What a beautiful book. I loved this story of friends unraveling a mystery while also healing from deep pain in their lives. There were so many characters in this book who went through difficult circumstances only to see God redeem those hurts and bring someone beautiful and good. There were moments of humor and a hint of romance. The addition of letters, news articles, scripts, etc. added some variety and fun. This is an author I always enjoy reading, and I think this was one of her best.

A boyhood pact made in the Depression Era ‘30’s, a missing train and bag of mail, and a disgraced Hollywood starlet are all part of a story that begins and ends at struggling little Colorado mountain mining town of Mercy’s Peak. I can’t decide if it was the poetic title or that blurb full of curious elements that had me highly anticipating new-to-me author, Amanda Syke’s latest release.

Born on Gilded Mountains takes place in 1948, but the story is one strongly influenced by past events that lead to where things are in the present. Mercy’s Peak is a dying old mining town that seems to have slept until Mercy Windsor gets off the train and things start happening as she moves onto the old Wildwood Estate. Mercy has plans to restore the estate for a forest theater company and hopes to help revitalize the town as a tourist destination. Mercy is the catalyst who stirs up ghosts of the past and in so doing also stirs the locals who seem to have been merely biding their time for years.

Mercy’s arrival and her reasons for coming there and leaving Hollywood are a mystery to the reader that are slowly unpacked through her engagement with others and old letters between two childhood pen pals that illuminate matters, slowly. Mercy is one of those young girls long before she found success and was merely a poor mountain girl in a miserable situation and only her pen pal Rusty’s descriptions of Mercy Peak kept her going. Those letters and some newspaper articles are slipped into the story along with the narrative portions.

Rusty and Mary (Mercy)’s friendship felt like the heart of this story. Mercy isn’t the only one who has a past. Rusty comes out of her self-appointed exile when she learns of Mercy’s presence and the friendship is there waiting for them. In fact, Rusty is only one of several people whose life seemed to have stalled out when the Galloping Goose and its mail went missing.

There is much going on with the plans for the theater production company, the finds on the Wildwood property, the clues to a treasure Rusty’s dad and the other boys in the Blood Moon pact were given years before. But, there is also a picturesque quality to Amanda Syke’s writing that doesn’t just simply state actions and thoughts, but gave depth, color, and complexity to a beautiful, inspirational tale of restoration and friendship. The people of Mercy’s Peak and the area were brought so vividly to life that I wish I could go there for a visit.

All in all, I felt this golden gentle story drew me in and made me part of the story so I felt and saw it all. Those who enjoy historical fiction with Christian elements with the focus on friendship and light mystery rather than romance should definitely add Born of Gilded Mountains to your reading stack.

It’s always such a treat to dive into another book by this author. She’s definitely one of my favorites. I find I have to set aside some extra time when I’m reading her stories, because I’m always stopping to re-read sentences and paragraphs. Her writing is so beautiful, poetic, and full of deep meaning that I love savoring it and soaking it up! The settings are unique and perfect, the characters are beautifully crafted, and the author’s imagination and creativity are brilliant.

The setting of this book in the small town of Mercy Peak in the Colorado mountains is captivating and delightful. The townspeople were so warm and quick to capture my heart.

“You’re one of us now; you’re ours when you live in Mercy Peak, so you’d better get used to it.”
“That’s the thing about Mercy Peak . . . they don’t give up on you. Not even if it takes a lifetime.”

I loved the unusual friendship and bond between Mercy (Marybeth) and Rusty forged through years of being pen pals and sharing their feelings with each other.

“You’re the sister I always wanted. God just gave you to me through paper and ink, instead of blood.”
“You were a light to me more times than I can count. We find ourselves in shadowed spots . . . we share the light. It’s what we do, you and me.”

Born of Gilded Mountains is an exquisitely-written tale that takes the reader on a journey of discovery, friendship, adventure, healing, and hope. The mystery embedded in the story was an added bonus with lots of twists and turns. The cover of the book is absolutely beautiful and so meaningful to the novel.

