The Shepherd of the Hills

The Shepherd of the Hills #1

by Harold Bell Wright

Alternate cover edition for ISBN: 0-448-01056-9

"Here and there among men, there are those who pause in the hurried rush to listen to the call of a life that is more real. He who sees too much is cursed for a dreamer, a fanatic, or a fool, by the mad mob, who having eyes, see not, ears and hear not, and refuse to understand".-----Harold Bell Wright

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Historical Fiction, Christian, Book Club, Christian Fiction, Romance

299 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1907

About the author

Harold Bell Wright was a best selling American author of the first part of the 20th century.

Between 1903 and 1942, this minister-turned-author wrote nineteen books, several scripts for stage plays, and several magazine articles. At least fifteen movies were made from his novels. Seven of Wright's books appeared on the top ten best sellers lists, two of them twice, including a number one seller in 1914, a number two in 1916 and a third best seller three times.

He's best known for his work entitled The Shepherd of the Hills which was made into the well known, outdoor play, of the same name, performed in Branson, Mo.

Reviews

[Dorcas · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Have you ever been so intimidated by the plethora of 5 star reviews of a particular book that you dare not pick it up for fear of disappointment? This happens to me occasionally and is probably the main reason this lovely 1907 dustjacketed book stood in my bookcase for well over a year before I read it. Shocking, I know.

Still,  I'm a firm believer in "the right book at the right time" and this was the right time so it all worked out.

I won't go into detail on the plot because there's a lot of reviews on this already. Basic story line: An older city gentleman moves to the Ozark mountains to get away from society,  purge his demons and try to make amends for something in his past. There he settles down more comfortably than expected and becomes "one of the family" to the mountain folk who live there, 'finding himself' in the process.

But old secrets die hard...or not at all.

This book had a little of everything: the mad boy who runs wild in the hills, strange sounds in the forests, a forgotten gold mine, larger than life "Lorna Doone-type" menfolk, drought, poverty, redemption, romance etc.

The author was apparently a minister before he turned to writing, but this is not a preachy or doctrinal book. Moralizing, ok perhaps a little, (the author had a "real men work the land" mentality)  but no sermonizing or religious agenda. The characters believe in God as the Creator and that is a part of who they are. But the characters are multi faceted and flawed. They make mistakes and grow from them, learning the true meaning of being a "sure enough" lady or gentleman, and this really touches the heart of the reader.

A good, old fashioned read.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary story. Beautiful writing. Down-to-earth characters. One of my all-time favourite books, I'm sure. I am speechless and can think of no better way to honour this book than to quote this beautiful passage.

Here and there among men, there are those who pause in the hurried rush to listen to the call of a life that is more real. How often have we seen them, David, jostled and ridiculed by their fellows, pushed aside and forgotten, as incompetent or unworthy. He who sees and hears too much is cursed for a dreamer, a fanatic, or a fool, by the mad mob, who, having eyes, see not, ears and hear not, and refuse to understand.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pete knew a world unseen by us, and we, therefore, fancied ourselves wiser than he. The wind in the pines, the rustle of the leaves, the murmur of the brook, the growl of the thunder, and the voices of the night were all understood and answered by him. The flowers, the trees, the rocks, the hills, the clouds were to him, not lifeless things, but living friends, who laughed and wept with him as he was gay or sorrowful.

Poor Pete,' we said. Was he in truth, David, poorer or richer than we?

[Lydia Presley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I read this book I was about 9 years old. It sat, along with several other Harold Bell Wright books, on my dad's bookshelf. I can still feel the old cover if I close my eyes and imagine it. So it's safe to say there's a lot of memories held within this books pages.

I remember shortly after I read it my family took a trip to the Ozarks in Missouri. It's pretty famous there and there is even a life showing held out doors. As I re-read the story over the last few days I found myself recalling bits and pieces of seeing it there, live on the stage.

Wright does such a fantastic job of describing his characters. From the young giant, Grant Matthews (Young Matt) to the beautiful Sammy Lane. Every character has a unique feel to him or her and.. well there just aren't words to describe how much I enjoyed re-acquainting myself with them.

If you are a nature lover, you would love this book. If you love good, solid stories dealing with life, love, death, heartache and a return to faith, you would love this book. And even though the book is somewhat dated its principles still apply to today. This book is one of my favorites and I'm just sad I haven't made time to revisit it sooner.

