“The Innocent” by Ann H. Gabhart

The Innocent
by Ann H. Gabhart
She longs for peace–for her land and her heart–but can it truly be found at Harmony Hill?

This story is set after the civil war in 1865. Carlyn is waiting to hear news about her Union soldier husband after being missing for 2 years. She gets kicked out of her house because she can’t afford to make the payments and wonders where she should go since she doesn’t really fit in anywhere in town. She begins to make new friends like a dog and the Sheriff, and decides to find her new home among the Shakers. She doesn’t feel like she fits in there either and questions their beliefs. When people start missing, Carlyn starts to wonder if she will ever find peace and God’s love.

I haven’t read anything by this author so I’m unfamiliar with the Shakers and their religion, and other Harmony Hill books. The story was well written but it didn’t particularly interest me. I didn’t like the Shaker religion and some of the things they believed, and although there was some mystery, it was at a slower pace. I did finish the book because I wanted to see if Carlyn had closure and a happy ending.

If you are familiar with this author and her books, you will probably enjoy this one as well!

Historical Christian fiction with some romance and mystery.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books, a division of of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the Book
Carlyn Kearney has spent two lonely years not knowing whether to mourn or to hope after she receives word from the Union Army that her husband is missing. The war ends without further word. Now penniless, in debt, and forced from her home, Carlyn seeks refuge at the Shaker village of Harmony Hill, only to discover that they will not allow her to keep her beloved dog, an animal that has been her faithful companion since her husband went off to war. Sheriff Mitchell Brodie has pity on the lovely young woman and agrees to take the dog. Carlyn is just settling into life as a sister in the Shaker village when she receives a devastating letter confirming her worst fears. As she wrestles with whether to commit herself fully to the Shaker life, mysterious deaths begin to occur, and Carlyn comes under suspicion. Can Sheriff Mitchell help her expose the true culprit?

About the Author
Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several Shaker novels–The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted–as well as Angel Sister, Small Town Girl, Love Comes Home, Words Spoken True, and The Heart of Hollyhill series. She lives with her husband a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Learn more at www.annhgabhart.com.

You can buy the book here: