The Gifted by Ann Gabhart review with info about a giveaway

• Paperback: 436 pages
• Publisher: Revell (July 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800734556
• ISBN-13: 978-0800734558

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2012

By 1849, Jessamine Brady has been in the Shaker Village for half her life, but in spite of how she loves her sisters there, she struggles to conform to the strict rules. Instead she entertains dreams of the world outside. When Tristan Cooper seems to step out of those dreams to entice her into the forbidden realm beyond the Shaker Village, her life turns upside down. Will Jessamine be able to survive the storms of the world? Or will she retreat back to the peace of Harmony Hill?

My take on this book:

"The Gift" by Ann Gabhart is the fifth installment in her Shaker Village series,and this book is just as great as all the others in the series I have read.

Jessamine Brady is twenty, she moved to the Shaker Village at the age of ten after the death of her grandmother, and the one thing she remembered her grandmother encouraging her to do was follow her dreams. While she loves her Harmony Hill family she has always felt like she doesn't belong in the Shaker Village. When she meets Tristan Cooper someone from the outside world she finds herself at a crossroads, will she have the courage to step out into the world, or will  she decide that her home is actually in Harmony Hill? 

I really enjoy when I have the ability to read a book and feel as if I am getting a bit of education to boot and that's just how I feel when I read Ann Gabhart's stories that are centered around the Shakers. She weaves together an intriguing story that always holds my attention while giving accurate glimpses of how it might have been to have lived as a Shaker.The author provides plenty of conflict, along with romance and a bit of suspense that certainly kept me reading. Add to the mix like-able characters and a historical setting making it a book that I couldn't resist. Recommended!

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"Available July 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group."

About the author:

Ann H. Gabhart started writing when she was ten and has been writing ever since. Her first published writings were personal experience pieces, youth stories, and poems in church periodicals such as HomeLife. Her first novel, a historical romance about the settling of Kentucky, was published by Warner Books in 1978. Since then, she's published numerous books for both adults and young adults. The Scent of Lilacs, her first inspirational novel, was chosen as one of the Top Ten Books in Christian Fiction in 2006 by Booklist magazine. Her first Shaker book, The Outsider, was a finalist for Christian Fiction Book of the Year in 2009 and was a Top Pick by Romantic Times Book Review Magazine.

Ann lives on a farm in Kentucky not far from where she was born. She and her husband, Darrell, a bass singer in the Patriot Quartet, have three children and nine grandchildren. Her website is www.annhgabhart.com.

Ann is celebrating "The Gifted" by hosting a giveaway just click here to head over to the contest page, where you have a chance at winning some pretty neat prizes.