Discover A Chance for Kallie Mae by Ann H. Gabhart – a heartwarming Christian historical romance set in 1911 Kentucky where childhood sweethearts, forbidden love, and the hope of moonlight schools collide amid a bitter family feud.
In this inspiring story of second chances and quiet courage, Ann H. Gabhart brings to life the power of education, forgiveness, and rediscovering love when it feels long buried. Perfect for fans of clean Christian fiction and heartfelt historical romance, this novel reminds readers that God can redeem our deepest dreams—even when family expectations and old wounds stand in the way. If you love stories rich in Appalachian history, friends-to-more romance, and faith-filled encouragement, you won’t want to miss Kallie Mae’s journey.
Meet Ann Gabhart
Ann H. Gabhart has been crafting heartfelt stories since she was ten years old, when she first wrote a mystery starring herself as the clever detective. A true country girl at heart, she lives on a farm in Kentucky and draws deeply from its rich history, landscapes, and people for her novels. Her books weave together romance, family relationships, and just the right touch of mystery, always pointing readers toward hope and faith.
Fun Fact: I am a country girl through and through. I walk out on my farm with my dog every day and love feeling close to nature as I hear the birds, feel the sun, rain or snow, and watch the deer leap and run off across the fields. Sometimes, I take my characters with me on those walks and ponder their next moves or motivations to help me get the words flowing when I’m back at my keyboard.
About the Book: A Chance for Kallie Mae by Ann Gabhart
What This Story Is About?
What happens when childhood dreams of love and learning clash with a generations-old family feud?
She believed her dreams were buried until one is rekindled, but the other threatens to cost her everything she loves.
Kallie Mae Bertram has harbored two dreams since childhood: to learn to read and to one day marry Quinn Spencer. But her first dream slipped away when her little sister died of a fever and her mother passed in childbirth. Kallie promised to care for the baby and her younger brother, which meant putting aside her own desires in order to keep her family together. But then a moonlight school for adults offers Kallie hope of finally fulfilling that goal.
After Kallie’s father forbids her from seeing Quinn, her second dream seems impossible until her frantic search through the woods for her missing sister leads to an unexpected encounter with Quinn—their first meeting in six years. The love they shared as children burns stronger than ever, awakening hopes Kallie thought were forever buried. But with their families locked in a bitter feud, following her heart could cost Kallie everything she’s worked to protect.
Tropes & Themes
- Friends to more (childhood sweethearts reconnecting after years apart)
- Family feud / Forbidden love
- Moonlight schools & the gift of adult education
- Responsibility to family vs. personal dreams
- Healing through forgiveness and kindness
- Small-town
- Appalachian life in 1911
Why Readers Will Love This Story
If you’re searching for uplifting Christian romance that blends sweet second-chance love with powerful themes of education, family redemption, and faith, A Chance for Kallie Mae delivers a heartfelt escape. Ann H. Gabhart masterfully shows how God can redeem broken dreams and mend old wounds through courage, kindness, and quiet persistence. This inspiring Christian fiction story reminds us that hope and love can bloom even in the hardest seasons. Perfect for fans of clean historical romance who crave authentic Kentucky settings and stories that linger with encouragement long after the final page.
Author Interview: Behind the Scenes
What inner struggle drives your main character(s)?
Ann: Kallie Mae has a strong feeling of responsibility to her family since her mother died in childbirth when Kallie was thirteen. That tragedy kept her from being able to attend the new school being built close to her. She still desperately wants to know how to read but thinks she’s too old to have a chance for schooling now.
She also has put off any thoughts of love or marriage since she feels so tied to caring for her younger brother and especially her little sister, the baby her mother died bringing into the world. When a school for adults opens up, her dream of learning to read becomes a reality, but her chance for love seems lost when she is faced with an impossible choice.
What is the heart of the romance in this story?
Ann: When children, Kallie Mae Bertram and Quinn Spencer, met in the woods to have fun exploring and talking about anything and everything while praying a school would open close enough for them to walk to it and have the chance for education. They kept their meetings secret because their families were in a feud that went back to the War Between the States when one family supported the South and the other the North. More has happened since to keep the feuding fresh between the families.
When Kallie’s mother dies and Kallie has the responsibility of caring for her baby sister, she can no longer slip away to meet Quinn. Plus, her father forbids her to have anything to do with a Spencer. Years pass with no contact between the two, but when they have a chance meeting in the woods where they once met, long buried feelings awaken again in a love now between adults instead of children. The family feud and their fathers’ hatred for each other stand in their way. Definitely, friends to more after six years of trying to forget their young love when they last met at ages thirteen and fifteen.
What do you hope readers carry with them?
Ann: I want readers to embrace the joy of reading and consider what a privilege it is to have schools and teachers with a desire to make sure no one misses out on education. What we take for granted – the chance to go to school – was once not available to some who lived in remote areas. One woman’s desire (Cora Wilson Stewart) to eliminate illiteracy in a Kentucky County led to thousands of adults learning to read all across the country. I also hope readers will feel the strength and healing of family relationships when people are willing to put aside differences.
What Bible verse encouraged you during this story?
Ann: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 (KJV) I always put a Scripture reference whenever I autograph one of my books. I try to pick one that relates to the theme of the story. In this story, Kallie Mae’s little sister, Emmie, has a birthmark on her face that leads some to make unkind remarks about her.
While Kallie Mae hopes for kindness toward Emmie when she starts school, that doesn’t always happen. Emmie has to find ways to forgive when she is the brunt of rude taunts and to be thankful for the kindness she also encounters. I like to believe there are more of us with the desire to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving than those who are not, but we all need the Lord’s help to keep those kind feelings uppermost in our minds.
About the Author
ANN H. GABHART has been called a storyteller. With 40 published books, the title fits. Ann wraps her stories around Kentucky historical times. She’s written about Shakers, explored unique Kentucky settings for stories like The Pursuit of Elena Bradford and The Song of Sourwood Mountain, and mined her family history for Angel Sister, Scent of Lilacs, and more. For her new release, A Chance for Kallie Mae, Ann heads back to the Appalachian area in 1911 to share about the first Moonlight Schools that gave adults a chance to learn to read. Ann keeps her keyboard warm on her Kentucky farm where her dogs, Frankie and Marley, make sure she gets plenty of exercise.
Learn more about Ann and her books at www.annhgabhart.com
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