The Shepherd of the Hills

My Grandfather, Roy Douglas Pogue, passed away recently. In honor of him, I'm sharing one of his favorite books, "The Shepherd of the Hills" by Harold Bell Wright.

Grandpa was born and raised in the Ozarks of Missouri and the kind, hardworking people of this book are so like him.

Quote from the book:

"This, my story, is a very old story.

In the hills of life there are two trails. One lies on the lower sunlit hills where those who journey see afar, and the light lingers even when the sun is down; and one leads to the lower ground, where those who travel, as they go, look over their shoulder with eyes of dread, and gloomy shadows gather long before the day is done. "

Synopsis:

Based on actual people and events during the end of the 1800's, this brilliant tale tells of the complicated lives of the Ozark pioneers. The story vividly portrays the account of the stranger people called Dad Howitt. Having a mysterious past, his life was bound up in theirs more than they knew. The story also tells of a father, bitter over the loss of his only daughter and seeking revenge; of magnificent, untutored Sammy Lane who wanted to become a lady so she wouldn't embarrass her fiancé, Ollie Stewart; of Young Matt who loved her in silence; of Little Pete, the strange boy that no one understood; and of the Baldknobber gang on their quest to control the region.

The Beginning of a Legend:

The Shepherd of the Hills was first published in 1907. It became an immediate best-seller and one of the first million-selling books by an American author. The book was acclaimed novelist Harold Bell Wrights second publication and certainly his most famous. It was translated into seven different languages and made into four movies, one starring John Wayne in his first Technicolor film. The book sparked the beginning of tourism in Branson, Missouri, and in the Ozark mountain region of Missouri.

My Thoughts:

This book is full of beautifully written descriptions of the Ozark hills and of the simple folk who struggled to live there. The characters are quirky and endearing. It is a lovely story of redemption with a very satisfying romance.