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Heidi Gray McGill
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Matters of the Heart: A Shumard Oak Bend Novel (Discerning God’s Best Book 3) Kindle Edition

by Heidi Gray McGill (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 690 ratings
Even when the war within seems never-ending, God promises hope and healing.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, where wounds of the heart cut as deep as any battle scar, comes a tale of resilience, faith, and the unyielding power of love.

Irish immigrant Katie Murphy embodies the spirit of compassion, fighting against injustice with a determination that knows no bounds. But when the town's magistrate stands in the way of her dreams of opening an orphanage, Katie's resolve is tested.

Hans Korhonen, a war-weary soul seeks solace from the chaos of his past. Katie and Hans forge an unlikely alliance bound by a shared desire to make a difference in a world torn apart by strife. As they navigate the tumultuous landscape of post-war America, they discover that true healing begins when we open our hearts to God's infinite grace.

Indulge in the captivating world of "Matters of the Heart," where compelling Christian Historical Romance meets the resilience of the human spirit amidst the 1866 reconstruction era. Gripping drama and unforgettable characters await, leaving readers breathless for more.

Written by award-winning author Heidi Gray McGill, let its timeless message resonate within you even after the final page turns.

For Misty M. Beller, Lacy Williams, and Linda Ford fans, this standalone novel in the Discerning God’s Best series will capture your heart and leave you breathless. You’ll love this book if you enjoy gripping historical drama and compelling characters. Binge-read the entire series on Kindle Unlimited.

• Full-length Christian historical fiction
• A standalone novel in the Discerning God’s Best series
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs
• Timeline: 1866 – 1867
• For fans of Misty M. Beller, Lacy Williams, and Linda Ford

Book One: Desire of My Heart
Book Two: With All My Heart
Companion Christmas Novella: Stitched on My Heart
Book Three: Matters of the Heart
Book Four: Healing of the Heart
Book Five: Written on My Heart
Prequel: Deep in My Heart – available for free with newsletter signup. Search Heidi Gray McGill to locate her website.
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  1. Book 3 of 6
    Discerning God’s Best
  2. Print length
    391 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    July 26, 2022
  6. File size
    1.9 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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  1. “When you are relying on your own strength, it’s fear. When you are relying on God’s strength, it’s reverence.”
    Highlighted by 66 Kindle readers
  2. He was telling her to live in the ‘yet’—that transitional time where she could grow and learn until He was ready to fulfill His will.
    Highlighted by 46 Kindle readers
  3. “When our identity comes from anything or anyone other than God, we will fail. It’s in the time between when we ask and God answers that He brings to light what we value or what has become an idol. Look deeper into that scripture and stop at the yet. When you’ve figured that out, you can move on to the rejoicing part.”
    Highlighted by 46 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Where did the idea for Matters of the Heart originate?

Before I was an author, I was the founder and director of an English as a Second Language ministry. The program touched the lives of students from 35 different countries. Regardless of culture, religion, language, or age, I found a substantial similarity in these students—they all wanted to improve their lot in life and that of their children.

Stories abounded of walks across deserts, financial hardships, desperate attempts to explain emergencies to medical professionals or law enforcement, failed verbal connections with schoolteachers, and an inability to obtain work because of their lack of language skills. Prejudice and distrust blocked them, culture shock took them outside their comfort zones, and the urgent need to survive made them scramble to dig deep inside and find creative ways to secure shelter and put food on their tables.

It wasn't that these immigrants weren't capable of achieving success. In their home countries, vocations varied from chemist and biologist with PhDs, to teachers, lawyers, and medical professionals. Others came from poverty and had little education but were not afraid of hard work, long hours, and low pay. They were tenacious, and they worked with relentless determination and a bullheaded resolve to achieve their goals. They relied on each other and soaked in everything around them in their desire to assimilate into the American culture and find a new place to belong.

Immigrants in the late 1800s were not much different. Individuals came to improve their lot in life and be a part of the greatest country in the world. In Matters of the Heart, Hans Korhonen leaves Finland with his brothers to take advantage of the land grants. Together, they work to establish a farm large enough to sustain four families and support troops during the Civil War. Yet, in their desire to belong and give back to our great nation, Hans's idyllic life changes through his service as a Union soldier.

Kathleen Murphy, or Katie, came to the United States to escape a life of extreme poverty and abuse in Ireland. Working in her aunt's boarding house offers more than a job; it provides the love and support of a family. Katie rises from her previous station and starts fresh with hope on the horizon. She finds a source of ministry that gives her life a purpose.

My association with my former ESL students helped me develop the characters in this book into individuals with whom readers can identify. I invite you to join Katie and Hans as they establish themselves in their new home of Shumard Oak Bend.

From the Inside Flap

Writing is my ministry. Finding unintrusive ways to weave God throughout my stories and into the lives of my characters is fun for me. I strive to write characters who become so real you think of them long after turning the book's final page. I work to write stories that leave you yearning for the same kind of faith as your new friend.

