Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes Book Review

Synopsis

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.

My Review

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars

Another beautiful book by Amanda Dykes! It had themes of friendship, family, community, and faith and a cozy mountain setting which made it the perfect book to curl up with in the evenings!

I quickly grew to care about our original main characters, Mercy and Rusty. I love books about friendship, especially pen pals, so I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. I loved reading about this friendship between two girls with completely different personalities who began their friendship by writing letters as young girls. I also enjoyed getting to know the rest of the characters in this tight-knit community in the mountains. Casey was definitely a favorite!

I absolutely love Amanda Dykes’ poetic writing! I teared up more than once because of the beautiful way she puts things. She is definitely a talented writer! Her writing simply inspires me and I love that!
The faith content was beautiful as was the author’s note. It touched my heart!

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book! I loved that there was a mystery woven into this story. While it took me a little bit to figure out what was going on in the book, it wasn’t long before I was invested in these characters and their stories. If you love books with a mountain setting in the late 1940s, pen pals, poetic writing, and a mystery/treasure hunt, I think you’ll really enjoy this one!

*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a complimentary copy! All opinions are my own.