[Jessaka · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Beauty of the Ozarks

This is the second time that I have read this book, the first being 65 years ago when I was a teenager. I just wanted to see if it was as great as I thought it was back then, especially since it had been one of my favorite books. Yet, I am often disappointed after re reading a book that I once loved.

This book came into my hands by way of a librarian who chose it for me. When I finished the book I asked her if she could find me more books about mountain people, and that she did: “The Little Shepherd of Kingdome Come,” “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine,” “The Bee Keeper,” and “The Girl of the Limberlost.” I found two books on my own: “Bald Knobbers,” and “Tobacco Road.” When I brought “Tobacco Road” home, my mom saw it, took it away from me, read it, and said that it was “too dirty” for me to read. I read it at a later date when I thought of it. I didn’t really like it because it depicted a different type of mountain people, the kind I would not wish to befriend.

Set in the Ozark Mountains, the author painted a beautiful picture of the area, and I wanted so much to see it. When I was sixteen in August, my step-uncle and grandmother had cousins in West Plains, MO that they wanted to visit, and they invited me to come with them.

California was no longer green due to the hot summer sun and lack of rain. The Ozarks were beautiful with their green rolling hills, and it rained some every day. I fell in love with those green hills, with the Ozarks, so much so, that when my husband and I retired, we began looking for a place to buy a home, and ended up in another part of the Ozarks, Eastern Oklahoma. Again, rolling lush green hills in the summer. and humidity. The chiggers, which I didn’t know were here, are just as horrible as they were in West Plains. This kind of paradise has its price, bugs, humidity and lots of pollen that bother me more as I age.

After moving here, I reread “The Bald Knobbers,” again, because I remembered how much I liked that non-fiction book about the vigilantes that roamed the hills of Branson, MO. So, when my sister and niece came to visit, we headed for Branson, but not to see where this book had taken place. I wanted to see Bald Knob Mountain. I think the book called it Dewey Mountain. We drove into a small town on our way to find it, and they were having a Bald Knobber play in their city park, nothing sophisticated. I bought a T-shirt with a painting of a Bald Knobber on its front. It looks evil with its horns on top of the man’s hooded head. I have yet to wear it.

We were then directed to the mountain where the Knobbers held their meetings, but we could not drive up to see it because the owner didn’t allow visitors. Yet, it didn’t look like a mountain at all to me. No matter where I have traveled in the Ozarks, mountains look like hills. At least that is what we call them in California.

After leaving the Branson area, we drove to West Plains, and I got to see that lovely town once again. I even found the old watch shop where my uncle had taken me where he could get his watch fixed. While it was no longer a watch shop, the old counter was still in the same place. I could almost see the old watch repairman sitting behind it with his magnifying glass in front of his eye, held on by a leather band that was wrapped around his head. Then we walked down the street to an antique store, where I found an antique flour sack quilt top. When I came home, I had it quilted, and was even able to do some of the work myself.

So, what was this book like the second time around? Well, in short, it was only a three-star read for me this time, but my star rating remains as it was when I was young. What made it different? Wright was into eugenics and thought that humans should be bread like pigs to make what he called “finest human specimens.” I googled “origin of eugenics,” and I learned that Plato was also into it. Perhaps, it was first thought up by him, but I doubt it. Wright referred to tall and muscled men as great specimens. And in the book, he interchanged some men’s names with the word, “Giant.” One of their men folk went to college, and when he came home it was noted that he had lost his muscles; he was now a weakling. Next, Wright was complaining about education. I suppose this came from the Holy Bible, where it warns against listening to the philosophies of men. Maybe I am right about this, but I had heard this scripture used as a reason to not go to college. So, this book was a rough start for me. Yet, if you can wade through all this, it would be a great story.

It begins with a stranger coming up the mountain on horseback. He became The Shepherd. While his real name was Daniel, he was later called, Dad. I was surprised that Wright didn’t have him riding a donkey. Just that The Shepherd always reminded me of Christ. The word Dad reminds me of Our Father. And we know where Danile came from. Right now I am wondering if the book of Daniel prophesied the coming of Christ.

So, Daniel was riding up the mountain and met a man on the trail. He stopped to ask him if he knew of a place where he could stay the night and was directed to Mr. Matthew’s homestead. Matthew took him in and soon had him tending to his sheep. Now we get to meet the other people who lived in the mountains, and they are all fine Christian folks. At least there was no preaching, but at the end of the book there is talk of God, not the fire and brimstone kind that I expected, but a God that created everything, a God that was palatable to me.

