Cora Taylor is an English nurse in training who flees from London to the North Carolina mountains to avoid a marriage that her father arranges for her. Jeb McAdams returns home to the same mountain community after fighting in World War I. Drawn together by the trauma of the European war, the two begin to share feelings for each other which are disrupted by their discovery of a badly injured woman by the side of the road. Jeb recognizes her as a prostitute and doesn’t want to get involved, but Cora insists that it is their “very real Samaritan Moment.” "The Heart of the Mountains is a world created with exceptional skills by Pepper Basham. It immersed me in the mountain life until I could see the scenery, smell the plants, hear the mountain breeze and the bird calls. All of that was wonderful, but more than that was the way I felt as I read. The hurt, the love, the longing, the loss, the fear, the joy. Basham created a beautiful, emotional work of art. I enjoyed every word." - Mary Connealy. “The Heart of the Mountains is a beautiful story of second-chances, redemption, and finding home. Filled with breathtaking scenery, heart-tugging encounters, and tender romance, this latest story by Pepper Basham will leave you feeling as if you've just spent time in the dangerous, yet fascinating, Appalachian Mountains." - Gabrielle Meyer. The author, Pepper Basham, is an award-winning Christian romance author who grew up in the foothills of the North Carolina mountains and now lives in Asheville.
Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour Publishing, 2022. 317 pages. Trade paperback.