When the Mountains Wept
"I had no idea what I was in for. I could not put this book down. It (When the Mountains Wept) was so riveting! It was beautiful. It was heart wrenching. It's so perfect."- Redeeming Lit Podcast
Award-winning-author Kendy Pearson "brings to life the Kanawha Valley's explosive Civil War history in this multi-faceted jewel of a tale inspired by true events."-Laura Frantz, Christy Award-winning author of The Rose and the Thistle
"Gifted storyteller Kendy Pearson makes this scene spring to life with her vivid storytelling, every character so expertly sculpted that I found myself missing them when I closed the cover."-Karen Barnett, Award-winning author of When Stone Wings Fly
Western Virginia's Kanawha Valley is a hotbed of rebellion tensions and mixed allegiances.Amid talk of war, Augusta Dabney tends her younger siblings and dying father. But when hatred sparks tragedy, peace is but a shattered memory. Heartbroken and desperate, Augusta searches for a way to protect all she holds dear.
Defying family and friends, Dr. James Hill declines a prestigious commission in the Confederate Army to join the Union cause as a Regimental Surgeon. When the Dabney farm becomes a crossroads of colliding forces, Major Hill commandeers their barn for a hospital.
He is running from his legacy, seeking penance for his past.
She is desperate to preserve hers, at any cost.
As a wise, former slave nurtures James's battered faith, cynicism crumbles, and James discovers grace and belonging with Augusta and her family unlike any he's ever known, even as he must face the horrors of war and the evil it breeds.
But when James comes face to face with his past, secrets unravel until deception ends in disaster, leaving Augusta with only one option. And it is unthinkable.
The Award-winning series - West Virginia: Born of Rebellion's Storm
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When the Mountains WeptWhen Heaven Thunders In Tempest Winds (spring 2025)
"With excellent attention to details of life in the 1860s and historical accuracy, the story brings the reader face to face with the personal struggles of Southerners in an untenable situation. It's not a story to be rushed through, and I highly recommend "living" in this book for a while."-Susan Pope Sloan, Award-winning author of the "Rescued Hearts of the Civil War" series.
"As West Virginia sat perched between the Union and the Confederacy, neighbors were forced to make difficult choices and kinfolk found themselves across from one another in battle ... Augusta and James stole my heart, and I rooted for them from page one until the very end."-Karen Barnett, Award-winning author of the Vintage Park Novels
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"Kendy Pearson brings to life the Kanawha Valley's explosive Civil War history in this multi-faceted jewel of a tale inspired by true events. Endurance, faith, and love shine through When the Mountains Wept, the first book in what is sure to be a stellar series."-Laura Frantz, Christy Award-winning author of The Rose and the Thistle
"As West Virginia sat perched between the Union and the Confederacy, neighbors were forced to make difficult choices and kinfolk found themselves across from one another in battle. Augusta and James stole my heart, and I rooted for them from page one until the very end. Don't miss When the Mountains Wept, and I can't wait to see what Pearson writes next."-Karen Barnett, Award-winning author of When Stone Wings Fly and the Vintage National Park Novels
"Kendy Pearson's debut is a stirring look at the people who lived, loved, and lost during the darkest period in our country's existence. When the Mountains Wept is a heart-rending romance between Augusta and James that reveals the God who is always there...even when we think all is lost. A story to savor and an author to watch!"-Tara Johnson, Author of To Speak His Name
"Kendy Pearson plunges the reader into life in western Virginia just before and moving into the Civil War. With excellent attention to details of life in the 1860s and historical accuracy, the story brings the reader face to face with the personal struggles of Southerners in an untenable situation. It's not a story to be rushed through, and I highly recommend "living" in this book for a while."-Susan Pope Sloan, Award-winning author of the "Rescued Hearts of the Civil War" series.
"When the Mountains Wept takes readers on an emotionally-layered journey, both heart-stirring and redemptive. Pearson pens a moving tale of family loyalty, complex devotions, and hope amid the turmoil. A delight historical fiction fans won't want to miss!"-Stephenia H. McGee, Award-winning author of "The Accidental Spy" series
"Oh, my goodness, what an emotional book! Some parts of When the Mountains Wept were so gut-wrenching, the raw history captured with such detail, that I had to put the story down for a bit and come back to it. Yes, I joined the titular mountains in weeping more than once while reading this novel, but I also chuckled & grinned a lot - and swooned a few times, too! James & Augusta's romance is a slow build (only because other, more somber, things are the focus) but it's such a sweet falling-in-love and made my heart smile. Amid the war breaking out around them, Pearson sketches a tender portrait of a close-knit family made up of vibrant personalities and lots of love. The Dabney family became my family over the course of our time together, and I enjoyed that we get most of their individual perspectives at some point in the novel. I grieved with them, rejoiced with them, laughed with them, cried with them... and I'm solidly invested in where their story goes from here."- Reading is My SuperPower
