I loved this story of hope and romance and starting over. I loved Gordon and Mira and Ada June. I enjoyed all the descriptions of the mountains and hollers of Kentucky. I laughed and cried. I could not put the book down. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

This is a Christian romance set in 1910 in Kentucky. I didn't like Gordon at first. He hadn't seen Mira for years, felt God prompted him to talk with her about teaching at his mission school, and then promptly pushed hard on the 'God wants you to marry me and teach at my mission school' without any sort of lead-up or courting. Mira was somewhat interested in the mission school, but she rejected his abrupt marriage proposal. Yet he kept pushing it as an all or nothing deal. Even Mira's landlady pushed her to consider Gordon's proposal. It felt like both had selfish reason (as the landlady felt guilty about having to kick her out and Gordon would get a free housekeeper and schoolteacher).

Mira felt like God closed all the doors locally so she had no choice but to accept Gordon just at the same time Gordon began to realize he'd gone about things wrong. He turned out to be a supportive, loving husband who did his best to make her happy. Both worried that Mira would never return his love. While the story arc was the proposal to Mira deciding if she loved Gordon or not a year later, the real story was more about Mira seeing God's hand in her life through life's blessing and sorrows.

Once they got to the mission, the mountain folk and their customs made the story funny and interesting. Mira got to know the women and children, and we also had the point of view of a wild, 10-year-old orphan girl that Mira reached out to. The historical and cultural details were woven into the story without slowing it down.

The orphan girl was confused about praying to God for people's healing when God took so many of them away from her anyway. There were no sex scenes (though married sex is implied). There was no bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical.

These characters had my heart from the first chapters. Reminiscent of the Christy books, I was drawn into the difficult decisions made to live among strangers, without modern conveniences. The love and maturity shown by the characters is a great testament to their faith. I was encouraged and would love to see a sequel.

I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I can’t think about this story without smiling. It was such a comforting and heartwarming read. At first, I found it a little slow, but then I didn’t want it to end. You come along side Gordon as he boldly follows the calling to be a missionary in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. It’s 1910, and Mira’s options to provide for herself have run out so she accepts Gordon’s outrageous proposal for marriage. It’s inspiring to watch the characters praying for God’s provision, while learning that they were blind to what he already provided. I loved Ada June’s point of view. The whole story reminded me of Christy and Love Comes Softly. The faith element is everything you want in Christian Fiction. The characters turn to God for hope, strength, and sometimes frustration, as they walk through the doors that he opens for them.

The Song of Sourwood Mountain by Ann H. Gabhart
(Southern Historical Romance Set in the 1910 Appalachian Mountains)
While the century began with such promise, it is 1910 when Mira Dean's hopes of being a wife and mother are dashed to pieces. Her fiancé dead from tuberculosis, Mira resigns herself to being a spinster schoolteacher--until Gordon Covington shows up.
No longer the boy she knew from school, Gordon is now a preacher who is full of surprises. First, he asks Mira to come to Sourwood in eastern Kentucky to teach at his mission school. Second, he asks her to marry him. Just like that. And all at once the doors that had seemed firmly shut begin to open, just a crack.
With much trepidation, Mira steps out in faith into a life she never imagined, in a place filled with its own special challenges, to serve a people who will end up becoming the family she always dreamed of.
From the pen of bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart comes a heartwarming story of the unexpected blessings that can come when we dare to follow the Lord's leading.
This is Mira Dean and Gordon Covington's story.
When Mira Dean left her rooms for church on Sunday morning, she had no idea that she would hear a proposal of marriage before she returned for her midday meal.
“I-I don’t know what to say.” Her hazel eyes widened with shock at Gordon Covington’s words. She barely knew the man watching her with what seemed the polite smile of someone who had said nothing more than “Good day.”
Perhaps she misheard him. Surely she had misheard him.
He glanced around at the people lingering in the church and kept his voice low. “I suppose I should not have been so direct.”
“I did not mean to unsettle you, but I have discovered in my time of service to the Lord in the hills of Kentucky that it is nearly always best to plunge forward whenever the Lord prompts me, Miss Dean.”
He not only had said the words, he was implying the Lord wanted him to do so.
I recommend this book.
The Song of Sourwood Mountain by Ann H. Gabhart is a 4 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Ann H. Gabhart.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts are my own