If you haven’t read any of this author’s books yet, you’re missing out on some riveting, magical stories. This one’s going straight to my keeper shelf with the rest of her books!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House. All opinions are my own.

As much as I love this author and have enjoyed other books by her, but this one just felt boring and uninteresting

This book was so cool! And very uniquely written. I have never come across a story told in this way. Told through the regular storytelling way yes, but in addition to that it is through letters, movie scripts, newspaper interviews and the like. This may be confusing for some readers but I found it so cool! Set in the 1940s,this story focuses on two women who were pen pals growing up. Marybeth and Rusty. They have lost connection with each other but find each other again when Marybeth, also known as Mercy Windsor, the movie actress, comes to Rusty’s hometown. I just really loved this story! I loved how they were reconnected! It was so beautiful! I also enjoyed the treasure hunt aspect that the women hunted. And of course I liked the Christian message. Overall, a fantastic and unique story and I definitely recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author and netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

“I sometimes think, when our dreams seem impossible to us, perhaps we just haven’t seen yet how God will chase after our hearts with those very dreams, in the unlikeliest ways.”

Beloved friendships, second chances, restoration, mystery, classic Hollywood, a treasure hunt, a hint of romance, & beautiful prose made Amanda Dykes touching story another winner! I loved this slow burn mystery that quickly wove its way into my heart. It’s a story that makes you want to hold your friends close & truly treasure your loved ones.

Marybeth Spatts never imagined how her life would change when a school assignment pairs her with a pen pal miles away in Mercy Peak, Colorado. As she & Ruby “Rusty” Bright correspond over years, their friendship deepens. When Rusty’s letters suddenly stop, she believes the worst. Now years later as a successful Hollywood actress, Mercy Windsor aka Marybeth visits the small Colorado mountain town after scandal forces her to leave. She purchases an old estate which holds the keys to Rusty’s disappearance & a lost treasure. As she works to restore the estate & breathe new life into Rusty’s town, she finds more than she dreamed.

This story held such nostalgia. Set mainly in 1948, I loved all the nods to old Hollywood & those classic actors like Cary Grant, Clark Gable, & many others. I loved the friendship between Rusty & Marybeth. It reminded me so much of Anne & Diana from Anne of Green Gables. Rusty’s letters are a delight & I loved how she expressed herself.

The mystery was carefully woven throughout and involves Rusty’s father who made a pact with his three friends as young boys. Clues are left in various places around Mercy Peak which point to the treasure. There’s also a missing mail car known as Galloping Goose Engine No. 8 which plays a significant role in the story. The lost mailbag in particular held so many secrets that would have changed lives.

I also loved the beautiful messages of restoration, appreciating life as it is, & the power of community & friendship. Told in a unique style, the story incorporates letters, movie scripts, press releases, journal entries, & written clues.

Highly recommend to inspirational historical fiction fans! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher through AustenprosePR. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided. 4-4.5 stars!

Born of Gilded Mountains is another beautiful, complex, magical story by Amanda Dykes. The story is about friendship and treasure to be found. Amanda's descriptive writing is beyond compare.

I really enjoyed Born of Guilded Mountains.

Not quite fully an epistolary novel, but definitely with elements of one, using letters, journal entries, newspapers articles, interview notes, and a screenplay, to tell a complicated story of love, loss, friendship, forgiveness, found family, and so much hope. Also, there is a treasure hunt.

Mercy Windsor, the beautiful Hollywood starlet, plucked from nowhere to go on to become the "it" girl, suffers a fall from grace. With her assets frozen by the studio she has a contract with, she takes what she has and buys a long run down estate in the mountains, in the town of Mercy Peak, CO. This is where her long-time childhood pen pal is from. She has come to Mercy Peak, determined to find out what happened to Rusty Bright, and possibly find the missing treasure.

