J. Gordon Monson’s “Sugarhill Families” Explores Faith, Family, and Forgiveness in a Small Missouri Town

J. Gordon Monson introduces readers to Sugarhill, Missouri, in “Sugarhill Families,” the first book in the Sugarhill Series.

Set in a quiet small town built around the Sugarhill Logging and Lumber Company, “Sugarhill Families” follows the lives of families whose histories, struggles, and relationships are deeply connected. Sugarhill is the kind of place where everyone knows one another, Sunday suppers matter, church remains central, and old conflicts can quietly shape the future.

At the heart of the story are two families: the Conners and the Smithtons. Samuel Conners is a respected husband, father, and shift manager known for his integrity and faith. Will Smithton, however, has carried years of resentment toward Samuel—dating back to high school football, an old romantic rivalry, and years of feeling overlooked at work.

That long-standing tension becomes even more complicated when Will’s son, Doyle, falls in love with Samuel’s daughter, Susanne. Their relationship has been kept secret, not because their love is uncertain, but because Doyle fears how his father will react. Susanne, however, wants a relationship that does not have to hide in the shadows.

Through family dinners, workplace conflict, church gatherings, young love, and personal struggles, Monson tells a warm and faith-filled story about what happens when bitterness is allowed to grow—and what can happen when people choose prayer, grace, honesty, and forgiveness instead.

The novel also highlights the quiet strength of women like Sally Ann Conners and Bethany Smithton. Sally Ann brings warmth, wisdom, and hospitality to her family, while Bethany longs for friendship, peace, and hope in the middle of a difficult marriage. Their stories add emotional depth to a book centered on faith, healing, and second chances.

“Sugarhill Families” is ideal for readers who enjoy wholesome family fiction, Christian themes, small-town drama, heartfelt romance, and stories about ordinary people facing real emotional choices. It is a story about family roots, hidden pain, new beginnings, and the power of God’s grace to restore what has been broken.

Readers are invited to step into Sugarhill and discover a story where love, faith, and forgiveness may be the only way forward.

Learn more about J. Gordon Monson and “Sugarhill Families” by visiting:
jgordonmonsonbooks.com.

Contact Information

April Andrews

FulFillment Officer

The Ewings Publishing

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