Ann H. Gabhart has a beautiful way of capturing life, people, environment, faith and endurance in her writing. Just paragraphs in and she catches my attention, causes me to believe the characters are real and makes me care for them. She has done this to me now with schoolteacher Mira Dean and missionary preacher Gordon Covington. She shelters them in the heart of Appalachia, describing an area that is rugged, enduring and beautiful with citizens who are the same.
I received an e-copy of The Song of Sourwood Mountain from Revell through NetGalley. This is my unsolicited opinion of the book. The beginning grabbed my attention. It was unusual and easy to believe for the time period. Poor Mira is really in a wild situation. When she gets to Sourwood Mountain she is tagged as a "brought-in woman". I could relate to that as anyone who comes to settle in Maine is tagged as an "out-of-stater". Looks like we all have our idiosyncrasies. There are richly developed characters in this community that Mira and Gordon serve. Ada June is such a character. Her story just pulled at my heart. She is so horribly ill-treated but carries on. The book demonstrates the damage that storytelling and superstitions can bring about.
This is a wonderful story. It deserves more than a 5-star rating. I love it.
A theme for me is what would God allow to point a person toward His will for them?

This was such an amazing read. I finished it about 10 days ago and have read at least 4 other books since then and still - just starting to write this review gives me all the feels again.

I just LOVED the characters. Loved them so much. Mira was so modest and kind, so brave. Gordon was, he was amazing. I loved him more and more every time I read about him. Reading about how he treated Mira, the kids of Sourwood and all the other people there, but especially how he pursued the things he felt God told him to without hesitating just made me smile. I also enjoyed their love story a lot. It was a real marriage of convenience but in contrast to most modern romances with that trope it wasn’t a fake marriage where the main characters fall for each other without wanting to, but a real marriage, a real commitment where especially Mira tries her best to love Gordon - with God’s help. I loved how real that was and how God blessed their marriage because of their faithfulness to Him and to each other.

“But I love the Lord. You love the Lord. I believe he will honor that love, and with a common mission in both our hearts, the Lord will grow love between us as he did so many of those he brought together in the Bible.”

“She pulled in a breath and pushed out the necessary words. “I do.”
Nothing more was expected, but before Reverend Haskell went on with the ceremony, she added, “With the Lord’s help.”
Gordon took her hand in his then. “And I say the same.” “Not a bad addition to the vows,” Reverend Haskell said.”

I also enjoyed most side characters. Like Joseph, Bo (yes, this dog is definitely a character!) or Miss Ophelia who made me laugh quite a few times. I wished she would have moved to Sourwood with Mira so we could have read about her even more.

But Ada June is the real treasure of this book. This girl immediately had my heart and I cried so much for her and the hardships she went through.
For me it would have been a great book without her, but it was an absolutely amazing read with her in it and I loved reading about how she slowly healed, started to trust more and more people and found friends and a family again.

“”Can I call you Mama?” Miss Mira looked surprised but pleased. “Please do, daughter mine.” [...] Her new mama reached to smooth Ada June’s hair away from her face. She picked out a twig and smiled. “But I have to say you smell more like dirt than starlight this time.””

Trusting in God is probably the major theme of the book and I loved watching the different character’s learning to trust God more and especially appreciated the scenes when Joseph or Ada June started to have questions and how Mira and Gordon talked to them about God, faith and prayer.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
(Mira quotes from Proverbs 3: 5-6)

There is a lot of heartache in this book, but also a lot of love and hope and even though I have a lump in my throat just remembering the grief I’ve read about, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was the first book by the author that I’ve read, but I will definitely pick up another book of her’s!

* I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing (Early Reviewers) via NetGalley. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.

In this unusual marriage of convenience story, Mira is also encountering a lifestyle that she knows nothing about. But when God blocks her way of life in the city, she follows the lead He provides. “You don’t have a problem, my dear. You have an opportunity.” She marries Preacher Gordon and travels to a backwoods community to become a teacher to children in Sourwood, Kentucky.
Ms. Gabhart is an extraordinary storyteller. She is an artist with words and paints a realistic picture of existence in the hollers of Appalachia in 1910. The little expressions and mountain traditions bring the story to life, the characters are likable, authentic and drew me into the story.
The portrayal of Mira as she dealt with the unknown and as she connected with the mountain folk was well written. You can tell the author has dogs by the way she depicts their behavior. A favorite character was Ada June, a lonely orphan girl who is passed from family to family because she can help with children and chores. After her mother dies, she chooses to speak to a select few. But the tender heart of Mira shows Ada June love and pulls her out of her shell.
This was a memorable story that touched on many emotions and was a very satisfying read.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell on behalf of the author. I was nit required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*

Ann H. Gabhart is the best at weaving together life in the Appalachian Mountains, faith, and love. The Song of Sourwood Mountain, a fictional historical Christian novel, is the love story of brought-in preacher Gordon Covington and teacher Mira Dean, surrounded by the phenomenal folk of Sourwood. This enthralling story’s theme is to trust God no matter what happens.

