Born of Gilded Mountains
About
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.
Endorsements
"Readers will be utterly enchanted by Dykes's Hepburn-esque heroine who brings the glitz of the Golden Age of Hollywood deep into the heart of the mountains in a last-ditch effort to keep a broken promise. They'll uncover a tale that reminds us all that no matter how impossible things may seem, there's always room for restoration. Unforgettable."
Amanda Cox, bestselling and award-winning author of He Should Have Told the Bees
"Amanda Dykes is one of the most creative and talented storytellers I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Born of Gilded Mountains is a symphony of characters who resonate, pitch-perfect pacing, and a setting that sings. Settle in for a tale worth savoring down to the last note."
Jocelyn Green, Christy Award-winning author of The Metropolitan Affair
"A mountain-sized treasure of a tale, artfully scripted, skillfully penned. Dykes has outdone herself in this nostalgic and heartfelt portrayal of friendship beyond measure and redemption beyond circumstance. Bravo!"
Nicole Deese, Christy Award-winning author of Roads We Follow
"Amanda Dykes has achieved a new level of storytelling with Born of Gilded Mountains. Glimmering in charm and rich in heart, this novel stunned me and compelled me to journey deeper and deeper into the lives of Mercy and Rusty. This is the perfect book to enjoy with friends."
Susie Finkbeiner, author of The All-American and Stories That Bind Us
The Author
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Amanda Dykes
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...
Continue reading about Amanda Dykes
Reviews
"A story of friendship, grief, and healing. Dykes is an expert in guiding readers through her unique blend of literary complexity."
Booklist
"Dykes doles out just enough clues to keep pages turning in this sweeping historical mystery where each character is fully developed, similar to the novels of Chris Fabry or Stephanie Landsem."
Library Journal starred review
"Born of Gilded Mountains is replete with adventure after adventure, clues upon clues, majestic descriptions of nature, emotionally complex characters, biblical truth, and portrayals of the harshness of life in mining communities and Hollywood culture."
The Banner