Through their childhood letters, we get to know Mercy, aka Mary Beth Spatts and Rusty. We learn about their backgrounds, as they forge this bond together through letters alone. The letters between the two tell an interesting backstory, essential to the understanding of the character development of these two as they grow from children to adults.

The use of newspaper articles, journalist interviews, and other letters and legal correspondence helps to establish what happened to cause Mercy's fall from grace. Using this format made the story progress along nicely and made it more intriguing, rather than having it told in Mercy's words.

This book was such a languorous read. It was one you didn't need or want to rush through. It was a story that you could take your time with. Born of Gilded Mountains was a beautifully written book that evoked so many emotions in me. I could be laughing at all of Mercy and Rusty's adventures and banter, and then I could be sobbing for all that the town of Mercy Peak had lost.

This book was also a historical novel, set in the late 1940's in a mountain mining town, at a time when mines were drying up, and with them the town's around them. I loved the historical element in this story, including the aspects of Hollywood we learn about through Mercy's backstory.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction and a good story about friendship, found family, and overcoming hardship to find happiness.

Thank you to Bethany House for the advanced digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Historical fiction about a disgraced actress fleeing to the hometown of her childhood pen pal, where she becomes caught up in a treasure hunt. Honestly, this was almost a "did not finish" for me, and I skimmed through a lot of the last half. It just felt like the author was trying too hard and couldn't decide if this was a madcap comedy or a tragedy.

This novel is told through two very different yet similar women. We read about their friendship, their struggles, their lives while being a little lost and finally the coming together of the two in person. Rusty and Mercy became fast friend as pen pals through school. They shared their dreams, their secrets and hopes for a future when they'd finally meet each other. But as often happens, life gets in the way and the two seems to go in different directions while losing touch, but neither ever forgot about the other. So when Mercy no longer seems to have a career as a star, off she heads to the place where her best friend is from, the mountains where a mystery remains. Many mysteries in fact. I love how the novel was told through both women and also through their letters as kids. You really were able to get a deep understanding of how each one became who they were and got to where they were in life. This was a very deep novel, lots of scenery and storylines but it all comes together in the end. Thank you to the author for the complementary novel and for allowing me to be a part of the launch team. I loved being a part of this! This review is of my own opinion and accord.

You will want to set aside a chunk of time to read Born of Gilded Mountains as you will need time to absorb the story! This is the story of two young girls being raised by their widower fathers in the 1940s. Their lives are hard but a bright spot is when they become pen pals and can share their lives and encourage each other. The majority of the book takes place when they are adults and meet at a small mountain village where they help each other heal from disappointments in their lives. You will love the descriptions of the mountains and the people in the village as they find the answers to old mysteries. The author's writing is unusual and captivating. I highly recommend Born of Gilded Mountains to others. I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author and Baker Publishing. This is my honest opinion.

Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes read foremost as a story of friendship. The past and present relationship between Mercy/Marybeth and Rusty unfurled in a combination of narrative prose, typed screenplay, and pen pal letters. This revealing and progressing of their relationship came with timeline jumps, but dates and character ages provided clarification. The story demonstrated the power of friendship and reminded this reader to value true friends.

Born of Gilded Mountains held some emotionally intense moments and I cried more than once while reading this novel. In addition to the element of friendship, the characters traveled through grief on their way to healing the long-held, soul-deep wounds. The characters’ journeys felt authentic, and I especially liked how shared experiences and community played a part in the healing of the characters.

Although written as a standalone novel, Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes included a brief cameo of characters from her previous novel, All the Lost Places (which I highly recommend). While it took me several chapters to feel invested in Born of Gilded Mountains, I enjoyed the mystery/treasure hunt in the story. Riddles upon riddles, twists and turns… it felt wild and mind-bending, but delightfully unique and curious. 4.5 Stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

My heart is full. It will be challenging to leave the world of Mercy Peak and move on to another land in another book. Mercy Peak is where I long to linger. I wish that there was a genre for books that impact wisdom, for fiction that speaks deep truths. Born of Gilded Mountains belongs there, along with its predecessors that were birthed from their creator, Amanda Dykes.

