks me who is my favorite. Hands down it is Perdita Sweet aka Aunt Perdie even though she was actually nobodies aunt and to most people not sweet. However things can happen both bad and good to change a person’s outlook on life. I recommend you read this wonderful story and you will see why I chose Aunt Perdie as my favorite.

Bless you Ann H. Gabhart for writing this story, allowing us to ride with Tansy along her book route, meet all of the wonderful people who live around the community of Booneville and view the beautiful mountain scenery.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell via NetGalley for Interviews & Reviews.  I was under no obligation to write a favorable review.  All opinions are my own.

Another fabulous book by Ann Gabhart is Along a Storied Trail. This book will bring you with a lovely story to the hills of Kentucky, in a village called Appalachia. That name corresponds quite a bit to the name of the horse race: Appaloosa. Horses, then, have everything to do with this book. The main character, Tansy Calhoun is a riding librarian, at least she helps her fellow villagers by bringing books so they can read and not necessarily think about all the troubles that happened to them during the Great Depression. But Tansy hopes that eventually she too will find the love of her life, just like in the books she brings around. As a newcomer settles into the village, Tansy finds out that everything is not as simple as it seems. Is the man she hopes for closer than she thinks? And then you have Perdita or aunt Perdy, an old spinster who likes nothing better than to interfere with Tansy's choice. Is Perdita's choice also Tansy's choice?

This book was great to read. Ann Gabhart is truly a storyteller and she does it very well. I loved reading how the characters were formed and how Tansy does make her choice in the end. It was really nice to read how wise Perdita was even though she was a spinster. The faith alone did not come out very well in it. But overall is this a book that will not let you go easily.

This book has everything that a historical romance needs to have. If you loved The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow from Kim Vogel Sawyer or Wonderland Creek from Lynn Austin, then is this book definitely a match for you!

I love old Spinsters who are wise and kind of sassy! This book was so sweet and funny and just heartwarming! I loved it! I'm new to Ms. Gabharts books but I will be reading more after this! It was neat to read about a packhorse librarian! Makes you thankful to live in the 2000's!

I wrestled with this book. I really enjoyed it, but at the same time it was hard because it's pretty similar to books I've already read on this time period with the book deliveries. I do have to say though that I enjoyed the romance!

I knew I was going to like this newest book by Ann Gabhart just by reading the synopsis (that plus I love everything she writes). What an interesting tale set in the hills of Eastern Kentucky in the 1930’s, when the mountain folk were either friendly or quirky. And no one more quirky then Aunt Perdie – I loved watching her gruff exterior get peeled away, and become “confoundedly content”. This story is about Tansy, one of the amazing packhorse librarians who traveled the hills not only delivering reading materials, but were often the only people some of these mountain folk saw for days. Tansy would read to them, share tales, and was a true friend to the people. I especially enjoyed her friendship with Caleb and sweet Coralee.

I received a copy of this book from the Baker Publishing Group through NetGalley and was under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I always look forward to a new book by this author knowing I will read an informative historical book.
I have read most of her books over the years and have learned a lot about the customs of the people,their dialect,types of foods they eat,etc.
There have been quite a few books out about packhorse librarians in the past several years and this is the best I have read as far as feeling the authenticity of the situation.
The author's books are always very well researched, you feel as though you can place yourself in the setting she is writing about.
You can feel the despair these mountain people have but yet they keep going on, they are strong and have a strong faith that will bring them through their troubles.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a fun story about a packhorse librarian in rural Appalachia in Kentucky during the Great Depression. These librarians were hired to ride out into the very rural areas and bring books for people to read to inspire literacy. It was part of a WPA program funded by the US Government to give people job opportunities. Tansy Calhoun is a packhorse librarian and loves the opportunity to bring books to the people in her area. She helps these people in other ways because she becomes involved in their lives. But she must choose between her faithful first love and an interesting outsider who has come into the area to write about the area for another job project. There is so much rich detail here about the life and times of these people in rural Kentucky.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion