The Shepherd of the Hills

The year was 1999. Most of my friends at the time were in their late teens. I was twenty. We were a group obsessed with music, we all knew we were destined for a future in the auditory arts. A couple are still involved in making music; most of us gave it up a decade or more ago. We all had a faith in God, though I think that's largely been shaken at this point. Most of the time we hung out, we discussed music, movies, books, and theology. That year, we fell under the tutelage of a much older mentor. He challenged us in many ways. He inspired us to think outside of the conventions of faith and brotherhood. We loved him and we believed he loved us. He ended up being a creeper in the end, but that's a story for another time.
Every time my show more friends and I discussed lit, our mentor would chime in with his favorite author: Harold Bell Wright. None of us had heard of him. Wright was an author of a different time who'd largely been left behind. Our mentor swore by the brilliance and majesty ofThe Shepherd of the Hills. One by one, my friends read it and brought their opinions of the book back, and before long entire nights were spent discussing The Shepherd of the Hills. I planned on reading it back then, but life took me slightly on the outside of the group and I hadn't returned to the idea in the two decades since.

The Shepherd of the Hills was a widely successful book in its day: 1907. I can see why. It’s a gripping tale that toes some of the era’s conventions without stepping over any lines. The Shepherd of the Hills features the same kind of blend of mystery and adventure that made Mark Twain what he was, but in place of Twain’s signature witticism, Wright inserts spirituality. And this spirituality is interesting, because on one hand it feels very orthodox Christian, but on the other it is full of a mysticism that I would've imagined not accepted by people of faith at the time. Likewise, the novel has progressive thoughts regarding marriage, gender roles, and other things while at the same time remaining firmly rooted in a very conservative soil.

The Shepherd of the Hills is in part an adventure story, but it is just as much a love letter. It is a love letter to the Ozark hills of Missouri and an allegory for the love letter of Jesus. Surprisingly, considering that the author could've written a very cloying Jesus-loves-you tale without alienating his audience, Wright was cautious in laying the religious allegory on too thick. Even so, I thought the tale dragged on a bit too long for my tastes. The longer it goes, the more the plot is replaced with introspection, and the more Wright’s spiritually intriguing story is pushed aside for a traditional sermon. I think Harold Bell Wright’s story is still read today because it is just different enough and it is mechanically sound, but I do have doubts that it’ll persevere through the next generation or two. There are other authors that I believe better captured the time and they will be the ones who will be remembered in the future.

I think that if I had I read this novel in 1999, along with most of my friends, I probably would’ve “agreed” with our mentor that it was a fabulous book. That’s what you do when you’re young and under the influence of another. I might've even enjoyed it some, but in reality, I wouldn't have loved it all that much. Twenty years late to the party, I can only say that it was a fine read, certainly a good example of the twentieth century’s first decade, but it didn’t grab me the same way it grabbed him. For my former mentor, this was the book to end all books. I’m sure he had his personal reasons why this book touched him so and they probably had to do with the person he was at the moment he first read it. That’s the subjectiveness of reading. Our impression of the written word is a greater reflection of the person we are at the moment we read it than of the work itself. So all that said, if you read my review because you wanted his opinion, then by all means this a five-star book. show less

The "shepherd" of the title is an old man from the city, broken and weary by family tragedy, who has journeyed to the Ozark hills to escape his painful memories and quench his spirit in the beauty and simplicity of the Hills and their people. Here, he is taken in and befriended by a family who, he finds, are direct victims of his family's painful past, and he resolves to make his place among them and make things as right as he is able. He eventually becomes accepted and loved by (most of) the hill people for whom he has become a Shepherd in every way. But eventually his past comes alive to drive a wedge between him and the secluded people whom he has come to love and protect, and he must try to reintroduce the concepts of forgiveness show more and mercy to a clan of people marked by rough justice.