I listened to Born of Gilded Mountains using the text-to-speech function on my Kindle as this is a busy time of the year tending the garden and dealing with its bounty. It took me a bit to figure out the book's structure. The story is enhanced by the inclusion of parts of a screenplay, excerpts from field notes belonging to a Hollywood biographer, excerpts of letters from two young pen pals, quotes, and words from a young girl's lexicon. These inclusions along with memories and flashbacks work to make Born of Gilded Mountains a multi-timeline story. These many parts come together to make a whole that is a gift, similar to being gifted a quilt that is as much art as comfort.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

It comes as no surprise that I absolutely loved this book by this talented author! Amanda Dykes has a true gift in storytelling, and her beautiful prose and rich characters shine on every page of her novel. The historical details and beautiful setting are the perfect backdrop for the development of a truly remarkable story. I often found myself immersed in the story and inattentive to the passage of time. The brokenness of the characters made the story feel real, and the beautiful theme of God’s redemption is powerful and moving. I love when I finish a novel and the themes and the characters stay with me, and this book did just that. This is definitely a novel that I will be remembering and rereading. It’s hard to describe all the wonderful things about this novel, but it truly is a work of art and highly recommended!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

An immersive tale that will embed you as a member of the small town of Mercy Peak, Colorado in the 1940's. It all begins as two young girls, from across the country, are paired as pen pals at the age of 10. Over many years they write back and forth to one another becoming the closest of friends. Rusty Bright lives in Mercy Peak, Colorado and Mercy Windsor is from a town in Carolina. As Mercy's life unwinds in Carolina as she becomes a young woman, she treks across the country to find her childhood friend.

From their letters over the years, they've discussed in length about a treasure that Rusty's father had one of the clues to finding. A tale of four young men that made a promise to find this said treasure and each was given a separate clue as to its whereabouts. But greed overtook one of them and the treasure was never found. Now Mercy Windsor is returning to Mercy Peak to hold of her end of the promise she made Rusty in finding this treasure.

The three main elements in this book circle around friendship, small town dynamics, and the mysterious treasure.

Friendship

Across the country and only on paper, these two young woman created an inseparable bond of friendship that carries through the entire story. Their bond is reflected in the people of Mercy Peak and in their adventures together to solve the mystery of the hidden treasure. But the way Dykes represents this friendship was inspiring and heartfelt. There were so many areas in the story where a small reminder of their closeness had my eyes watering. It's not often in life you find such heartfelt friendship and the way these two cherish their connection was a wonderful experience.

Small Town Dynamics

Mercy Peak is by all means, a small town. It's represented as a mining town that is drying up as the miners leave and all that could be found has been. The small population is struggling financially, but wealthy in their relationships and support of one another. Everyone knows everyone else's business, but in a way that they are all there to help one another. Whether it's a meal for someone or helping to fix something that's broken. One of my favorite characters of this town was Priscilla Murdock. She's the younger sister of one of the men that left the clues for the treasure and her story was emotional and heartbreaking in so many ways. Plus, she's a little quirky and I really enjoyed her presence.

Mysterious Treasure

The plot emphasis is on finding this treasure or at least understanding the clues left behind. The story has it that these four boys made a promise on a mountainside during a full moon that no matter what happened with all of them, that they'd come back and find it together. One of them did find it and left clues for the others including a cylinder, a rope of leather and some written words with their first clue. But they had to work together to use these clues and it just never happened. Along the way, the only surviving one of them tried to figure it out before he finally perished. It's completely up to Rusty and Mercy to put all the clues together and the right the wrongs of the formed generations group of friends.

My Thoughts:

This is the fifth book of Amanda Dykes that I've read and once again I am at a loss for words. Using beautiful imagery and letters between the two main characters Ms. Dykes pulls her readers into the beauty of the Colorado mountains and old Hollywood.

It is a story of friendship, hardship, healing and redemption. There is a bit of romance and a mystery woven through.