There was talk of the Bald Knobbers, which I did not recall being in this book, but perhaps that was why I picked up that book about them at my childhood library in the first place. It was said that the government stopped the vigilante group when it realized that they had become just as bad as those that they were trying to stop committing crimes. Ah, but they had a few left in Wright’s book, because near the end of the book they held a meeting, but it didn’t go very well.

There were two love stories in this book. One ended in tragedy; the other difn’u. Even Dad’s life was tragic. He had come there to get away from the city, from what was bothering him. He finally had to face his own demons.

So, why did I love this book as a young girl? The author painted the Ozark country in beautiful colors, the people were wonderful, except for a few, and it was wholesome. And last of all, I still love books about mountain people. [

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Alerts:
– Murder
– Revenge
– Domestic abuse
– Violence
– Grief and loss

The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright is a classic historical fiction novel set in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas in the late 1800s. The story follows a mysterious old man known as the Shepherd who arrives in the hills and slowly becomes connected to the lives of the people living there. The book focuses on the Matthews family, especially young Sammy Lane and his mother, who have lived through years of hardship and heartbreak. As the story unfolds, the truth about the Shepherd’s past slowly comes to light and you begin to see how deeply it connects to the tragedies the family has experienced. It becomes a story about forgiveness, redemption, and how the choices people make can continue through generations. As someone who grew up in the Ozarks, this book was of particular interest to me. Reading a story set in that part of the country made it feel more personal, and it was interesting to see how life in the hills was portrayed during that time period. The writing definitely has that older style since it was published in 1907, but the setting and the story made it worth the read. Overall, it’s easy to see why this became such a well-known classic connected to the Ozarks.

[Cathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely story! This story is set in the 1900s within the hills of the Ozarks when a stranger comes traveling through and finds solace, home, and healing among the mountains. It moved me emotionally and had a few lines that stuck out to me spiritually. All the characters were so engaging of my emotions as I read this action-packed, sweet story. The description of the Ozarks was perfect. It really is a beautiful part of the US. I saw this play as a young kid and now I’m planning another visit to Branson to see this post-read. I’m making it 4.5⭐️ because the redundancy af giant and strength felt overwhelming and I’m not sure I’d read it again. Still was delighted with this read!

*"There is a bond of fellowship in sorrow that knows no conventionalities."
*"Small wonder our lives have so little of God in them, when we come in touch with so little of that God has made."
*No man needn't be afraid of nobody but himself."
*"A 'sure-enough' lady does not pretend to be; she is."
* "The lad went down the hill, his bright castles in ruin- even as we all have gone or must sometime go down the hill with our brightest castles in ruin."
*"More often than will be good for your picture, I fear. You must work hard, young sir, while the book Of God is still open, and God's message is easily read. When the outside world comes, men will turn the page, and you may lose the place."

[Tweety · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a marvelous, prefect ending! Haven't got anything to say about it all yet.. I'll try writing a real review later.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

My family and I found ourselves on an unplanned trip to Branson a week ago. While there, at a little store, I found this "gold nugget". I had never heard of Shepherd on the Hills nor the author before and the back of the book read "Fourth best selling book ever published and second most sold next to the Bible". This sparked my interest. So, I bought it and began reading. It is by far one of the BEST books I have ever read. The details of each scene were perfect. Everytime I opened it I felt as if I were there witnessing with my own eyes and I felt that I personally knew the characters. It made me want to live back in those times. I wouldn't say it was a christian book but it was "wholesome", and I recommend young teenagers read it for a good character reading. I am now going to find more books by this author.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a 1907 edition of this book and snapped it up, knowing it to be my mother's FAVORITE book of all time. I had given her a paperback reprint but she insisted that it had been edited and was not as good. I began reading them simultaneously and found her accusation to be true. First, the country dialects have been removed, possibly because they cast those who use them as less educated and refined and also because many of today's reader's don't wish to be slowed down with stumbling through pronunciations. I soon set the edited paperback aside and read only from the original volume.

Editing dialect out of books changes the spirit of a book. How is the reader to fully appreciate how new-comer "Dad" Howitt was held in esteem by his back-woods neighbors? How is the reader to detect the transformation of Sammy under his tutelage? How is the reader to know why Sammy works so hard to become worthy of her childhood betrothed who has come into fortune, education, and position where she is destined to join him outside the hills of their youth? Will the reader come to love the hill folks "just as they are" with all that means, as the Shepherd does?

