The Seeker Paperback - 2010

From the rear cover

When well-laid plans go awry, can she still make her dreams come true?

Charlotte Vance is a young woman who knows what she wants. But when the man she planned to marry joins the Shakers--a religious group that does not allow marriage--she is left dumbfounded. And when her father brings home a new wife who is young enough to be Charlotte's sister, it is more than she can bear. With the country--and her own household--on the brink of civil war, this pampered gentlewoman hatches a plan to avoid her new stepmother and win back her man by joining the Shaker community at Harmony Hill. Little does she know that this decision will lead her down a road of unforeseen consequences.

Ann H. Gabhart brings alive the strikingly different worlds of the Southern gentry, the simple Shakers, and the ravages of war in 1860s Kentucky to weave a touching story of love, freedom, and forgiveness.

"In The Seeker, Ann H. Gabhart has penned a captivating story of love that blooms despite the desperate circumstances of the Civil War and a delicious heroine who chooses safety and seclusion among the Shakers. Gabhart's vivid descriptions and well-drawn characters will leave you wanting more. A wonderful read!"--Judith Miller, author, Daughters of Amana series

"Ann H. Gabhart has a gift for skillfully blending research with fiction to create stories that entertain. The Seeker is a well-woven tale about a strong and determined woman who is willing to risk everything to follow her convictions. A definite can't-put-it-down book."--Suzanne Woods Fisher, author, Amish Proverbs, Amish Peace, and The Choice

"To read The Seeker is to step inside a peaceful Shaker village and experience a new world of faith, love, freedom, and forgiveness. Ann H. Gabhart brings to life a spirited southern belle in war-torn Kentucky with authenticity and grace. A page-turner to the very end!"--Laura Frantz, author, The Frontiersman's Daughter and Courting Morrow Little

Living just thirty miles from a restored Shaker village in Kentucky, Ann H. Gabhart has walked the same paths that her characters might have walked in generations past. Gabhart is the author of several books, including the bestselling The Outsider and The Believer.

From the jacket flap

EXCERPT FROM CATALOG "The Shakers! Have you taken leave of your senses, Edwin? You can't seriously be considering joining the Shakers?" The words came out harsher than Charlotte Vance intended and Edwin Gilbey stepped back from her until the budding branches of the lilac bush behind him had to be poking holes in his dinner jacket. "Please, Charlotte. Calm yourself. You know I can't abide a scene." He shifted his eyes away from her face. Charlotte stared at Edwin in the light of the nearly full moon. Behind her the door opened and laughter mixed with music flowed out into the garden. "But Edwin," she said as sweetly as she could, "unless I am greatly mistaken, the Shakers have a ban on matrimony." Edwin almost looked at her face again. "You are not mistaken. The avoidance of such unions allows them to live in peace and harmony..." "But Edwin," she interrupted him, "we are to wed next month....We've talked of nothing else for years." "You've talked of nothing else. Perhaps it is time you listened for a change," he said. Then without waiting for her to say more, he stepped off the path to go around her as if even the touch of the ruffles on her hooped skirt should be avoided. She stared after him, astounded. When he opened the veranda door, the noise of the party drifted out to her. He stepped inside and snapped the door closed behind him, but through the glass door and window she could see the guests milling about. She was neglecting her hostess duties. Edwin could wait. She touched the pile of hair elaborately styled on top her head to be sure no strand had escaped its pins and started back toward the house. A man's deep voice stopped her before she had gone a dozen steps. "He must be an extremely foolish man to turn his back and run from such beauty."

Media reviews

Citations

• Booklist, 06/01/2010, Page 45
• Library Journal, 06/15/2010, Page 52
• Romantic Times, 07/01/2010, Page 74