Book Review - An Appalachian Summer by Ann H.Gabhart

My Review

An Appalachian Summer is a historical novel set in 1933.  Piper Danson has returned home from college to find her father has informally arranged her marriage to a prominent young businessman, Braxton Crandall. However, Piper's heart is still with her childhood sweetheart, Jamie Russell.  After she goes to a presentation on the Frontier Nursing Service, she volunteers to be a courier for the group in the Appalachian Mountains for the summer.  The summer working in Appalachia, away from her family, changes her life.  When both Jamie and Braxton follow her to the mountains, things really get interesting!

I wanted to read this novel because the setting and subject matter were intriguing.  I rarely encounter historical novels set during the Depression years, and the Appalachian Mountains setting was especially appealing.

This is a lovely read about another time and place!  The historical details are lovingly rendered;  the author does such a good job of capturing mountain life in the 1930's.  Piper works closely with nurse midwives and watches (and helps with) some childbirths.  She encounters sweet children from hardscrabble backgrounds.  She also experiences life on a farm for the first time - milking cows, taking care of horses, tending to chickens.  There are a few instances of the treatment of animals in this mountain community that were hard to read, although they seem realistic for the time and place. 

Piper is a brave, daring young woman who is willing to step out of her comfort zone to learn how other people live;  she truly is motivated by helping them and making a difference in their lives.  I loved her sweet lifelong love of Jamie, and also liked that her other suitor, Braxton, is a decent person and likable in his own right.

There is an enjoyable secondary storyline about Piper's aunt Truda, who is in her 40's and never married.  She lost touch with her first love, Jack, years ago, but he surprisingly crosses paths with the family in this novel.  I enjoyed reading their story as well.

An Appalachian Summer is an engrossing historical novel that gives a unique glimpse at another time and place.  I had not heard of the Frontier Nursing Service before, and learned it was a real organization, founded by Mary Breckenridge - just like in the novel.  Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this summer story.