by Amanda Dykes
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 9780764239519
I've never met an Amanda Dykes story I didn't thoroughly get lost in! When I saw her next book was coming out, I couldn't wait to read it. I'm on her launch team and received the book for review.
Summary:
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.
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.
My Review:
Once again, the author has managed to pull me into a world of her imagination and bring every bit of the story to life!
I honestly don't know where to even start to describe everything in this story. I loved the different writing "pieces" in the story (wait until you discover them!). The characters will make you feel ALL of the emotions. It was so fun getting to know the girls through their penpal letters.
We meet Mercy who has left Hollywood under suspicious circumstances. The details unfold throughout the story. She makes it to Mercy Peak where her dearest friend and penpal, Rusty is from. Rusty is from Mercy Peak and through her letters convinces Mercy to come to her town one day.
Neither of the girls have lived easy lives, but through their letters, they encourage one another.
You absolutely get the small town feel through the author's writing. All of the added characters bring it to life. The people we meet on Mercy's journey to unravel the mystery of a lost treasure adds so much richness to the story. You get the sense of them all making her one of their own - in the best way possible.
We also get to know Rusty through the letters she exchanges with Mercy. She's cut from the mountain and tough as they come. She's a straight shooter who tells it like it is. Rusty is exactly the person you want in your corner. Unfortunately, her life took an awful turn, leaving Mercy to go it alone.
When Mercy arrives in town, the residents realize she's the one who now owns Wildwood, the estate of Randolph Gilman who the townsfolk basically despised and sadly, for good reason. He was one of the four boys who make a pact in regard to any future treasure they found. Life doesn't always go the way we plan and that's played out in the lives of these 4 young men as they grow older and tragedy strikes.
There's so much to the heart and meat of this story. Renewed hope, restoration (of SO many things), forgiveness, trust, and belonging. As a reader, we're reminded that the Lord can restore and He has a plan.
This story is so rich, deep, and sometimes poetic, I am honestly not doing the story justice with the review. It took me a while to read the story, longer than usual, because I didn't want to miss a single word. So, I took my time and savored it. I can't recommend it enough!
About the Author:
Amanda Dykes's debut novel, Whose Waves These Are, is the winner of the prestigious 2020 Christy Award Book of the Year, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten Romance debut, and the winner of an INSPY Award. She's also the author of Christy Award-finalists All the Lost Places, Yours Is the Night, and Set the Stars Alight. Find her online at AmandaDykes.com.
