Summer of Joy

Title: SUMMER OF JOY
Author: Ann H. Gabhart
Publisher: Revell Books
February 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3170-0
Genre: Inspirational/women’s fiction

David Brooke is trying to find the nerve to propose to Leigh. His almost grown daughters and his secretary are encouraging the match, but David hesitates because Leigh is so much younger than he. Besides when he prices engagement rings, he finds that their cost is way out of his income level. All he has is his mother’s engagement ring, and the diamond on that seems so small.

Life couldn’t be more perfect. With Leigh on his arm, and the congregation in his quiet town hanging on his every word, David would be a happy man, if it weren’t for some financial problems. But the idyllic town isn’t as quiet as it seems. The past is threatening to destroy relationships—two people, one David thought was gone for good, and the other, he’s never heard of—are promising trouble.

SUMMER OF JOY is the continuation of the story in Orchard of Hope. I enjoyed spending more time with David, Leigh, and his family, both the church family, and his personal family. Some parts of the story caused me to laugh, while others rang too close to home and were sobering.

Ms. Gabhart is an extremely talented author, able to weave this complex story line into a tale that is worth reading. The faith message is expertly done and isn’t preachy. The characters are realistically developed. Fans of Ms. Gabhart’s earlier books are not going to want to miss SUMMER OF JOY. The cover is absolutely gorgeous. The story is too modern to be historical, but too historical to be contemporary, so I’m not really sure which category to place it. $12.99. 347 pages.