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Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
What Heals the Heart by Karen A. Wyle is a historical romance that takes place in a small Nebraska town after the Civil War. The story follows Dr. Joshua Gibbs, a veteran who’s traded the battlefield for life as a country doctor. He also still carries the weight of his past and, in some ways, cannot move on from it. As he settles into his new home, he crosses paths with new people who begin to quietly change the course of his life, including a thoughtful farmer’s daughter, Clara. She’s a bit reserved, but quite intelligent. He also meets Freida Blum, a warm and talkative widow who quickly befriends him and encourages him to connect with others. Life on the frontier, after one of the most difficult times in U.S. history, is captured while blending themes like healing, community, and second chances. At its heart, it’s a story about finding a lasting connection and the possibility of love, even after loss and heartache.
Karen A. Wyle’s What Heals the Heart pulled at my heartstrings. I was first drawn to the book by its cover with the two intriguing people on it. Then I read the description, and I knew I had to read the book. I appreciated the amount of information that taught me so much about life after the Civil War in a rural town. Joshua puts a lot of trust in the Shawnee, which seemed to be unusual for the time. They taught him about herbal powders and how milk sickness was transmitted through the consumption of animals that fed on snakeroot. I did not know that before reading about it. I also felt that the characters were real. I rooted for them from the beginning. By the end, I wasn’t just entertained, I felt like I’d stepped into their world and shared in their journey of healing.
