The Refuge by Ann H. Gabhart

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Darcie and Walter Goodwin hear of a new cholera epidemic sweeping the area, they join the Shakers whose villages seem immune to the disease. It's meant to be a temporary stay, but Walter is killed in a riverboat accident. With no family and no money, Darcie has little choice but to stay with the Shakers. To complicate matters, she is expecting a baby conceived before she and her husband came to the Shaker village. Marital relationships are considered sinful in this celibate community, putting Darcie in a unique--and lonely--position. Can the arrival of widower Flynn Keller and his headstrong daughter offer Darcie the hope of happiness . . . and family?

Ann H. Gabhart returns to the enigmatic world of the Shakers in this emotional exploration of the power of love and the bond of family. 



The Refuge by Ann H. Gabhart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

MY THOUGHTS..... 

This new book by Ann H. Gabhart shares a lot of the history of the Shakers, a religious community that was prominent in Kentucky in the 1800s but best of all, she gives readers a wonderful love story. Yes, there is a hint of a romantic love that might develop but the true love story involves parental love. Much of the plot revolves around the influence that the Sisters and Brothers of the Shaker community have on Darcie Goodwin's and Flynn Keller's commitment to their children. Darcie's love for her unborn baby and her determination to provide for it until she can find a real home after her husband's sudden death exemplifies the ultimate mother/child bond. There is also the love that widower Flynn Keller has for his young daughter. Flynn and his father-in-law are trying to raise Leatrice as she should be raised but this young girl definitely needs a woman's influence in her life. Choosing to join the Shakers may seem to to be answers for both of these parents but Darcie knows that she will never want to become a permanent member of this community; Flynn understands that Leatrice needs supervision but he also rejects the idea of choosing this way of life forever.

I really liked Darcie Goodwin and I enjoyed watching the friendship that developed between her and a few of the Sisters. I also liked how the author chose to share all of Darcie's thoughts and readers can see how she grows in confidence and in her faith in God. Flynn Keller is a worthy hero and I found myself hoping that his daughter's need for a mother would somehow lead to a relationship between him and Darcie.

The Refuge is a heartwarming story and it proves once again Gabhart's expertise in understanding and explaining the Shakers. Yes, I find it hard to understand their belief in celibacy and their forbiddance of marriage that ultimately led to their extinction but I have to admire their commitment to helping those in need and their "hands to work, hearts to God" motto.

*I received a copy of this book from the author and the publisher. These thoughts are mine alone.


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