Gabhart’s picturesque prose takes her readers back to 1910 Sourwood, Kentucky, luring them to immerse themselves in life in the holler. Imagine the only method of cooking being in a fireplace. Even Mira was shocked. The wonderful women of the holler embraced Mira, offering their wisdom and help. They taught her the art of cooking over an open fire. Even little Ada June pitched in, teaching Mira how to cook cornbread in exchange for book learning before school started.

This heartwarming, heart-wrenching, gripping story will forever remain in my heart. I enjoyed living amongst the mountain folk of Sourwood and was sorry to leave when the story ended.

For readers who fancy historical Christian fiction, I highly recommend The Song of Sourwood Mountain by the phenomenal author Ann H. Gabhart. 

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell via NetGalley through Interviews & Reviews. I was not obligated to write a favorable review, and all opinions are my own.

Mira Dean leaves behind everything to follow an old friend, Gordon Covington, into the Appalachian mountains as his bride.

While there she finds a community unlike any she's know before, and a rekindling of her dreams of a family to call her own. I loved this slow burn romance, filled with a full cast of characters, and strong faith. I loved the themes of hope and giving up control to God. There were so many wonderful characters that captured my heart, and did a great job of showing the mountain way of life.

Gordon is a kind man with a passion for his calling to serve the people of the mountains, I liked that he respected Mira needing time to get used to their new situation, and slowly won her with friendship.

Overall, a wonderful read, and one of my favorites by this author. A beautiful story that wove its way to my heart.


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I adored The Song of Sourwood Mountain by Ann H. Gabhart. A southern historical romance set in the hills of Kentucky was truly heartwarming, pulling me into the lives of these spectacular characters, and making me wish for a sequel in this precious community. It was an absolute treat!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

Ann Gabhart has a way of picking you up and dropping you right there in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. Her descriptions of the holler and its sights and sounds, is spectacular. The way she describes the people and their care of one another makes me want to hug them around the neck or sit down and listen to every word they want to share.

Mira was so brave. When EVERYTHING went wrong in her life she took the only path she could see still open. What a wonderful picture of leaning into God and loving the people He puts into your life.

Gordon listened to the Lord’s prompting even when it caused him to make a “ridiculously impossible” proposal within minutes of talking to Mira for the first time since they were in school together. He wasn’t afraid to let God grow love for Mira in his heart even when he didn’t think she’d ever be able to reciprocate.

Ada June, what a sweet girl with a servant’s heart. She just wanted to be loved. What a happy ending she found.

I received a complementary copy of this book from Revell and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book took off a little slow for me but once we got to the mountain, I devoured it. I always enjoy reading about the people that live in the mountains and the way that they live.

There were so many enjoyable characters in the book but in this one, I think the kids were the best ones. Ada June, Joseph and Selinda were so sweet and had lived through such trying times. I loved how Gordon worked so hard to serve those around him. I think everyone needs a dog like Bo :)

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

First off I’ll tell you that I enjoyed the book. The growth of the characters and the descriptions of the place and time drew me in, but it didn’t start out that way. Early in the book I reacted strongly to Gordon’s proposal where he tells Mira that he thinks it’s God’s will for them to marry. I’m a strong proponent of mutual discernment so it put my hackles up. And yet, it was the grace of the characters, and the fact that he was actually seeking mutual discernment, despite his strong statement and strong belief, that kept me reading.

In fact, it came to be one of my favorite things about the characters – they had strong convictions and they held on to them with integrity, while also waiting on the Lord and seeking guidance.

The relationships and connections and the openness of hearts to bring genuine love into hard places was beautiful and it was sweet to watch them discover that sometimes when it seems that God is blocking our dreams it’s because he really does know when we are dreaming too small.

I received a free digital galley of this book and in exchange I am giving to you my honest opinion.

Historical fiction about a school teacher who takes a leap of faith by marrying a preacher and movie to the Appalachian hill country to help teach the children there. Not very original, but still a nice story about finding faith and family.

This one took me a little bit to get into, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Gabhart is such a lovely storyteller, and I especially admire her native Appalachian settings. The characters were well developed and believable, although I have to be honest that Gordon got on my nerves at times. I do understand that he was trying to serve God the best he knew how. Mira is a wonderful heroine. I also enjoyed Ada June who tugs on the heartstrings. Ultimately the ending provides a satisfactory conclusion.

This is an easy, gentle read that will warm your heart.

*I received a complimentary e-galley thanks to Revell through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are 100% my own.

The Song of Sourwood Mountain is a gently paced historical romance set in 1910 in the hills of Kentucky. It starts off with a bang - a marriage prop0sal. A marriage of convenience proposal which Mira quickly rejects. But God opens a door and slams shut and bars all the others. Mira and Gordon race into marriage, but Mira's love and admiration for her steadfast, honorable husband grows like a well-tended garden.
One of the hallmarks of a great book is the development of its secondary characters. The children are sympathetic and believable. I was invested in them as much as the main characters. The conflicts rang true with a believable villain and some very human flaws.
The pace of the book was gentle until the climax, and then it sprinted to the finish with heart-pounding action.
A sweet story that I enjoyed very much.
Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was another sweet southern historical by Ann Gabhart. This one takes place primarily in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky (though it begins in Louisville). When Mira encounters an old classmate who speaks at her church about his mission, she is taken aback when he proposes marriage to her. Her world gets turned completely upside down thereafter when God orchestrates the circumstances that have her moving to Sourwood Mountain. This was a sweet heart-rending story of love and loss and life in the mountains. There was a solid faith thread involved and conversations about ways God answers prayers was prominent throughout. There was a bit of a coming of age story for a young girl named Ada June and her faithful pup Bo was among my favorite characters in the book. I enjoyed learning about the ways of the mountain folks, reading the story of the preacher and teacher, seeing their sweet love story and uncovering some of the mystery of Ada June. If you enjoy faith-filled historical romances, this is one I could heartily recommend. Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

I most certainly enjoyed The Song of Sourwood Mountain --@ Ann H Gabhart . She is such a great word painter that you actually feel like you've visited the mountain community in Eastern Kentucky. It's about a missionary preacher, named Gordon Covington and a school teacher named Mira Dean. She was happy teaching school where she was but when Gordon made an impassioned plea about the children of Sourwood Mountain had no teacher. They would grow up illiterate. This touched Mira's heart. Almost she was persuaded but she already had a position. When God opens a door, just like Jonah, you can run but you can't hide from God's will. That is all I will say.The book will be available May 7,2024. I hope that you will pre-order it now. It's a great read. I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Listen closely, and you'll hear the gentle melody of The Song of Sourwood Mountain, a captivating tale that resonates with the spirit of Appalachia. This 5+ star book, in my opinion, is a priceless treasure, weaving together the threads of faith, love, and the rugged beauty of the mountains.

This heartwarming and sometimes heart-wrenching story gripped me, each page a melody echoing throughout the hollows of my heart. Ann H. Gabhart has a gift for crafting characters who feel like old friends, their lives intricately woven into the very fabric of the mountains they call home.

In the heart of these ancient hills, we meet Mira Dean, a woman faced with an unexpected proposal from Gordon Covington, a preacher with a vision for a mission school in the mountains. At first, Gordon's persistence may seem overbearing, but as we explore the depths into his character, we see a man led by faith, trusting in God's plan.

The Appalachian setting comes alive with every word, painting a vivid picture of the rugged beauty and the resilient spirit of the people who call it home. As Mira and Gordon navigate the twists and turns of their new life together, we see their love story unfold with genuine tenderness, mirroring the sweet melody of a bluebird's song.

But it's not just Mira and Gordon who steal the show. Ada June and her loyal four-legged companion, Bo, capture our hearts with their courage and resilience in the face of soul-shaking adversity. Their presence in Mira and Gordon's lives adds exquisite, eternal depth and warmth to the story, reminding us of the found family that can emerge in unexpected places.

Throughout the novel, the theme of trusting in Almighty God and His plan shines brightly. I absolutely loved the Christian faith content! Here is a quote that I have memorized: “Fear has a way of paralyzing us, coloring our thoughts, making us want to believe we know more than God.”

Each character's journey, filled with joys and sorrows alike, unfolds in harmony with the Appalachian landscape, creating a symphony of faith, hope, trust, and love.

As I read, I found myself savoring every sentence, not wanting the book to end yet unable to resist the pull of the next chapter. Gabhart's masterful storytelling drew me into a world where the bluebird's melody intertwined with the whispers of the mountains.

The Song of Sourwood Mountain continues to linger in my heart long, leaving me with a deeper appreciation for the symphony of life's joys and sorrows.

For anyone seeking a soul-stirring journey through the heart of Appalachia, The Song of Sourwood Mountain is an absolute must-read. It's a bluebird's melody that will echo in your heart, reminding you of the beauty and resilience found in the heart of the mountains.

I received a digital copy of The Song of Sourwood Mountain from Revell. I am not required to write a positive review in any way or for any reason. My honest and unbiased opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on the writing style, the pacing, and the story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.