Summary: Hope’s Highest Mountain (Hearts of Montana #1) by Misty M. Beller
On her way to deliver vaccines to a
mining town in the Montana Territory, Ingrid Chastain never anticipated a
terrible accident would leave her alone and badly injured in the wilderness.
When rescue comes in the form of a mysterious mountain man, she's hesitant to
trust him, but the journey ahead will change their lives more than they could
have known (copied from Goodreads).
Book Review: Hope’s Highest Mountain (Hearts of Montana #1) by Misty M. Beller
Ingrid Chastain is
on an excruciating quest to get vaccines to remote areas of the vast Montana Territories
where people are suffering a major outbreak of smallpox. Being the only survivor
from a wagon crash she still tries to get the vaccines delivered. Only trouble
is she has broken the femur bone in addition to a couple of ribs, so she can’t really
move.
For five years Dr Micah Bradley has lived in the outback trying to deal with grief after the loss of his wife and daughter to smallpox. He blames himself that he was unable to use his skills to save them. Following their deaths he stopped doctoring and moved to the Montana outback where he kept to himself trying to deal with his loss as a husband, father and doctor.
A wounded donkey-cry
alerts Micah
to the wagon crash site where he finds three
dead men and one wounded woman. He learns this is the life saving smallpox
vaccines’ transport Ingrid’s father has promised to deliver to outback town
Settler’s Fort. Now Ingrid is the sole survivor of the accident and she is
determined to deliver the vaccines come hell or high water, but her leg and
ribs have to heal first. In spite of the lack of confidence in himself and his
doctoring skills, Micah takes care of Ingrid the best way possible without any
medical supplies available. He is adamant to save her even though he was not
able to save his family.
The relationship between Ingrid and Micah develops in
spite of all the hardships they go through trying to move ahead in the snowy and
bad weather, while at the same time caring for Ingrid’s injuries. Reading this
story I sometimes got frustrated and thought “is anything ever going to work
out for them”. Difficult and dangerous events just seemed to be piling up one
after the other. But, as in real life, going through difficult situations may
lead to stronger relationships. Ingrid is a strong woman with a strong faith and
that seems to rub off on Micah. She trusts that God will help them survive the
journey and get the vaccines delivered safely to help people of Settler’s Fort.
Micah worries a lot about Ingrid’s health but sees how steadfast she is in her
faith. She becomes a role model of sorts for him as his faith grows stronger.
Together they stay strong and maintain their courage. The romantic relationship
between them seems to grow slowly but surely in moments when the danger and
drama quiets down a bit. It takes on a backdrop position which I found added to
the story instead of being a disturbing element of the plot. I think it would
have felt unrealistic for romance to have taken center stage in with all the
danger and drama going on.
I really enjoyed the thorough research into how
medical treatment might have worked out in rural areas in the 1860s. The story
includes quite detailed descriptions of Dr Bradley’s considerations and careful
ministrations as he treats Ingrid’s injuries. How he goes about moving her,
treating her pain and avoiding infection without any kind of supplies, crutches
or a wheel chair. I find this really interesting from a 2020 perspective.
An element which lightens the mood of the story is
descriptions of the Chinook warm winds. As I live on another Continent I didn’t
know about this weather phenomenon. It seemed to thaw some of the snow and generally
make conditions easier when they tried to move as quickly as they could through
the wintery mountain wilderness
.
The outdoors descriptions I found very enjoyable and
relatable as I have grown up close to nature in harsh winters of Northern
Norway. Even though most outdoor activities from my childhood were during summer,
I feel the descriptions of the cold, winter conditions stir up memories of playing
in the snow.
This is my first book by Misty M. Beller, but probably
not the last. I think she managed to balance the faith element and romance with
the danger and drama in a way that overall worked out quite well. Fans of Ms
Beller will enjoy this work. It is also recommended for readers who like
historical romance fiction.
My rating: 4 stars
/ 5
(All opinions are my own).
About The Author
Writing is a dream come true for Misty. Her family--both immediate and extended--is the foundation that holds her secure in that dream.
To learn more about the author, visit https://mistymbeller.com/
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