Amanda Dykes' is a master storyteller who weaves an intricate tapestry like a beautiful painting, pulling the reader into a story they will never forget.

Bottom Line:

I was pulled in from the beginning and couldn't stop thinking about the characters and the story. I hated for it to end and it will be on top reads for 2024.



Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"A gift's a gift, plain and simple. Not just when someone sees it."

This story is a gift - an intricately woven, beautifully crafted, struggle- and hope-filled gift to the reader and the literary world. A story of the struggles, pain, and hope of unmet expectations, the incredible power of friendship, and the impact of belonging - to a person, to a community, to God.

If you've read Amanda Dykes before, this is just what you'd expect and more. If you haven't, you are in for a treat and an adventure. You may never forget Rusty Bright, Marybeth Spatts/Mercy Windsor, or any of the other people who populate Mercy Peak. I know I won't.

Highly recommended!

Anything I can think of to say about Amanda Dykes’s writing pales. As I opened her newest book, I was reminded on the very first page of just why I love her writing so much: it’s so beautifully descriptive, with rich metaphor and symbolism used to convey word pictures that transport the reader. She expertly uses the English language to build paragraphs that make me what to go back and reread them again just to enjoy their…rightness. This type of writing is unusual in contemporary authors, but it’s a writing that I deeply value.

Gilded Mountains is a story that contains both peaks and valleys. Readers get to experience the mountain peaks of deep friendships, loyal community, & a picturesque setting of a tight knit mountain town. But true to life, readers also encounter the valleys of grief, misunderstanding, and how we respond when life looks different than we imagined.
Through the use of narrative, letters, and articles, you’ll be taken on a spell-binding treasure hunt using clues, codes, and ciphers. Mostly a story of friendship, there’s a thread of romance and a bit of wit and clever humor mixed in. It’s a story of grit & resilience, of hardship & healing, of redemption & restoration, of hope. Ultimately, it’s a story of “the great and undeserved kindness of this life”.

Amanda is a masterful storyteller who weaves an intricate story, a beautifully complicated tapestry of details and events; this being said, it took me a little bit to get oriented to the story and I maybe missed a few “stitches”.

😇 glorifying to God in its references to Him and its appreciation for His created world; many strong Gospel themes; characters have authentic and meaningful spiritual conversations
😍&🤐: no language or bedroom content!

Thank you to BethanyHouse Publishers for the complimentary ebook in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Another beautifully written novel by Amanda Dykes. History and fiction are once again woven together with God's love and care for us in a wonderful way.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

My goodness.

Amanda's novels are some of the most beautifully worded, lyrical books I have ever had the privilege of reading. Yours is The Night has been my favourite since it came out, but Born of Gilded Mountains is currently vying for first place.

The year is 1948 and Mercy Windsor has just arrived in the small town of Mercy Peak. She's been exiled from her role as Hollywood's leading lady and finds herself the new owner of an estate that has seen better days. As she begins to restore Wildwood to the beautiful home it once was, she is haunted by the memories of her long-ago pen pal. Rusty Bright was the closest thing to a sister Mercy ever knew, despite never having met in person. Tangled among the memories is the pull to uncover what happened to the town's infamous Galloping Goose Mailcar Number 8, which vanished on the same night that Mercy first visited Mercy Peak so many years before. Oh, and did I mention there's a treasure?

Born of Gilded Mountains is an incredible tale of friendship, forgiveness, and redemption. The story unfolds with an unexpected mixture of letters, screenplay, and news articles helping to enrich the storyline and adding an extra layer to the plot. Although some pieces may feel a little disjointed initially, it all comes together to paint a beautiful, heart-touching story that will stick with you for weeks to come. The characters are fantastic and the writing is incredible. You can almost see the quaint mountain village and feel the chill of the old estate and the inky blackness of the mine shaft. I can't say too much about the plot without giving away some key details, but this easily makes it into my top ten novels for the year. You won't regret reading this one!

*I received a complimentary copy of Born of Gilded Mountains through the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.