🗻🐎📚📖 "Along a Storied Trail" (2021) 📖📚🐎🗻

 

MY REVIEW 

 

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Revell (June 1, 2021) 

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0800737210

ISBN-13: 978-0800737214

⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information

“Kentucky packhorse librarian Tansy Calhoun doesn't mind the rough trails and long hours as she serves her Appalachian mountain community during the Great Depression. Yet she longs to find love like the heroines in her books. When a charming writer comes to town, she thinks she might have found it--or is the perfect man actually closer than she thinks?

Perdita Sweet has called these mountains home for so long she's nearly as rocky as the soil around her small cabin. 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 so often the case, it's easier to see what's best for others than to see what's best for oneself, and Perdita knows who Tansy should choose. But why would anyone listen to the romantic advice of an old spinster?”

 

Thank you in advance to the publisher, Revell (a division of Baker Books), for providing an advanced review copy through Library Thing. A positive review was not required or requested, all words are my own.

As someone who is now a slight (or moderate) fan of Historical Fiction, I don’t hesitate when I see the genre.

 

And, one sub-genre I enjoy are stories based upon real life events – World War II (WWII); major events; in this case –> the packhorse librarians of Kentucky and the Appalachians.

 

The first I heard of them was a book called The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek. I saw an ARC on BookishFirst, but passed on it. What was interesting – it also talked about the “blue people”.

 

Another packhorse librarian story was JoJo Moyes’ The Giver of Stars. That I was lucky enough to win from the publisher. I haven’t read it yet, but it does look interesting.

 

This is now the third story I’ve run across regarding these mobile librarians.

 

As I’d read the author’s An Appalachian Summer last year, and loved it, I didn’t hesitate to read this one. The gorgeous and scenic cover drew me right in. This is a standalone read so readers don’t have to worry about reading any other books of a series.  

 

The main POVs were Tansy, Caleb, and Perdita. However, the other characters – Coralee, Hiram (Preacher), and even Tansy’s mother were all well-written and very authentic to the time and region. The author goes so far as to use realistic terms and “accents”. Some readers might enjoy this, others may not.

 

Written in short chapters, Along a Storied Trail has a lot of heart to it. Gabhart’s vivid and descriptive writing delves into more than just the history of the packhorse librarians. She brings the readers back to the time to confront a different way of life that many of us might only remember through stories handed down by our great-grandparents or grandparents. At times this is heart-breaking and yet inspiring. There is a gritty realism to it.

 

There will be references to a teenage pregnancy which wasn’t uncommon for the time. The fact of the father running off, and it being outside of marriage is to be reviewed as a scandal due to the time this is set in. There are also references to Black Tuesday, depression, and suicide.

 

After her Pa leaves to find work, Tansy takes a “job” as a packhorse librarian. Her job is to distribute books in the hard to reach areas of Appalachia. At age 20, she is almost a spinster.

 

Caleb is returning to the area after his brother Reuben’s death. Caleb is with the Civilian Conservation Corps working with making trails. His brother died in a rare accident when a tree fell on him, leaving behind a widow and two kids.

 

The author sets up the Tansy/Caleb story quite quickly with regard to the background of him seemingly interested in her older sister. Yet, his mother has other plans for him – marry his widowed sister-in-law and be a father to the two kids.

 

Right of, it is clear he liked Tansy. Yet, Gabhart takes the reader on a long journey to get there. When he left, Tansy was with someone else, so Caleb is happy that she’s still single.

 

Of course, she doesn’t want to end up like “Aunt Perdie” who has her own ornery tale as to why she is a spinster. But, it isn’t long until her heart softens a bit when poor pregnant Coralee knocks on her door. Perdita instantly decides to take her in.

 

There is a lot of “narrative” to the story as opposed to dialogue. This was, at times, hard to put down; yet it was also hard to pick up. There is some repetition to a character’s death as well as a young boy’s “nickname”.

 

Another character enters the picture to not complicate matters, but it was clear that Damien, a writer from a government program, was sure to mix everything up. And, it was clear that he was sweet on Tansy. Tansy knows how she feels about Caleb, or does she? But, she doesn’t know how Caleb feels about her.

 

After taking in Coralee, Perdita suffers one calamity after another. After the last catastrophic one, she and Coralee are forced to move in with Tansy’s family. And, right off the reader will see a definitely romance brewing with Josh towards Coralee, but the author draws this one out slowly and sweetly.

 

Caleb doesn’t care for Damien and it has nothing to do with his reasons for being there.

 

The different dynamics that Gabhart had going on in it definitely made this an interesting and enjoyable read though there were times I didn’t know what to make of it.

 

Most of the book centers on the Tansy/Damien/Caleb “triangle” – or rather which one is better suited for her; Coralee’s situation; in addition to Jenny Sue & Caleb. There is some drama from Coralee’s dad as well. It seemed, at times, repetitious.

 

The story advanced at a slow pace, and other times the pace was quicker.

 

There was, given the time, a stunning moment between Caleb and his mother regarding Jenny Sue and what Ma Vesta wanted for Caleb. And, it is obvious who gets their way.

 

It wasn’t until the final two chapters that readers see a progression of Tansy and Caleb’s relationship.

 

I did wonder what happened to Damien and his book after the storm. It would’ve been interesting to see what happened. There is also another person in the story that is alluded to (someone to do with Coralee), and I would’ve liked some resolution to that as well.

 

There was a crack that Perdita made when asked how she was feeling. She answered “with my hands”, which is something my own mother has said for decades. In addition, our family also loves to use the word “idjit” (another form of idiot).

 

While this is a four (4) star read, I didn’t enjoy it near as much as I did An Appalachian Summer. There were a few too many loose ends for me personally.  Fans of the author might enjoy this far more than I did.

 

As this is distributed by Revell; there will be references to God, themes of forgiveness, and second chanced. Prayers and references to bible stories are also in this book as well, and do play some role in the story at certain parts.

 

 

As of note:

 

Damien tells Caleb he isn’t a “revenuer” and that the moonshine stills are safe. The Bureau of Prohibition was established in 1920 and a unit of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. In 1927, it became an independent agency within the Department of Treasury. In 1930, it became a part of the Department of Justice, and in 1933 with the repeal – it became a part of the FBI.

 

 

RATING:

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)

 

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

 

Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several Shaker novels--The Refuge, The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted--as well as other historical novels, including Angel Sister, These Healing Hills, River to Redemption, and An Appalachian Summer. She and her husband live on a farm a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Ann enjoys discovering the everyday wonders of nature while hiking in her farm's fields and woods with her grandchildren and her dogs, Frankie and Marley. Learn more at www.annhgabhart.com.

 

 

You can also find her on the following social media accounts:

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnGabhart/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annhgabhart/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AnnHGabhart

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