Join Katie and Hans on their individual and intertwined journeys toward faith, love, and acceptance. They may start out on different paths, but end up at the same place—right where God intended them to be.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B2V6R58L
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Heidi Gray McGill Books LLC
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 26, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.9 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 391 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 3 of 6 ‏ : ‎ Discerning God’s Best
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 690 ratings

About the author

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Heidi Gray McGill

Heidi Gray McGill

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Heidi is an award-winning and best-selling author. Whether historical or contemporary, you will find Heidi’s writing true works of Christian Fiction, full of God’s redeeming love.

Everything Heidi writes is purposeful. She believes in bringing a reader into the awareness of who God is to them and how He interacts with them on a personal level. She does this by crafting characters so relatable you feel part of who they are.

Heidi reaches deep into the reader’s heart through masterfully written words and offers ways toward healing by seamlessly applying God’s Word throughout her stories.

Heidi is an optimist who chooses to find the silver lining in life’s clouds of doubt. She lives with her husband of thirty-one years near Charlotte, NC. When she isn’t writing, you will find her outside playing with her two grandsons, walking, scrapbooking, reading, cooking, traveling, or finding an excuse to have an outing with a girlfriend.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
690 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book an enjoyable read with uplifting stories and interesting characters. Moreover, the book is full of wisdom, and one customer notes its realistic approach. Additionally, they appreciate the narrative style, with one describing it as well-defined.

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19 customers mention "Storyteller"19 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the storyteller's approach, finding the tales uplifting and believable, with one customer noting how God's faithfulness is woven throughout the narrative.

"Another wonderful story out of Shumard Oak Bend. These stories are always uplifting and even though tough times come the people in Shumard Oak Bend..." Read more

"A compelling story about two people who are more alike than they realize...." Read more

"...These books literally draw me closer to God. Living in the “Yet” is what I am taking from this one...." Read more

"Heidi Gray McGill is a great writer and storyteller. Her characters are well defined and consistent. I love how she resolves conflict...." Read more

16 customers mention "Enjoyment"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, with one mentioning it stands well as a standalone novel.

"This was a well written book...." Read more

"...God’s Best, Matters of the Heart by Heidi Gray McGill is easily a standalone novel...." Read more

"...Now I'll have to go back & catch up. But book 3 was extra sweet & I enjoyed it even though I didn't know all the people...." Read more

"...Each one has sucked me in and kept me reading. This one starts a couple years after #2, and takes off full of action...." Read more

10 customers mention "Character development"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book, finding them interesting, with one customer particularly appreciating Katie's unpredictable nature and another noting the bossy red-haired heroine.

"...You will enjoy the characters you meet in this story. Sassy, fiery, passionate Katie, with an impossible dream...." Read more

"...I stayed up way too late reading it! The characters are great. I can hardly wait for the next book." Read more

"Heidi Gray McGill breathes life into her characters. They are men and women I believe we can each identify with...." Read more

"Love, love how Heidi forms her characters so clearly...." Read more

9 customers mention "Insight"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book full of wisdom, with one customer describing the main character as a deep-thinker who is determined and adventurous.

"...Essie is also great with much insight and wisdom despite her young age. Highly recommended." Read more

"...He was definitely a sensitive, deep-thinker kind of man, and I really liked that Heidi made Hans this way...." Read more

"...Reverend Jenkins, oh, my! What a character he is!! And Aunt Aideen- so wise, humble, loving, encouraging, and willing to challenge people to be..." Read more

"...I highlight multiple passages that are full of such wisdom. I loved the stories of Katie and Hans. I know the fourth in the series is coming soon...." Read more

3 customers mention "Narrative style"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the narrative style of the book, with one noting its well-defined structure, another praising its descriptive writing, and a third highlighting its realistic approach.

"...and storyteller. Her characters are well defined and consistent. I love how she resolves conflict. Eager for the story of Thomas to come out!" Read more

"...It is a descriptive write that makes you feel like you are there. I highly recommend this book...." Read more

"...A fresh and realistic approach to some family dynamics is much appreciated." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • dktem
    5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming Story
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Another wonderful story out of Shumard Oak Bend. These stories are always uplifting and even though tough times come the people in Shumard Oak Bend always work it out with God's help.
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  • Linda Shenton Matchett, Author
    5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling story
    Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    A compelling story about two people who are more alike than they realize. Both are immigrants and struggle with overwhelming feelings of inferiority and poor self-worth, albeit for different reasons. In addition, Han suffers from PTSD although an unknown condition back then. Their journeys gave me lots of food for thought, and I found myself scribbling down quotes from the book. Reverend Jenkins is wonderful, reminiscent of one of my former pastors, and I loved him immediately. Essie is also great with much insight and wisdom despite her young age. Highly recommended.
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  • heidilynn7
    4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Story of God's Redemption
    Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    First Initial Thoughts:

    Katie is a young woman who has come to live with her aunt, Aideen, at her boarding house after her mother passed. She has a spunky, opinionated, and feisty personality and I chuckled a few times reading scenes where her personality shined through. Katie doesn't want to spend the rest of her life cleaning rooms at her Aunt's boarding house. She has the desire to help people. Specifically orphans and widowed women. She wants to create an orphanage for children and safe haven for widowed wives. Will she be able to achieve her dreams?

