The Shepherd of the Hills

This is a classic and everyone should read it!

I am reviewing this product for my mother who had read the book many years ago. She and our family had gone to the actual place where all this had taken place and all of the memories of that long ago trip were brought back to her again with a great deal of pleasure after reading the book,again in later years. It is a good source of history and recommened reading for young and old. It is a good book to curl up with and read .

A wholesome classic novel written about the beauty of the Ozarks and the spiritual meaning found in a life lived in simplicity. The story centers around "The Shepherd", a man from the city who chose to live and share his life with the simple country-folk of Mutton Hollow. His fine education as well as his life-long lessons are shared with all those who will listen. The reader will enjoy multiple character developments and subplots that are intricately woven together throughout the book. A very peaceful, yet challenging story.

Once I read this book a few summers ago, it quickly became my all-time favorite book. I had seen the play, which is spectacular, and I had seen the movie (a bit disappointing to me), but nothing could prepare me for the book.Harold Bell Wright creates a masterpiece. And that is an understatement. Several plots develop throughout the story, each one seeming irrelevent when compared to another, yet they are all interwoven masterfully by the end of the book. There is the lonely stranger, who wanders into the hills, and changes the community and then learns something about himself and the meaning of life. Readers then watch Sammy Lane struggle to become a "sure 'nough lady," and will most likely cheer on Young Matt as he fights to steal Sammy's heart from Ollie Stewart, though he knows Ollie promises Sammy a rich city life. Readers are also involved in Young Matt's and Wash Gibb's struggles to the title of "Strongest Man in the Hills." And Old Matt, Aunt Mollie and the Shepherd are forced to relive the past and learn from it, no matter how strong the pain is.In conclusion, I just want to recommend this book to all people looking for some quality summer reading. The book may seem somewhat long, but it is hard to put down and you'll go through it quickly, wishing it would never end. Read this book and enjoy!

This book was so good. I first read it when I seven and have read it a million times since. My parents have gone to see the play of it and they say the book is better. This book is truly better than any one of the many books I had to read in school. I wish they would make it part of the reading list in schools. Kids would enjoy it so much. If you are looking for a great all around book. This one is it. It has action, suspense, love, comedy, and of course drama. It is neither too long of a novel or too short.

If you want to see the Ozark Mountains and their inhabitants painted in brilliant colors, this is the book to read. There is no other way to describe this timeless story of simple yet wise and loving people who move their lives with such dedication to that which is best in mankind. Harold Bell Wright shows us the world not only through the good times, but through the hardships that make us who we are. By the last chapter, you are completely involved in these gentle people and want them to continue to be a part of your life. You experience the pain, the mystery, and the wonder of life itself. Thank goodness for the sequel, "The Calling of Dan Matthews" so that you can continue the journey with these wonderful friends.