Born of Gilded Mountains
Mountain lore, a mystery, and mending of hearts are like the veins of gold in Colorado’s San Juan Mountain Range in Amanda Dykes’ dual-timeline novel. A blood moon pact between four ten-year-olds, heartfelt girlish letters between pen-pals Rusty Bright and Marybeth Spatts in 1928, and the 1948 arrival of a fallen movie star in Mercy Peak, Colorado, all set the narrative in motion.
Like the “Galloping Geese,” hybrid train/automobiles used to climb the mountains, the pace of the novel transports readers slowly and deliberately to reach the peaks, then builds speed toward the station with a satisfying, uplifting arrival. Dykes’ narrative, somewhat epistolary through the pen-pal letters, is also layered with newspaper articles, movie scripts, and interviews which reveal personal emotions and feelings, lending a realistic, captivating element. A riveting treasure hunt with ingenious clues and patterns, along with the search for the Galloping Goose #8, leads readers to a fascinating discovery. The train’s mysterious disappearance and its missing mailbag add suspense and personal connections to Mercy Peak’s citizens, some waiting years for life-altering news. Throughout the narrative, Dykes connects Mercy Peak’s present-day residents to the past through the possibilities of the mailbag’s contents. The author is known for her love of symbolism, and the mountains are cast as a character, representing life and the treasure they hold.
Themes of friendship, finding purpose, and hope are painted onto the novel’s canvas. The landscape, with glorious descriptions of mountain peaks and verdant valleys, is enhanced by the lure of the poignant tales and visions of those residing in the charming village of Mercy Peak. A soul-stirring, rewarding journey filled with forgiveness, grace, courage and adventure.
