Beyond These Hills

In this uplifting and sweepingly romantic final installment of Robbins’s Smoky Mountain Dreams trilogy, spirituality and perseverance in the face of inevitable change take center stage. Laurel Jackson is an educated young woman born and raised in Cades Cove, a small mountain town in Tennessee in 1935. Her simple, serene life is disrupted when the government attempts to buy her family’s land to facilitate the creation of a national park. Andrew Brady, the government agent sent to negotiate with the last few reluctant landowners, is a young man in search of himself and his place in the world. Together, they could create the foundations of a life together in God—if they can surmount the trials and tribulations that they must face in order for them to appreciate what they have. Loving attention to detail and exquisite characterization create an engrossing story. Timeless values of faith, love, and family are delicately woven through a tightly paced, well-rounded plot that harkens back to beloved tales of a bygone era. Agent: Natasha Kern, Natasha Kern Literary Agency. (Sept.)