The Shepherd of the Hills
The Shepherd of the Hills
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1907
Book Brief
Beta304
Novel • Fiction
•
Historical Fiction•
RomanceOzark Mountains, Missouri, United States, late 1800s.
•
World History1907
Pelican
Mass Market Paperback • 1992
Adult
13-17 years
Super Short Summary
In Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, the frontier community of Mutton Hollow faces nature, poverty, and violence by drawing together. When the well-spoken stranger Daniel Howitt arrives, prosperous farmer Old Matt welcomes him into his home. Howitt soon becomes the farm’s shepherd and a trusted community member, while Old Matt continues to grieve the death of his daughter fifteen years earlier.
Melancholic
Serene
Adventurous
Exciting
Romantic
Reviews & Readership
5,295 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Reviewers admire the novel as an absorbing, hopeful story, with a memorable rendering of the Ozarks. One reader praises its excitement, tender romance, accessible morals, and peaceful effect, while also finding the period’s descriptive passages overlong. Its sentiment divides opinion: that same reader adored the book as a teenager but considered it “sappy” as an adult. More academically minded critics have judged it weak as literature, even while acknowledging its extraordinary popular success and lasting cultural importance.
Who Should Read The Shepherd of the Hills?
Readers drawn to accessible, faith-centered historical fiction should try this novel. Its straightforward frontier story follows ordinary people facing wilderness hardship in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, while a mysterious elderly newcomer leaves city life and joins a close-knit mountain community. It will especially suit those interested in Christian fellowship, forgiveness, redemption, simplicity, and spiritual healing. With a reading-ease score corresponding to sixth grade, it may also appeal to readers who prefer an approachable classic rather than stylistically demanding prose.
5,295 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
A young Mutton Hollow woman whose education under Daniel Howitt changes how she regards her roots and prospective city life.
A prosperous farmer who welcomes Daniel Howitt into his home while mourning the loss of his daughter years earlier.
Old Matt’s son, a notably strong and respected young man who loves Sammy and competes with her other suitors.
Old Matt’s wife and a member of the Matthews family, which welcomes and eventually trusts the mysterious Daniel Howitt.
Sammy Lane’s fiancé and city-oriented suitor, whose prospective life outside Mutton Hollow shapes her opening hopes and choices.
The local bully, a former Baldknobber leader, and Young Matt’s coarse rival for Sammy Lane’s attention.
Sammy Lane’s father and an acquaintance of Wash Gibbs, connecting her family to a dangerous local figure.
304
Novel • Fiction
•
Historical Fiction•
RomanceOzark Mountains, Missouri, United States, late 1800s.
•
World History1907
Pelican
Mass Market Paperback • 1992
Adult
13-17 years
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