A Chance for Kallie Mae

A young woman is torn between love and family in this engrossing early-20th-century historical from Gabhart (The Pursuit of Elena Bradford). Growing up in rural Kentucky, Kallie Mae Bertram had two dreams: to marry her neighbor Quinn Spencer and to learn to read and write. But the Bertram and Spencer families have been feuding for more than 45 years, since the Civil War pitted them against each other, and Kallie’s father has forbidden her from seeing Quinn. To make matters worse, she never got the chance to attend school because she was tasked with caring for her younger sister, Emmie, after her mother died in childbirth. When Kallie and Quinn, now adults, reunite by chance, Kallie can’t ignore the spark between them—but knows choosing Quinn would mean no longer being welcome in her father’s house. As Quinn and Kallie look to God for guidance, a local teacher opens a school for adults, giving the pair hope for a brighter future, while also opening the door to new choices and challenges. The portrayal of rural Appalachian life is vivid and textured, and readers will be quickly won over by Kallie’s enterprising, indomitable spirit. Gabhart’s fans will be well pleased. (May)