Part Cinderella, part Beauty, part Phantom, this story echoes the human drama as Dickens and Hugo wrote. Like Thomas Hardy, Bell writes of that fragile transition from agrarian subsistence to frenzied industrialism. He presents to readers his thoughts on what real manhood and real womanhood is. Whether or not today's reader agrees is less predictable than it was to those who first read and loved his work.

I admit I used about 20 hankies through the last ten chapters. How much that had to do with my suffering from a cold, I'll never know.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding story. Young Matt (Grant Matthews) is a young, giant of a man living in the Ozarks with his parents in the late 1800s. His parents are hard-working, upright people who have raised him to possess good moral strength. The narrative pits him against the evil forces and numerous trials, which he handles with quiet dignity. He is the prototype for mankind. His perfect mate (physically and morally) is his childhood friend. She was promised to another before she knew about love and compatibility. Their inter-relationship is one of the several threads which weave the fabric of this story. These two are pitted against a cross section of humankind and struggle with the challenges which beset all good people in that stage of life when they are coming of age. The narrator is an older, educated man (the Shepherd of the Hills) who has retired from city life to the bucolic life of the Ozarks to find his moral bearings and resolve issues that have plagued him for years and can only be resolved in this region of the Ozarks. There is a bit of the supernatural involved. The author masterfully lays out to the reader (through the narrative) those eternal principles which are essential to lead a person to find inner peace. This is a compelling tale and I highly recommend it to all readers. I especially recommend it to teenagers and young adults. It deserves a solid 5 rating. A true classic.

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

My copy of this book is so old I was afraid there would be no image of it here on Goodreads. I am pretty sure we picked it up on a childhood (yes, mine!) trip to the Ozarks, when you could still find and walk some quiet but rapidly disappearing trails.

Although I cannot remember when this book was acquired, it’s in pristine condition and I value it more highly than most of the more expensive books in my collection because of its history...even if the historian in me is beginning to get a bit rusty/fuzzy on details.

I read The Shepherd of the Hills back when I was a girl and know I loved it, although before this reread, I could not remember exactly what it is about anymore, except that it is one of those stories which everyone must read.

The Shepherd was originally published in 1907. Now the lovely isolated rural hideaway described by the author, Harold Bell Wright, is “Branson”, a tourist spot with a big show and theme-park. The peace of mind and opportunity to rediscover God in nature which Wright’s character sought in the hills no longer exists.

But the story and the reader’s imagination are still possible, which is the value and beauty of this book. Open up its covers and rediscover an old tale, sweet and at times slightly predictable, but wonderful and one to be read aloud and shared from generation to generation.

Wright doesn’t paint an easy nor simplistic life in the hills of those long-ago days. It was not easy then any more than it is now, but it is so good that he preserved this glimpse of that life for us.

Highly recommended!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I found the views on manhood and womanhood to be a bit conflicting at times. sometimes it seemed more progressive than I expected, and other times extremely archaic. The mystery and intrigue kept me interested, and it was nice to read a piece of literature that is such an important part of the Ozarks.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Here and there among men, there are those who pause in the hurried rush to listen to the call of a life that is more real. How often have we seen them, jostled and ridiculed by their fellows, pushed aside and forgotten, as incompetent or unworthy. He who sees and hears too much is cursed for a dreamer, a fanatic, or a fool, by the mad mob, who, having eyes, see not, ears and hear not, and refuse to understand…We build temples and churches, but will not worship in them; we hire spiritual advisers, but refuse to heed them; we buy Bibles, but will not read them; believing in God, we do not fear Him; acknowledging Christ, we neither follow nor obey Him. Only when we can no longer strive in the battle for earthly honors or material wealth, do we turn to the unseen but more enduring things of life; and, with ears and eyes blinded by the glare of passing pomp and folly, we strive to hear and see the things we have so long refused to consider.”

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this 5 stars in honor of my mother who always told us it was one of her favorite books. She read it in high school. It took me a lot more years to finally get to it, but I agree it's a great read, good enough that I read it through twice in a row. It's an interesting tale with nice descriptions of the setting (one of the things my mom still remembers liking about it). Several little scenes leave you on the edge of your seat as to how they might turn out. There's a little romance, and some scandal. The honorable characters aren't perfect. They are trying to figure life out just like any of us, and each must face a crux in their lives in deciding whether or not they have courage and strength to take the high road. There are good moral lessons in the training of how to become a "shore 'nuff lady or gentleman" by avoiding shallow frivolities and developing depth of character instead.

