My Thoughts on These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas

 

About:

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda is stunned to see Fritz's name in a photograph of an American memorial for German seamen who died near Asheville, North Carolina. Determined to reclaim his body and bring closure to his ailing mother, Hedda travels to the US. Her quest takes a shocking turn when, rather than Fritz's body, his casket contains the remains of a woman who died under mysterious circumstances.

Local deputy Garland Jones thought he'd left that dark chapter behind when he helped bury Fritz Meyer's coffin. The unexpected arrival of Hedda, a long-suffering yet captivating woman, forces him to confront how much of the truth he really knows. As they work together to uncover the identity of the woman in the casket and to unravel Fritz's fate, Hedda and Garland grow closer. But with Hedda in the US on borrowed time while Hitler rises to power in Germany, she fears she'll be forced to return home before she can put the ghosts of her past to rest.

My Thoughts:

This was an intriguing and unique historical read. This story takes place between WW1 and WW2. Hedda, a German woman has come to America as she has finally had word on her missing fiancé. Her fiancé has been missing for fifteen years. What she steps into in America is a mystery that has taken many by surprise as graves are dug up to return the bodies home to Germany. Fritz is not the one in his grave. What really happened that night Fritz supposedly died, where can he be, and is there any hope she will ever find out?

Hedda meets and gets to know police officer Garland, who actually knew Fritz while Fritz was in the German internment camp. Garland is also just as confused as to what happened that fateful night, since he was pulled into it all of it due to him digging the grave. This story kept me turning the pages as Garland and Hedda searched for the answers they so desperately needed.

The setting from Germany to North Carolina during this tumultuous time in history provided that unique backdrop. The tension as the world was entering into another world war was palpable, and Hedda needed to know where she belonged and where she could call home. An unforgettable read.

I was provided a copy of this novel from Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.