Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes: Book Review

 **I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

A lost treasure. A riddled quest. The healing power of friendship.

Legends are tucked into every fold of the Colorado mountains surrounding the quaint town of Mercy Peak, where residents are the stuff of tall tales, the peaks are taller still, and a lost treasure has etched mystery into the very terrain.

In 1948, when outsider Mercy Windsor arrives after a scandal shatters her gilded world as Hollywood's beloved leading lady, she is determined to forge a new life in obscurity in this time-forgotten Colorado haven. She purchases Wildwood, an abandoned estate with a haunting history, and begins to restore it to its former glory.

But as she does, her every move tugs at the threads of the mountain's lore, unearthing what became of her long-lost pen pal Rusty Bright, and the whereabouts of the infamous Galloping Goose Railcar No. 8, which vanished years ago--along with the mailbag it carried, whose contents could change the course of countless lives. Not to mention the fabled treasure that--if found--could right so many wrongs.

Among the towering mountains that stand as silent witnesses, the ghosts of the past entangle with the courage of the present to find a place where healing, friendship, and hope can abide amid a world forever changed.

The Author

Amanda Dykes is a drinker of tea, dweller of redemption, and spinner of hope-filled tales who spends most days chasing wonder and words with her family. She's the winner of the 2020 Christy Award Book of the Year, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten title, and the winner of an INSPY award for her debut novel, Whose Waves These Are. She’s also the author of Set the Stars Alight (a Christy Award finalist), Yours is the Night (recipient of the Kipp Award, Christy Award finalist), All the Lost Places (starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Foreword), and three novellas. Find her online at amandadykes.com.

Book Review

Amanda Dykes is truly a phenomenal storyteller. Each time I pick up one of her books, I know that I am in for a beautiful story... and this one was absolutely no exception. This was such a beautiful story of friendship and treasure, but also about the unexpected twists and turns that life so often brings about. There were moments that had me reaching for the tissues, but overall left me with a feeling of hope in the end. There were lots of twists that kept me invested in the story--- though I don't want to give anything away. Th author did such a great job of revealing just enough of past events as the story went on to keep me reading on. Throughout the story, the story includes letters, screenplays and newspaper articles blended into the main story... which admittedly threw me for a moment, but by the end I thought this really added a unique element to the story that I really enjoyed. If you're looking for a beautiful Christian historical fiction story with beautiful friendships, heartache and found family, this is certainly one not to be missed.

You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/3Rlgnrj