[Susan Jo Grassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not inclined to read romance novels but this is not a true romance novel. There is, of course, the love between a man and woman but there is so much more; the love of nature and of God and all his creatures, the beauty of the Ozark Mountains, the peace of a time long past, a time that will never come again. Most of all this is the story of the love of life. The constant learning, growing and discovering what life is about. What it means to truly live as oneself. There is mystery, fantasy, cruelty, strength of character, forgiveness and redemption within these pages. I read this book as a young girl but must admit that it means so much more to me now in my maturity.

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh books of yesteryear! This book put Missouri (and Branson for that matter) on the map. For those of you who've never been, you'll fall in love with those Ozarks again and again in this novel. The people are pure, good and evil is obvious, where "ma" and "pa" comfort you. This book is like eating mashed potatoes and gravy on a cold fall day.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still a good book, but perhaps I shouldn't have read it right after George McDonald. My vision of God wasn't changed or refreshed, and Wright's stereotypes of manhood and womanhood was, at times, eye-roll worthy.

[Jason Pettus · Rating 4 out of 5]

2026 reads, #16. One of the details of American history I’m fascinated by is when some old novel from a century ago about a specific geographical area ends up becoming a huge bestseller, and the people in that area turn the celebration of that novel or author into a permanent draw for tourism, until eventually the rest of the world completely forgets about that novel and author altogether, yet that geographical area still continues to worship it like a holy text, to the evermore confused bewilderment of people who visit for entirely different reasons. For one good example -- and the example that first kicked off my lifelong fascination for this subject -- take Harold Bell Wright’s 1907 Shepherd of the Hills, the very first (and still one of the only) novels ever set in the Ozark region of southwest Missouri where I’m from.

A simplistic melodrama with strong Christian overtones, the original book ended up selling millions of copies and spawning four different Hollywood adaptations in the decades afterwards, including one in 1941 starring a young John Wayne. More importantly, in 1960 an outdoor theater was created there in order to do a nightly live theatrical production of the book (including the famous detail of a log cabin being literally built and then burned to the ground as part of the set every single night); and it was the massive popularity of this play that eventually led to an amusement park being built next door (Silver Dollar City), then a permanent country-music theater built down the street (for the Baldknobbers, whose members were in the cast of the theatrical show, playing the infamous Civil War gang of the same name, and who adopted the name themselves in order to promote their own musical show down the street). And it was these three things all happening in such short order that kicked off the tourist reputation of the city of Branson, which by now in the 2020s is a huge destination known by such names as “the country-music Broadway” (or perhaps less charitably, “the white trash Disney World”) for its now dozens of permanent theaters there devoted to the subject.

The nightly play (and next-door museum) was still going strong back in the 1970s when I was a kid, and I ended up seeing it something like three times; that’s always had me interested in reading the original book it was based on, which I finally did this week. It was pretty much how I was expecting it to be -- that is, hoary, overwritten, and badly sentimental, exactly the kind of pablum you would expect the mouthbreathers to turn into a massive bestseller in the first decade of the 20th century (the kind whose great-grandchildren turned The Da Vinci Code into a bestseller a century later for the same reasons, because time is a flat circle). But that said, let me also confess that I found it better than I thought it was going to be, and better than books of this type usually are, which helps give us a clue as to why it became so incredibly popular back in the day in the first place. It’s undeniable that Wright was a master at painting a visual scene in the reader’s head, and the various hillbilly locations featured in this book (Bald Knob, Mutton Hollow, the Old Post Office) really come alive under his deft pen, a strongly evocative pastoral story that I could easily see the citizens of the smoke- and trash-filled big cities back then falling in romantic love with and wanting to visit themselves, which is exactly what they started doing in bigger and bigger droves in these years.

You have to do a lot of forgiving in order to enjoy this book, not least of which is for its cartoonishly Dickensian ending of ridiculously convenient coincidences, as well as the fact that the majority of the book’s actual plot is only revealed to the reader for the first time in the next-to-last chapter, when the main character in a huge rush of exposition sits down and tells everyone else what exactly has been going on throughout this entire novel that none of us saw the least little bit of until that moment. Still, though, I consider the book as having been worth my time, and there were lots of little moments I ended up sincerely loving without a need for an asterisk afterwards; that would normally get a book 3 and a half stars from me, which I’m happily rounding up to 4 here at the no-half-stars Goodreads. I don’t exactly recommend it for everyone, but I do recommend it for those researching what exactly literary audiences were looking for at the start of the 20th century, plus of course it’s a must-read for anyone like me who grew up in Missouri and have always been interested in how Branson and the Ozarks ended up becoming the thing it now is.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

{3.5 stars}

Although sometimes I was a little confused with the events throughout this book, I liked that the writing wasn't as in depth as other classics I've read. All the characters were riveting, but I especially liked Sammy, Young Matt (especially how protective he was of Sammy...and just his honourable attitude in general), Pete (*sniff*), and Mr. Howitt. There were a few surprises along the way that I found intriguing.

