All three of these novels have basis in fact. The authors even give you the actual battles, dates etc so that you can further research the time period if you so desire.

Each novel follows the same family through the harsh settling of the Appalichian mountains. The spiritual undertones are strong but not overbearing to a non- Christian reader. The reality and brutality of the time period is evident in this families heartbreaks -- losing their mother or father or a dear friend. But at the same time the reader can almost feel the euphoria of etching out a life in the wilderness and saying "I did it!"

I truely have enjoyed all 3 of these titles; reading one right after the other. I eagerly await the 4th in the series!

Hawk Spencer and Elizabeth MacNeal are now married and enjoying married life again. After only a week of being married Hawk and Sequatchie accompany Paul Anderson and Rhonda Harper to Williamsburg so they can be married.

Meanwhile, in Williamsburg Jacob Spencer, Hawk's son, celebrates his sixteenth birthday. Jacob also falls for Annabelle Denton. A few days after his birthday Hawk arrives and asks Jacob to go back to Watauga with him. Jacob can't believe his father even asked after he had abandoned him and left him with his grandparents for sixteen years and now finally wants to be apart of his life. Hawk tries to explain that he had to leave because he was mad at God for taking Jacob's mother, he also explains that now he is finally right with God. Jacob refuses at first until he is betrayed, then Sequatchie proposes a pact and Jacob agrees. Jacob's part of the pact is to go to Watauga for a reasonable amount of time and Sequatchie's part is to take him home after the time period.

It starts out rocky but things turn for the better when Jacob falls in love with Abigail Stevens, the bad part is Andrew MacNeal, his step brother, is also in love with her. The competition goes on for a while and Abigail enjoys the attention of the two young men but she knows she has to choose. Will Abigail's decision separate the family further?

All the while, Hawk becomes sheriff of Watauga and struggles to keep the frontier from having a full-scale war with the Cherokee.

This is a great sequel to the first book. I loved the continuing story of Elizabeth and Hawk. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. If you've read the first book and liked it I strongly suggest this one.

Beyond the Quiet Hills is an exelent book and I hope Gilbert Morris writes many more. I love his Writing

An excellent continuation of the Spirit of Appalachia series. It continues on with Hawk and Elizabeth's life after Hawk goes back to his family in the East to retrieve his son, whom he hopes will forgive him of his mistake of leaving him with his grandparents after his wife dies. It's a super book and I encourage all to read it!