This is a moving and powerful story, and the occasional lapses into Ayn Randian concepts of physical beauty signifying inner quality can perhaps be overlooked in light of the book's publication date, 1907. More distracting is the author's occasional tendency to portray momentous events and decisions, but then to gloss over the immediate aftermath, jumping ahead to a time when the event has been absorbed and moved on from. This happens a few times, and is a bit disconcerting. But on the whole this is a beautifully told story, with characters of plain and rough integrity whose fates become important to the reader. This was a John Wayne movie in 1941, which I have yet to see and am now mighty curious about. show less

I liked much of the storyline here--the style of the writing is just what I like for relaxing bedtime reading. I like the idea of getting closure and overcoming pride.

But I also was really annoyed at this repeated concept of purity of blood, purity of human form. I think that the intent was to encourage good character in people--positive traits of courage and so forth. However, the concept smacked too much of eugenics. Perfect people of physical prowess begetting children like young gods. Left me with a bad taste.

I wanted to like this book better than I did. I loved the story of a stranger coming to a rural Ozarks community and changing lives, but the dialect became tedious after a while and the Christianity was heavy-handed. Not really for me, but I'm sure others will love it.

I have watched the film version several times starring John Wayne and enjoyed the movie as much as for the actors as for the story. But having just read the book, I felt like I was cheated. The book is so much better than the film and the story makes much more sense in the book. In fact, other than some character names and the setting, the film is a different story altogether. The book is much more satisfying.

This story is full of secrets .. and the backwoods ways of Ozark mountain folk. As the story begins a stranger appears portraying a gentle spirit despite his obvious sophistication. He takes a job herding sheep for the Matthews family, and soon becomes well-loved by the community of Mutton Hollow who begin referring to him as Dad Howitt. He is trusted for his wisdom and belief in God. In the shepherd's back story, he has made his way to the hills to escape the apathy of city life and rediscover his faith. The beauty of the hills bring peace to Dad as he tries to heal from the loss of his son who disappeared there years ago. When Mr. Matthews, Old Matt, confides in Dad about the history of his daughter's death, Dad soon realizes that it show more was his son who broke her heart. The story is very involved and intertwines the lives of more than one character.

There is Sammy, a beautiful, strong mountain girl who Young Matt, son of Mr. Matthews, dreams of marrying one day. Wash Gibbs, leader of an outlaw gang, also has his sights set on Sammy. While meanwhile Ollie, a city slicker, wants to take Sammy away from the “common” life of Mutton Hollow. Ollie thinks Sammy will make a refined lady to compliment him, and covets the idea of having her as his own. Sammy asks Dad to mentor her and teach her to be a proper lady, thinking she isn't worthy of Ollie. Soon she realizes that fine dresses and sophisticated ways mean nothing without mild manners and a humble spirit. Sammy already is a “lady” and living in the city would only leave her homesick for the mountains.

Sammy finds Young Matt is a strong, courageous man and sees Ollie's true colors when Wash Gibbs tries to take advantage of her. Dad Howitt finds a grandson he never knew about and is able to reunite with his long lost son …. These highlights are discovered through astonishing, honest, and believable details that make this story unforgettable!

Harold Bell Wright has a knack for connecting his characters by exposing their motives in ways that allow the reader to predict reactions, but at the same time elicits surprise at what happens next. Even while I was on the right track … figuring out the plot, I was amazed by the way pieces of the story came together. The descriptions of nature .. sunsets, smell of honeysuckle, sound of the wind, lightening and fury of storms made the scenery so visible it was like I was right there.

~ Spoiler ~ The quick summary given here does not do justice to this wonderful story. It is one which I'm sure I'll read again. Love and loss, tragedy and triumph … The Shepherd of the Hills made me realize that everything can be alright when it seems like nothing is. show less

It took me awhile to get into this book. I'm glad I did. Many things interupted my reading, so I started again. This book does a fabulous job describing the beauty of a place. It is full of wonderful characters. Mr Wright is a great storyteller. Well tied up at the end.