Review: Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson

June 28, 2018

Title: Catching the Wind
Author: Melanie Dobson
Publisher: Tyndale House
Pages: 416
ISBN: 978-1-4964-1728-2
Publication Date: May 9th, 2017

About the Book:
What happened to Brigitte Berthold?

That question has haunted Daniel Knight since he was thirteen, when he and ten-year-old Brigitte escaped the Gestapo agents who arrested both their parents. They survived a harrowing journey from Germany to England, only to be separated upon their arrival. Daniel vowed to find Brigitte after the war, a promise he has fought to fulfill for more than seventy years.

Now a wealthy old man, Daniel's final hope in finding Brigitte rests with Quenby Vaughn, an American journalist working in London. He believes Quenby's tenacity to find missing people and her personal investment in a related WWII espionage story will help her succeed where previous investigators have failed. Though Quenby is wrestling her own demons--and wary at the idea of teaming up with Daniel's lawyer, Lucas Hough--the lure of Brigitte's story is too much to resist. Together, Quenby and Lucas delve deep into the past, following a trail of deception, sacrifice, and healing that could change all of their futures.
My Thoughts:
I have been a fan of Melanie Dobson's writing for a while. She has a wonderful ability to capture historical details and make them pop.

Catching the Wind was a unique story. It is one that is a duel time line. One present day, one set during WW2. And what intertwines them is a mystery that happened during the war. Quenby is hired to use her investigative ability to solve this 75 year old mystery. Daniel Knight, the man who hired Quenby is desperate. His despair is evident, and as you read, you can't help but hope for him that he gets answers.

As the mystery and story unfolds, this book shows how much the decision of one person can affect the lives of many, over multiple generations. As the story moves, you can't help but wonder where the next turn will take you or how it will be connected if it will be at all.

I downloaded this audio-book and I have to say, the narrator was phenomenal! I will say, starting off, I wasn't sure how I would like this narrator, but as the story progressed, she ended up being one of the best I've heard. She could perform multiple accents, speak German flawlessly, and was able to carry the story, allowing it to come alive and bring you into the story.

The details in this story was fascinating. It focused on aspects of WW2 I hadn't thought about, with spies for Germany, being among the English people and how they could pull it off. Seeing a new aspect for this time of history is very intriguing.

Quenby and Lucus both come off as people are very strong willed, but as you dive into their background, you come to find out, they are broken people, each trying to get over their past. This investigation, allows to them to not only get to know each other, but learn to rely on others and to open themselves up to find out who they really are.

Quenby is a woman who has been broken, lives with a traumatic memory, that has shaped her to who she is today, however, despite that, she loves God, and follows him. She knows she needs him. Seeing her work through her hurts was realistic. Living in faith, while working to get over the past is hard. It leaves scars and they don't always fade.I appreciated how it was displayed.

This was a book that kept opening new layers for me and bringing me in more and more. I absolutely loved it! It has to be one of my favorites for the year.

5 out of 5

About the Author:
Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of nearly twenty historical romance, suspense, and time-slip novels including Catching the Wind and Chateau of Secrets . Three of her novels have won Carol Awards; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana won Best Novel of Indiana in 2010; and The Black Cloister won the Foreword Magazine Religious Fiction Book of the Year.

Melanie is the former corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and owner of the publicity firm Dobson Media Group. When she isn't writing, Melanie enjoys teaching both writing and public relations classes at George Fox University.
Melanie and her husband, Jon, have two daughters. After moving numerous times with work, the Dobson family has settled near Portland, Oregon, and they love to hike and camp in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest and along the Pacific Coast. Melanie also enjoys exploring ghost towns and abandoned homes, helping care for kids in her community, and reading stories with her girls.

Visit Melanie online at www.melaniedobson.com.



Thank you to Tyndale Blogger Program, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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