The Outsider: A Novel [Paperback]

Ann H. Gabhart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2008

She thought she was content--until a love from the outside world turned hers upside down.

Gabrielle Hope and her mother joined the Harmony Hill Shaker community in 1807. The community promised stability and devotion that Gabrielle wholeheartedly embraced. But when a local doctor must be brought in from the outside, he sets into motion a chain of events that will challenge Gabrielle's loyalty to the Shakers.

Can she experience true happiness in this simple and chaste community? Or will she abandon her brothers and sisters for a life of the unknown?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Shaker romance might seem like an oxymoron, but Gabhart (Summer of Joy) pens an interesting if emotionally lukewarm historical tale that explores the fascinating world of a religious Shaker community. The predictable story line is less compelling than the details about the Shakers and their stringent religious beliefs, with celibacy key to the plot. Set amid the War of 1812, the point of view shifts between the two romantic leads. Twenty-year-old Sister Gabrielle Hope's spiritual visions enable her to see future events. Although she's committed to the Shaker community of Harmony Hill (based on Kentucky's real-life Pleasant Hill), a few words and a kiss from the widowed outsider Dr. Brice Scott cause her to question the life she and her mother have chosen. More uncertainty follows as the strict rules of the community separate mothers from their children. Disappointingly, the romance never tingles, and even the novel's darker scenes of suicide and military execution are emotionally flat. But fans of Beverly Lewis's Amish novels may find Gabhart's well-researched historical fiction to their liking. (Aug.)
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From the Inside Flap

Excerpt
The harsh clang of the meetinghouse bell shattered the peace of the night. At the sound, Gabrielle jerked upright in her narrow bed. She had not been asleep, but instead had been lying very still with her eyes wide open staring out at the grainy darkness and listening to the soft breathing of the sleeping girls around her. She had matched her own breaths with theirs in hopes of bringing quiet harmony back to her thoughts, but the gift of knowing kept nipping at the corners of her mind. Visions of men with blackened faces, corn melting, and shadows of the world flitting among the trees had troubled her thoughts all day, but it was all too vague for understanding. All she knew for sure was the sense of dread awake and growing inside her. Usually when the gift of knowing came to her it wasn't shrouded in so much mystery. Rather it was clear, as clear as her image in a still pool. But this time a handful of pebbles had dropped in to cloud the pool. Earlier she had gone to her quiet place in the woods to pray for it was often while she prayed that the knowing filled her mind, but the vision had stayed dark and murky.
The bell kept tolling the alarm as Gabrielle quickly rose from her bed. Around her the younger sisters were waking and jumping out of bed to see what might be happening. Outside one of the brothers was shouting, "Fire!"

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Revell; Reprinted edition (August 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800732391
• ISBN-13: 978-0800732394
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #966,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Outsider, August 10, 2008

By 

Bobbi Rightmyer "brightmyer249" (Harrodsburg, KY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Outsider: A Novel (Paperback)

The Outsider is a beautiful historical novel - by Kentuckian Ann Gabhart - set in the 1800's in a Shaker community - Pleasant Hill - located near Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Just this alone made me want to read this novel. I live less than 10 miles from the restored Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill and have spent many hours roaming the surrounding hillsides.

In this book, the main character is a young Shaker woman - Gabrielle - who is completely happy living with her Shaker brothers and sisters , living the life of purity and hardwork. That is until an outsider - Dr. Brice Scott - intrudes on their lives and makes his way into her thoughts, and eventually her heart. The Shaker culture and society are so realistic I felt like I was there, like I knew these people. Living so near a restored Shaker village, I have grown up reading and researching the Shaker culture, so this book is very true to the life these religious people lead.

Because the entire story doesn't happen just on the grounds of the Shaker village, readers are given a realistic view of war during this time and historical medical information, in addition to the treatment of strangers to the Shaker village. There are also other glimpses into this disciplined lifestyle, from the demanding hard work to the fanatical religious servies.

This book was a fascinating read and Mrs. Gabhart's flowing prose seemed to leap off the pages and jump straight into your heart. Gabrielle's transformation from the quiet, shy girl into the beautiful young woman is presented with sobering details and fleeting views from the past.

I recommend this book, not only as a work of historical fiction surrounding the lives of the Shakers, but as a delightful work of pure unadultered literature. The Outsider is a worthy find among the multitude of fiction and genre books being released today.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A bit too much blood for my taste, July 20, 2010

By 

Libby Mari - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Outsider: A Novel (Shaker) (Kindle Edition)

I thought overall this book was a good value and well worth the read. I read pretty much every genre, so I'm not really picky, and the fact that this FREE kindle book had almost no errors was amazing. The quality of the writing was excellent, and I enjoyed the novel setting and characters (I'd never heard of the Shakers before). The reason I marked the title down to three stars is because about halfway through the book the storyline changes from an emphasis on the main character, the Shaker girl with the gift of sight, to her love interest, including many many pages about the graphic nature of war. The many scenes of people being scalped, shot, tomahawked, and otherwise bleeding all over the snow were unexpected and quite unwelcome. I personally stay away from this kind of violence in books, and would have never read it had I known. So for me personally this was not the best choice, but if you have the stomach for that sort of stuff, then I think overall you will enjoy the unique storyline because it is well written.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A generous helping of Kentucky history, September 5, 2008

By 

Laura Frantz (Port Angeles, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Outsider: A Novel (Paperback)

This is a seamless story meticulously told by an author noted for her careful research. Without giving any of the plot away, I found this glimpse of Shaker life fascinating. The author does an admirable job of balancing the good (the Shaker's work ethic and their faithful adherence to their beliefs)with the strange, fanatical aspects (think Mother Ann and balls of love). I particularly enjoyed the character of Dr. Scott - he added just the right amount of spice to Gabrielle's more sedate personality. The descriptions of frontier army life were excellent and all the other minor characters added authenticity. Gabrielle's own innocence and her feelings for the doctor are refreshingly related. I look forward to her next Shaker novel!