Gabhart (These Healing Hills) takes readers to the majestic Kentucky mountains during the Great Depression in this enjoyable inspirational romance. Piper Danson, 16 years old and independent-minded, suffers through her society debut in Louisville to please her mother. Handsome Braxton Crandall is the heir to a railroad fortune and has the blessing of Piper's father to court her, but Piper's heart belongs to childhood friend Jamie Russell. Jamie's family, however, lost everything in the stock market crash, and he feels he can't give Piper the life she deserves. To keep her mind off romance by doing something of social value, Piper decides to spend the summer working as a courier with the Frontier Nursing Service. There, she learns to pluck a chicken, helps deliver a baby, and grows closer to the Lord in the quiet rural atmosphere. But when Jamie and Braxton both follow Piper to the mountains, her plan to forget men is shot and she must make a decision for the future. This refreshing historical will be an appealing escape for readers who enjoy Tracie Peterson. (June)