The Christianity in this wasn't what I expected--it's more of a social gospel than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. At least it had that feel, but when God or Christianity was referenced it was in depth and worthwhile.

I thought it slightly strange that the preacher was mentioned on several occasions at the beginning of the chapter, but never appears as part of the story.

I would recommend this to classic lovers.

*Several swear words throughout.

[Kettie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got tired of reading about "giants" - there are 3 in the book and he doesn't know how else to describe them. "Young giant" is about as far as he modifies it. Manly men have to be big, anyone small is weak. Unless you're a woman and this story happens to have the loveliest little heroine anyone has ever seen. If you're from the city, you're less of a person than if you're from the hills. As far as it being a great depiction of the Ozarks, could've been the Allegheny, Adirondacks, or Appalachain Mountains and I don't think it would have mattered. Seems to be a fairly mediocre book and I'm not sure why it's survived this long. I don't recommend it unless you get a kick out of reading sappy writing. I have to admit I actually laughed out loud twice. "What a man!"

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully written, mysterious story showcasing the simple beauty of the Ozarks. This story has a bit of everything-- action, romance, good vs. evil, mystery-- all wrapped up with some wonderful lessons on what truly matters in life. Now I want to go back to Branson and catch the stage-play of this story!

[Cynthia Thomeer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book! Very captivating story set in the Ozarks in the early 1900's; full of mystery to the end. Dialect a little difficult to muddle through, at times (here's a freebie: " 'low" means "thought" ) but it's worth the wading. I plan to read the rest of the trilogy that I just learned about.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am overcome by the beauty of this book.

I thank my friend Courtney for telling me to read it.

[Mazzou B · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved this book! I am surprised I haven't read this classic before. I really liked the quality of this old book. I appreciated the character depth presented and the unique and dramatic back story.

[Lynette Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well written story that will keep you glued til the end. The only thing about it that I didn't like was how the author made the protagonists exceptionally strong, beautiful, healthy, and charming, while the antagonists were physically inferior. This is not realistic, nor is it necessary to make it a good story. But the author does also place value in character qualities. I give it 5 stars.

[Just Another English Major · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wright's prose is so beautiful; every sentence is filled with the yearning of the human soul. I read this book very slowly to take it all in and even reread passages. I was also unabashedly self-inserting as Sammy because Young Matt is the ideal man.

If you love the Tom Bombadil chapters of Lord of the Rings you should read this.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never even heard of The Shepherd of the Hills until earlier this year, though it was published in 1907. It’s in large part responsible for the beginning of tourism in Branson, Missouri, becoming the first novel in America to sell one million copies. Since I’m about to visit Branson for the first time in my adult life, this seemed like the perfect time to read this once well-loved classic that has fallen by the literary wayside. I’m very glad that I did. This is a lovely story, one with far more emotional depth and breadth than I anticipated.

Our story begins with a well-to-do city dweller coming to Mutton Hollow—which would become Branson in the years following the novel’s publication—in search of rest and answers and spiritual healing. He finds them all in the beautiful scenery and the endearing characters populating the hills. He leaves behind his life of ease and prestige for one of hard work and lonely nights as he takes on the role of a shepherd. The story to which our shepherd is party is one of joy and sorrow, goodness and hardship, love and grief and violence. I didn’t expect to bear witness to such a wide span of human experience in this book. It’s easy to see why it was so adored in its time, and why it served to draw so many people to the area.

Harold Bell Wright was a minister, and that came across in his fiction. There were some devastating moments covered in this book, whether in the backstory of a family or the violence that took place on page. These people faced some terrible, heartbreaking circumstances. And yet, through the shepherd and the love he develops for these people and this place, the love and providence of God shines brilliantly from the page by the novel’s end.

[Marla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why have I never read this book before??
What a gem! A new favorite classic in my eyes.

[Thaddeus Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for anyone living in the Ozarks.

I haven’t felt this way after finishing a book since the first time I finished the LotR trilogy, The Road, or East of Eden.