The Shepherd of the Hills Summary
Harold Bell Wright

The Shepherd of the Hills Summary

It must be remembered that Wright saw his writing as a ministry to the people and all his works have a moralistic overtone. The Shepherd of the Hills, although no exception, is his most plotted story, based on an old legend about a city dweller who came to the hills and seduced, then deserted a young woman, who died shortly after her child was born. While this relationship was viewed as a crime, the overriding theme is one of renewing faith in God and man.

A stranger who comes to the Ozarks is the father of the city dweller, but conceals this fact and also the fact that he was a preacher at a big city church.

Instead, he becomes the Shepherd in Mutton Hollow, tending the sheep as he once tended his congregation, but gaining strength and peace in his solitude, instead of false pride and shallow...

(read more from the Short Guide)