The Bridge to Cutter Gap Page 9

  “Let’s start those reading lessons soon, all right?” Christy said.

  “I can’t hardly wait,” Fairlight said eagerly.

  Christy nodded. “Neither can I,” she said with sudden feeling.

  She took a deep breath. The morning sun was full now, a glorious red gold, filtering down through these mountains that were her home.

  She felt a tiny, cold hand take hold of hers. “Ready?” Little Burl asked.

  Christy smiled down at the little boy. “Did you ever see a baby learn to walk, Little Burl?” she asked. And then, at last, she knew the adventure she had longed for was about to begin.

  Catherine Marshall LeSourd (1914–1983), a New York Times bestselling author, is best known for her novel Christy. Based on the life of her mother, a teacher of mountain children in poverty-stricken Tennessee, Christy captured the hearts of millions and became a popular CBS television series. As her mother reminisced around the kitchen table at Evergreen Farm, Catherine probed for details and insights into the rugged lives of these Appalachian highlanders.

  The Christy® of Cutter Gap series, based on the characters of the beloved novel, contains expanded adventures filled with romance, excitement, and intrigue.

  Catherine also wrote Julie, a sweeping novel of love and adventure, courage and commitment, tragedy and triumph, in a Pennsylvania steel town during the Great Depression.

  Catherine’s first husband, Peter Marshall, was Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, and her intimate biography of him, A Man Called Peter, became an international bestseller and Academy Award Nominated movie. The story shares the power of this dynamic man’s love for his God and for the woman he married.

  A beloved inspirational writer and speaker, Catherine’s enduring career spanned four decades and six continents, and reached over 30 million readers.