I Love to Tell the Story
Her heart is in the right place…
Bored with her life in Castle Town, Montana, Lillian Sullivan follows her friend’s suggestion and joins the horseback librarian program in rural Kentucky. Not only does she anticipate sharing her love of books, but she also wants to spread the gospel among the mountain people.
However, Willow Hollow presents her with one trouble after another and she struggles to step outside her shyness to share the gospel.
What will it take for Lillian to share her love of the Best Story? Can the power of the gospel overcome the shyness of her own heart?
This novella is part of a series with different authors, but can easily be read as a standalone.
Chapter 1
Lillian wandered through the mostly deserted town. The silver boom had died long before in Castle City. Then the economic crash happened about six years ago. The only people left now were farmers and ranchers. The mountains both nearby and in the distance were the only thing keeping her here. She knew from her few travels with her father that no other part of this state compared to this area.
Beauty didn't keep everyone here, however, as was evidenced by the departure of most of the young people as soon as they came of age. All of her friends had left for bigger, and hopefully better, things. Only two girls her own age were still here in the dying town, and both of them refused to talk to her because she was friends with Rebekah Peterson. Why that mattered, Lillian had never figured out.
She sighed as she neared the Peterson house. Such a large home for a small family, but Mr. and Mrs. Peterson had planned to have a lot of children when they married, not knowing that God had other plans. Including the death of one son in the Great War and two others in infancy.
Now if she could only figure out what God’s plans were for her. Her father’s farm needed only one person to run it, and their small cabin took very little time to clean. Only during canning season was she extra busy. Food for two was simple, even if she made a large, fancy meal. That left way too much time to sit around and… do what? Read? Sew? Go visiting? All of those things became monotonous after a while. And that was saying a lot since she loved to read.
Tears threatened at the back of her eyes, and she roughly swiped at her eyes in an attempt to keep them away.
“Lillian!” Mrs. Peterson’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Come over here if you are not too busy.”
Lillian turned her head and searched for the rotund woman. She finally saw her on the front porch and made her way over. “I was actually coming to visit you. How are you?”
Mrs. Peterson stood. “I am too young to sit around and too old to have the energy to do a lot, but am otherwise doing fine. And how are you, my dear?”
Lillian sank down and sat on one of the steps. “I don’t know. I don’t find enjoyment in anything. It’s all so repetitive. I just don’t know what more I can do right now.”
Mrs. Peterson patted Lillian’s shoulder. “Come inside with me. I have something to share with you.” She went into the house.
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