    At the beginning of the book, we follow Hans's journey at his home. He has just come home from the war and is probably suffering from PTSD. He helps out his family with the harvest season but because of tensions at home decides to leave and try to make it on his own. With almost no money to his name, he comes across Aideen's boarding home. He is offered to work at the boarding home in exchange for free room and board. Will he be able to find a new home and life? And recover from the war?

    Setting

    Heidi instantly takes you to the midwest during the late 19th century. It's still rough and rugged and many are still recovering from the war. However, I felt that the town was kind of unfazed by the war and I would have liked to see more relatable content in that department. However, you felt instantly transported to a time when most towns were just a street and immigrants embarked on making a new life for themselves.

    Final Thoughts

    The main lesson in this book I think is that we can't go about life all alone. We need people. We need a community, friends, and family to help us through the most difficult of times.
    Katie had such a temperament in the beginning and Aideen often tried to help her take that attitude without avail. However, I do think that was her personality it was tenfold because of the passing of her family. While I will not go into her past, I do think she needed to forgive to move toward the future she desperately wanted.
    Shumard Oak Bend is exactly what Hans needed. He has given up on God, which is understandable after witnessing the horrors of war. He was definitely a sensitive, deep-thinker kind of man, and I really liked that Heidi made Hans this way. I think more men in novels need to be written this way because we don't see it that often. Hans's redemption was beautiful and it reminds us of God's everlasting love and presence.

    Would I Recommend?

    While I haven't read the rest of the series, I do find that if you enjoy western fiction you will thoroughly enjoy this "Hallmark" Esque novel!
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Carmi Henderson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love, Love, Love This Series!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I found Heidi Gray McGill’s books thanks to my sister Tema Banner who is in a writing group with Heidi. These books literally draw me closer to God. Living in the “Yet” is what I am taking from this one. To find out what I am talking about you will have to read the book! 😊
    One person found this helpful
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  • PJGrace
    5.0 out of 5 stars God's plan of healing
    Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This was a well written book. Hans and Katie exemplify Gods love and plans for us through this book as a reminder that we seek Him with our very core and as we wait on the Lord He will bring His love, direction, Healing and purpose into our lives.
    One person found this helpful
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  • MERK
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent series!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Heidi Gray McGill is a great writer
    and storyteller. Her characters are
    well defined and consistent. I love how she resolves conflict. Eager for the story of Thomas to come out!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Babbling Becky L
    4.0 out of 5 stars Post-Civil War Novel about Immigrants, Faith, Following God’s Will
    Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    “You’re seeing your failure. I’m seeing your worth.”

    Third in a series Discerning God’s Best, Matters of the Heart by Heidi Gray McGill is easily a standalone novel. Set in 1866 Missouri, with the Civil War barely past, there are situations and a few words that some might find offensive, but which are true to the times.

    PTSD, homelessness, caring for widows and orphans, standing up for oneself and one’s friends, and running from God are all themes of this book.

    You will enjoy the characters you meet in this story. Sassy, fiery, passionate Katie, with an impossible dream. Hans, “tired of doing everyone else’s bidding. Tired of living under another’s rule. Tired of lying to himself that he could change.” Reverend Jenkins, oh, my! What a character he is!! And Aunt Aideen- so wise, humble, loving, encouraging, and willing to challenge people to be their best. Plus so many more secondary persons you will love as well.

    I love that McGill focuses on the fact that though people are different, working together brings the best results. I love the belief not in coincidence, but “God incidence.” Also, there is a lot Truth for living imparted in these pages.

    I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit, plus bought my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

    Notable Quotables:

    “So far, you’ve told me how you feel but not how God feels.”

    “You’ve shared your thoughts, desires, and plans, but you need to listen to what God would have you do. It’s His path that matters.”

    “…he wondered if he could ever outrun himself.”

    “He’d heard more than once that freedom cost dearly. The war may be over, but there was no freedom for those now enslaved by their scars.”

    “Don't make a decision based on a season of life that will alter the rest of your life.”

    “He was telling her to live in the ‘yet’—that transitional time where she could grow and learn until He was ready to fulfill His will.”

    “Yes, every step forward changes the view, it never remains the same.”

    “I trust my God enough to believe He will provide exactly what we need at the moment we need it. Not a second early, nor a minute late.”
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Scripture and story
    Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This town is blessed by good people. The stories are linked but you don't need to read them all to get it. The Scriptures spoke to me.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • S. Whalley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Faith filled challenging post American civil war novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 16, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Once again Heidi has written a faith filled novel that despite being set in America post civil war has many of the same conflicts experienced today all over the world.
    The Katie and Hans both struggle with feelings of insecurity and it takes them a while to realise their worth is not in themselves but in God.
    Pastor Jenkins is such a humble character but so full of wisdom if a bit conniving at times.- should he encourage Hans to preach when Hans does not have a relationship with God?
    Essie is such a light in a dark place a true example to us all of having a positive attitude despite her situation.
    They all eventually learn that it is God that is in control and He orders the steps of His people.
    Keep up the good work Heidi
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